The Molded Mind: Psychoanalysis in the PR Industry

How many of you marketing and public relations pros have heard of Edward Bernays? I asked this question recently during a presentation I gave at Georgetown University’s Public Relations/Corporate Communications program in Washington D.C. Out of a room of at least 40 students – most of whom were working professionals in the field – only two people raised their hands.

Very few people today, including in the PR industry, know about Bernays. This is ironic considering that he was instrumental in making several products and people famous – including his uncle, Sigmund Freud, otherwise known as the founder of psychoanalysis. 

THE BIRTH OF PSYCHOANALYSIS IN THE PR INDUSTRY

Just to give you some background: Edward Bernays was born in 1891 in Austria, but moved to New York with his family when he was only a year old. He grew up to become the “Father of Public Relations” and was named by Life Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century. 

Bernays used his uncle Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis in the development of his work in public relations. By the end of his life, he had authored several books on public relations and propaganda as well. Some critics considered his techniques manipulative and controversial.

In the field of public relations, Bernays outlined how skilled practitioners could use focus groups and psychoanalysis to control key publics for desirable outcomes for companies and later on in his career for political campaigns. 

Building off Freud’s concepts of 'unconscious' or 'irrational desire,' Bernays proposed that “We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.”

In other words, he claimed that professionals in the advertising industry basically dictate what we desire – and can convince us that we need things that we really don’t – and usually without us even realizing it.

A CASE STUDY: INSTANT CAKE MIX

One of my favorite oddball stories about Bernays’ approach to product advertising is the story of the Betty Crocker instant cake mix: the formula was developed during World War II as a quick fix box of premixed dry ingredients that only required water for baking. In the beginning, it wasn’t selling well. 

After conducting several focus groups, Bernays declared that an egg was needed in the recipe. His argument: by adding an egg to the recipe the wife/mother will not only feel that she has done more work for her family, but also (subconsciously) believe that she is giving over her own egg.

I’ll admit it sounds bizarre on the surface. But when Betty Crocker added the egg, sales skyrocketed.

SHIFTING LANDSCAPES

By the 1920s, when Bernays was actively working as a PR practitioner, the landscape was just starting to shift from “needs-based” to “wants-based” advertising.

In the early 1900s in America, products where advertised with an emphasis on “need.” So back in the day, messaging for shoes would be advertised with something like, “These shoes last longer, they’re work appropriate, they’re made from tanned leather,” and other straightforward descriptions as such.

Today, advertising is not about what we need – it’s about what we want as consumers. Ads today are selling more than a product – they’re selling an experience – such as “these shoes will buy you hot romance.” Ads today also emphasize variety, so that you can promote your individual style.

THE "BIG IDEA" IN PR

As storytelling and selling lifestyles through products are basically considered a standard in today’s marketing strategies, campaigns are usually tightly woven around a “big idea” – a term coined by David Ogilvy in the 1960s to describe an essential ingredient for any advertising campaign in order to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. 

In today’s PR practitioners’ guidebooks, there are generally four components used for crafting a big idea: 

• The big idea strategy (i.e. motivate individuals to purchase/support ‘x’)
• The message itself
• The tangible representation of the idea 
• A memorable slogan or tagline

For Bernays, the big idea was more than a unique selling point for advertising purposes. It was a creative strategy and overriding message that appealed to specific key publics. In line with Bernays’ interest in psychoanalysis, the key concept behind this kind of strategy is to motivate individuals to get involved by tapping into the emotions.

Agree or disagree? Amused or horrified? I’d love to hear what you think.

If you would like to learn more about Edward Bernays and the history of psychoanalysis in the PR industry, I recommend watching the documentary “The Century of the Self.” (Warning: it’s a little long, but if you’re nerdy enough to get excited by this kind of stuff then you’ll see it through.)

Have a great day and feel free to be in touch!

Jessica Walton