NORTHERN PLANNER

Don't you just love it when clever people come up with new buzz words.

Like 'post-truth'.

Facts in politics and wider life matter less and less. Trump lied, Farage lied, Boris lied.

But the think is, George Osborne lied with his 'emergency budget', or at best, over-claimed. As did most economists who predicted an immediate, catastrophic recession.

Hillary did some questionable stuff with emails, however this fact was used and distorted.

So yes, it's true that Facebook probably helped people see untruths and believe them for facts.

But boil it all down and it's really simple. If 2017 was some sort of tipping point, it's only this:

Technology has heightened a constant truth. Facts are never enough, you need to make people want to believe them and you need to make it simple. 

Post truth isn't a thing, it's just made not bothering to persuade people next to impossible.

We believe people like us more than others, is just that modern media has created a more closed echo chamber.

If you can tap into a real tension, need, enthusiasm or anger in a credible way, it's the most powerful thing you can do. Corbyn, Trump, Farage, Sanders, all different, all captured the imagination of people so angry and frustrated, that anyone who sounded like they were doing something about it and talked like them (even a billionnaire, Old Etonian and Stockbroker) would be believed and loved, no matter what the detail.

This blog doesn't do politics, which is why it's pointed out white lies from opposing 'sides'. I just want you to take this away:

If you work on a brand, as always, emotion and culture far outweigh facts.

They always have, it's just that, more than ever, you need to make people like you if they're going to listen.

But don't try and bullshit anyone either, no one will want to believe a brand they way they want to believe Trump, what we do just isn't important enough.

And, as always, go out and meet your audience, there has never been more risk you'll mistake them as people that think like you do.

Happy New year.