You’re sitting on a giant pink bean bag with four of your closest friends surrounding you, each of them perched on an equally bright, equally pink fluffy cushion.
“Spice up your life” plays from your silver Sony box TV.
“I’m baby, you’re posh, and you’re ginger” you point at your friends christening them with their new titles.
Honestly, you didn’t care who wore the Union Jack dress or who was betrothed to David Beckham, as long as you were a baby.
Our obsession with identifying ourselves in others isn’t reserved for tween girls or pop groups.
We do it every day.
We do it in the products we choose and brands we associate with.
Because it’s part of our psychology.
Human beings desire a sense of belonging – we want to feel seen, understood, and able to connect with people.
Choosing which spice girl we’d be allows us to live out an aspirational fantasy and confirm that we have a community and identity we belong to (being alone is a big no-no to our brains).
Your girl power brand lesson: great brands make us feel like we belong
While we might view The Spice Girls as a nostalgia-defined pop group we loved as a kid, they’re more than that.
They’re one of the most successful music brands of all time. Alongside their decade-defining pop songs, they sold millions of dollars worth of merch. And much like the 2023 Barbie movie, they weren’t concerned if what they were selling made total sense. If you could put their face on it and sell it to an obsessed 90s/00s audience, they did it.
If you’re curious about the commercial and market success of the Spice Girls, I highly recommend this podcast.
Picture this: You’re picking a deodorant and one brand just feels more “me”
Maybe because of the pink packaging? Maybe because of the words used to describe the scent? Maybe because of the advert you saw on TV?
In reality, all these products are near-enough the same, but one brand has one you over – one brand speaks to you and makes you feel seen and understood.
It’s the same for your creative business. There are thousands of people offering the same services as you. It’s up to your brand to show them you’re the one for them. They’re the Spice Girl you want to be.
