Published by Plum Direct Marketing — Direct Mail Experts for Financial Professionals
Helping you market with meaning (and paper).
Article One of the Juneteenth Series — Belief Sells: The New Rules of Identity-Driven Marketing
In today’s oversaturated marketing world, shouting louder doesn’t win hearts. It just makes your postcard another piece of junk mail marinating in someone’s recycling bin. So how do you actually connect?
Enter Marcus Collins—marketing professor at the University of Michigan, former Head of Strategy at Wieden+Kennedy, and author of the 2023 marketing must-read For the Culture. His thesis?
“People don’t consume brands—they consume the meaning those brands hold.”
Let that sink in, dear financial advisor, real estate pro, or small business warrior. Because if your direct mail only talks about services, you’re missing the whole reason people might care in the first place.
Why Belief > Features in Marketing
Let’s break this down with an example. Suppose you send a sleek postcard advertising “401(k) Optimization for High Earners.” Solid. Sensible. Snooze.
Now consider this: your audience—Gen X professionals—might be thinking:
- “No one taught me this.”
- “I don’t know who to trust.”
- “I’m behind and embarrassed about it.”
In Marcus Collins’ world, this isn’t a demographic—it’s a belief system. And beliefs are what drive action. People don’t respond to credentials. They respond to alignment. They want to know, “Do you understand what I’m actually navigating?”
Belief → Identity → Behavior → Engagement
Collins teaches that culture isn’t just content—it’s context. Beliefs shape identity. Identity drives behavior. Behavior informs who they hire, who they trust, and whose message they engage with.
Here’s how it maps out for your business:
| Component | Explanation | How to Use in Direct Mail |
| Belief | A foundational worldview (e.g., “Money equals freedom”) | Use emotionally resonant language in headlines |
| Identity | How the client sees themselves | Reflect this in imagery, tone, and positioning |
| Behavior | What they do as a result | Clear CTA that aligns with their values |
| Engagement | Long-term interaction | Use consistency to reinforce trust and identity |
Try This: Build Your Client Belief Matrix
You don’t need a PhD in cultural theory to apply this. Just start with your top 3 client types. For each, ask:
1. What do they believe about money, home ownership, or security?
Examples: “Money is freedom,” “Owning a home = legitimacy,” “Retirement feels impossible.”
2. What cultural narratives shape that belief?
Think: generational struggle, media influence, family expectations, or socioeconomic realities.
3. What emotional state are they in when they receive your mail?
Exhausted? Skeptical? Hopeful? Anxious?
Now reimagine your mailer to reflect that emotional and belief state.
Instead of:
“Maximize your retirement savings today.”
Try:
“You’ve worked too hard to feel unsure about the future.”
✉️ Direct Mail = Culture Carrier (if you let it)
Direct mail isn’t dead; it’s just underutilized. Most mailers try to interrupt. The real opportunity is to embed yourself in your audience’s world.
It’s not about shouting louder. It’s about showing up smarter, with messages that say:
“I see you. I understand what matters to you. This was built with you in mind.”
Examples that work:
- A postcard with a handwritten-style headline: “This isn’t about investments. It’s about control.”
- A three-mailer series that tells a belief-based story:
- “What’s been holding you back”
- “How we build peace of mind together”
- “A future that’s yours to define”
That’s not marketing by accident. That’s marketing by design.
📚 Citations & Resources for the Overachievers
- Marcus Collins, For the Culture (Penguin Random House, 2023) → Read the book
- Marcus Collins at Michigan Ross
- Wieden+Kennedy Strategy Portfolio
- Cultural Branding in the Age of Social Media – Harvard Business Review
TL;DR (Too Long; Definitely Read Anyway)
- Marcus Collins teaches that marketing must be rooted in belief, not buzzwords.
- Your clients—whether they’re buying homes, planning estates, or choosing an insurance plan—are acting on beliefs, not data.
- Direct mail works best when it affirms identity and tells a story your audience sees themselves in.
- Your job isn’t just to explain what you do. It’s to show who you are, and who your clients can become through you.
- Belief sells. Because belief connects.
Next up: Virality is Dead. Long Live Community.
Let’s bury the myth of mass marketing and replace it with something that actually works: cultural closeness and hyperlocal relevance.
Want Help Designing a Direct Mail Campaign That Actually Resonates?
We specialize in direct mail marketing that speaks to real people, not just “high-value leads.” Let’s turn your message into something that belongs on someone’s fridge—not in the recycling bin.
