The Identification Technique
Build a saleable personality into your product that fulfills the desire for self-expression
Identification is the second dimension of the prospect's mind -- beyond physical desire, there exists a longing for self-expression and role-definition. Every product should offer two reasons to buy: fulfillment of a physical want, and a method of defining the buyer to the outside world as a particular kind of human being. This non-functional, supra-functional value is built not by engineering but by advertising alone.
Schwartz identifies two types of identification roles: Character Roles (adjectives like progressive, chic, brilliant, well-read) and Achievement Roles (nouns/titles like Executive, Homeowner, Career Woman). Character roles are ambiguous, never directly claimed, and exist partly in the subconscious -- making them easy to project through imagery and almost impossible for the prospect to reject. Achievement roles are more concrete but equally powerful as motivators for purchase.
The identification technique turns products into instruments for achieving or acknowledging these roles. A man does not buy a 150-mph sports car for functional transportation on 35-mph parkways -- he buys the role of 'sportsman.' At least half of all purchases cannot be understood in terms of function alone. Identification copy works best through images, symbols, and non-verbal associations rather than direct verbal claims.
- Every product should offer both physical satisfaction and a role or identity that defines the buyer
- Character roles are expressed through adjectives, are ambiguous, and can never truly be tested -- making them easy to project
- Achievement roles are expressed through nouns/titles and must be physically symbolized through products to become real
- Non-verbal identification (images, symbols) bypasses rational objection because there is no direct claim to reject
- At least half of all purchases today cannot be understood in terms of function alone
- In America today we are known not only by the company we keep but by the products we own
- Identify the Roles Your Prospect DesiresDetermine what character roles (progressive, sophisticated, virile, nurturing) and achievement roles (executive, fashion setter, good mother, man-on-his-way-up) your prospect aspires to. These are the identities they wish to build, project, or have acknowledged by others.Pro tipCharacter roles are rarely spoken aloud. They exist in the subconscious and are expressed through symbols and images, not words. Use motivation research or deep customer interviews to uncover them.
- Connect Your Product to These RolesShow how your product serves as an instrument for achieving the role (a philosophy book for the 'well-read' role), as a means of simplifying mastery (a speed-reading course), or as a symbol that acknowledges mastery to others (an elegant bookshelf to display the books).Pro tipThe third function -- symbol of achievement -- is often the most powerful purchase motivator because people need their achievements to be visible. Fine bookshelves sell identity, not storage.
- Express Identification Through Imagery, Not ClaimsUse images, settings, associations, and atmospheric elements to project the desired role. Show aspirational people using the product. Place it in aspirational contexts. Let the identification be felt rather than stated, because non-verbal identification bypasses the prospect's rational objection mechanisms.Pro tipThe Marlboro Man never said 'this cigarette makes you virile.' He was simply a cowboy smoking. The absence of a verbal claim made it impossible for the conscious mind to reject the association. Use this principle.WarningDirect verbal claims of identity ('Buy this and you'll be sophisticated') trigger skepticism and rejection. Identity must be suggested, not stated.
Research showed that smoking cigarettes gave men feelings of virility and importance. But any verbal expression of these themes would be instantly rejected as absurd. The solution was the Marlboro Tattoo campaign featuring cowboys, racing car drivers, and sky divers whose appearance alone projected raw virility. No headline, no claim -- just virile men and cigarettes in the same frame.
Schwartz recognized that by the mid-20th century, American consumers had progressed beyond purchasing for pure function. With the rise of motivation research in the 1950s, advertisers discovered that products carried powerful symbolic meanings -- roles, status, and self-definition. Schwartz systematized these observations into a practical technique, distinguishing character roles from achievement roles and showing how each could be built into copy.