Chapter 3 of my upcoming book, The Divine Commodity, explores the connection between religion and branding. In the chapter I quote Douglas Atkins, author of The Culting of Brands: Turn Your Customers Into True Believers, who says, “Brands are the new religion…They supply our modern metaphysics, imbuing the world with significance…. Brands function as complete meaning systems.”

Now there is more research that shows some brands do in fact have the same impact on the brain as religion. Martin Lindstrom is the author of Buyology. He says:

“Apple is (as we’ve proven using neuroscience)…a religion. Not only that–it is a religion based on its communities. Without its core communities, Apple would die–it is already facing strong pressure as the brand simply is becoming too broad (losing) its magic. What’s holding it all together is the hundreds if not thousands of communities across the world spreading the passion and creating the myths.”

Check out this video based on Lindstrom’s book:

The question I pose in chapter 3 of The Divine Commodity is this: If brands have become religions, is the opposite also true? Have religions been reduced to brands? I believe the evidence suggests they have. As outlined elsewhere in my book, researchers are not able to differentiate the behaviors and values of self-identified Christians from non-Christians with one exception-what they buy. Total sales of religious goods in America is nearly $7 billion annually. That is a whole lot of Tommy Hellfighter t-shirts, “Jesus is my Homeboy” underware, and Fruit of the Spirit energy drinks. Is Mark Riddle right:

“Conversion in the U.S. seems to mean we’ve exchanged some of our shopping at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, and Borders for the Christian Bookstore down the street. We’ve taken our lack of purchasing control to God’s store, where we buy our office supplies in Jesus’ name.”

 For more about the Mac Religion, check out this article from Wired.com.

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