Ever watch the show “South Park”?

It’s been running for 24 years and churned out 309 episodes so far.

I continue to learn more about life and business from this shock comedy cartoon than I do from a thousand virtue-signaling posts by LinkedIn gurus who love to humblebrag.

Anyway, several years ago, South Park aired an episode called “Ginger Kids”, where the obese, sociopathic Eric Cartman decides to spread hate against kids with red hair

At the start of the episode, Cartman makes these claims:

“Ginger kids are born with a disease which causes very light skin, red hair, and freckles…this disease is called ‘gingervitus’ and it occurs because ginger kids have no souls…because their skin is so light ginger kids must avoid the sun, not unlike vampires …and like vampires the ginger gene is a curse “

This causes ginger kids in the school to get bullied. But then, Stan and Kyle decide to teach Cartman a lesson and turn him into a ginger with makeup while he’s sleeping.

Cartman, now thinking he is a ginger, immediately changes his tune and forms a Nazi-like cult (the Ginger Separatist Movement) dedicated to the genocide of non-gingers (“The only way to fight hate- is with more hate!”).

This episode was influential enough that Facebook groups began popping up, declaring November 20th “Kick a Ginger Day”. Apparently, this led to over a dozen students beating up a red-headed 12 year old in Calabasas, California.

We here at the Sublime Persuasion Porte don’t endorse child violence….but we must admit to finding this case amusing!

But here’s the point:

People prefer to say “yes” to those they like.

No surprise there.

But research (as explained by Robert Cialdini) and practical advertising experience also tells us that if you can trigger a feeling of shared identity with someone (e.g. ginger vs. non-ginger), you’re more likely to influence them.

The problem is that marketers try to “hack” this phenomenon by glibly pressing on “emotional pain points” and using the “customers language.”

Yes, understanding your target market is important. But if all your marketing message is, “you get angry if you can’t 10x your income!”, you’re not going to make it.

There is a way to build rapport with prospects to turn them into a rabid cult for your brand but it takes expertise, discipline, and brass ballz.

P.S. My book shows business owners and entrepreneurs the exact steps for using creativity to make lots of money. It costs around $30 everywhere else, but if you join my daily email list by clicking the link below, you can have a digital copy for free.

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