Keeping Up Appearances
Why do image and perception matter so much?
There’s a hilarious British sitcom from the 1990s called “Keeping Up Appearances” where Patricia Routledge portrays a middle-aged, middle-class housewife who is obsessed with social status and proving her superiority to others.
Patricia Routledge’s portrayal is brilliant. The name of her character is Hyacinth Bucket (she insists it is pronounced “Bouquet” to anyone who pronounces it otherwise). The series follows her constant attempts to display social superiority and gain standing with members of the British upper class, though her family couldn’t care less - her husband works as a local government official and her extended family members are largely members of the British lower class.
The series draws its humor from the constant conflict between Hyacinth’s background and her desire to be held in high social esteem. The entire show revolves around how she’s an overbearing, social-climbing snob whose main priority in life is to impress others with a constructed image of refinement and affluence.
The Importance of Image
Hyacinth’s character comes across as hyperbolic, but it’s not an utterly ridiculous depiction of the efforts people make to be popular with others. Everyone, to some degree, wants to “fit in” and be accepted by society - it’s long been one of the most important aspects of human existence, because humans need social groups and acceptance from others to survive and thrive.
I bring up the show “Keeping Up Appearances” because it’s a hysterical depiction of how far someone might go to establish a certain image or perception of themselves. While I’m not actively encouraging (or discouraging) social climbing in this post, or even primarily focusing on it, the reason I bring it up is because image does matter when dealing with others.
Image plays a major part in the way others perceive and treat us. Most of us would also like to believe that we’re more concerned with the content of someone’s character and intellectual interests than their image, but unfortunately, it isn’t as black and white as it seems.
Take a look at the below picture and tell me what comes to mind:
The word “doctor” is the first thing that I think. Doctors and other medical practitioners are typically perceived as hardworking, service-oriented, high-earning, academically accomplished individuals. I’d agree with this sentiment at large, since becoming a doctor takes loads of study and sacrifice.
Now look at the below picture:
This image portrays an athlete (specifically a runner). I generally perceive athletes as hard workers, competitive, and conscientious individuals who are largely focused on athletic achievement and physical prowess.
If a lesser-known wealthy person did a social experiment by dressing in tattered clothes and standing on the side of an interstate ramp with a “Homeless, Need Help” cardboard sign, those who drove past would develop a certain perception of that person. It’s doubtful that most passing drivers would have much interest in associating with them, though perhaps a few kind hearts might make a donation or offer some help. The point being that, without knowing you personally, people will have no choice but to form some perception of you based on how they see you, and it may or may not align with intrinsic realities.
Whenever we see an image, we immediately start to draw conclusions and associate specific traits with whatever that image is tied to. We’re all susceptible to doing this, though we may not be actively thinking about it.
Perception is Reality
Every entity has a brand - that is, a set of perceptions and beliefs held about them by others and the public. The best brands are easily recognizable, accessible, widely trusted, and associated with a specific set of positive traits. American businesses spend hundreds of billions of dollars on advertising every single year, so it’s no secret how important branding is to running a successful company.
The phrase “you shouldn’t care about what others think” is absolutely untrue for those running a business or hoping to become widely recognized for something. Bad reviews, low-quality offerings, inability to sell, and poor brand recognition will almost always lead to being put out of business by consumers or competition.
My personal belief is that strong branding is the most important aspect of extrinsic success in the modern world. Yes, you need to have a quality offering to go with a strong brand, but with so much competition for attention, talent and ability alone won’t be enough to stand out at the highest levels.
Think about the most sought-after jobs in the world: entertainers, influencers, public figures, executives, etc. There are generally more people willing to perform these roles than positions available (and no shortage of talent to choose from), so sometimes, popularity, connections, public perceptions, and politics make all the difference for who gets the opportunities.
Branding and Social Behavior
Social patterns have long influenced human behavior and consumer decisions, and this has become even more prevalent in the age of social media and content creation.
Online engagement has become something of a social credit score, meaning that those with more followers or online interaction are generally viewed to be more credible or worthy of listening to.
The proper psychological term for this phenomenon is called social proof, where people copy the actions of others when faced with how to behave and who to listen to in certain situations. This phenomenon is widely observable when looking at viral trends or consumer purchasing patterns.
Let me use a few examples of how social proof and branding work together:
A hiring manager has 50 applications to sort through when extending interview offers for a high-paying role. They only plan to interview 5 applicants out of their entire applicant pool. Since the hiring manager doesn’t have time to talk to each applicant, they’re going to vet for candidates that went to well-known schools, have relevant work experience, and have referrals from internal connections. The actual best applicant might not even get a chance to interview based on this approach, simply because they don’t have the “right resume.”
A person is looking for fitness advice online, but has no idea where to start. They see a few pages with low follower counts, then find a page with a few million followers and decide to give it a follow and start listening to its content. One of the small-time influencers may have had more effective advice, but since they lacked a following, they were seen as less reputable.
A traveler is looking for the best ice cream shop in town for after dinner, so they ask their waiter where they should go. Their waiter has a friend who works at a local spot, so they refer the the traveler to go there. In this situation, the connection with the waiter led to a consumer choice.
Centuries ago, there was an Italian astronomer named Galileo Galilei who posed that the earth revolved around the sun, and was subsequently prosecuted by the Roman Church. Even though Galileo was correct about the solar system, he was considered a heretic since he was not aligned with the accepted school of thought that was established by the church/state. This is an example of how social proof can actually override merit and evidence.
Every public figure you know has a public relations team working overtime to make sure that their image is a favorable one, both by spreading good news and extinguishing bad news. The images of celebrities, politicians, and public-facing figures are almost always curated by well-funded teams. They’re fervently studying how to get votes, how to garner public favor, and how to get people to spend money on whatever they’re selling.
Social proof is important for building a strong brand. Great businesses are able to get things to a place where their customers do their bragging and promotion for them.
“Dress for the Job You Want, Not the Job You Have”
This is an old adage, and its driving point is that image is the only barometer that strangers have to form an initial opinion. I don’t think it’s “right” to treat people a certain way based on their image, but it’s something that we all have a cognitive tendency to do because of the way our minds form associations. A tidy, professional image tells strangers that you’re capable of a job well done and can pay attention to the fine details. It can also suggest the specific line of work you’re in, which allows people to figure out how they might form mutually beneficial relationships with you.
I can say from personal experience that I’ve been treated much better in public when wearing fancier clothes and a nice watch. A big focus of mine back in college was to to make more friends and get respect from my peers, and I can confirm that getting in better shape and improving my fashion lead to exactly that outcome.
The Four Horsemen of Image
A lame spinoff of “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” indeed, but it’s important to know the different points of emphasis when it comes to building a personal brand and image.
The four cornerstones of image, as I’ll define them, are appearance, behavior, digital footprint, and reputation.
Appearance is how someone or something looks. Think of appearance as a stillshot consisting of lighting, environment, physical features, and styling.
Behavior is how someone or something acts under certain circumstances, especially toward others. Body language, speech, listening, eye-contact, movements, and otherwise are forms of behavior.
Digital footprint is the unique, traceable data created by a person or business when using the Internet and online applications.
Reputation is the way other people perceive and discuss a certain person or entity.
Image Congruence and the “Bait and Switch”
The last aspect of image I want to cover for now is image congruence. What is image congruence, you ask? It’s ensuring that the way something represents itself is aligned with its actual function and utility.
Imagine that you are being chased by a criminal and see someone dressed in a police uniform. Upon running over to the person in the police uniform, they deny that they are a law enforcement officer and state that they are unable to help. Wouldn’t be a very good thing, would it?
Another example of poor image congruence would be a restaurant running an ad saying that it has “the best prices for the best pizza in town” then only serving sandwiches when customers come. This would destroy brand credibility and confuse customers, damaging the shop’s long-term reputation and eventually putting the business at risk of going under.
In the world of branding and marketing, a bait and switch is when someone advertises one thing, then sells another (whether that be the offering itself or the price point). Businesses that use tactics like this might be able to “trick” a buyer once, but after the customer realizes that they were lied to, they’re not likely to come back again.
It’s important to represent yourself and your brand honestly because it leads to much better long-term outcomes. You might be able to “get one over” to gain something in the short run, but you’ll eventually ruin your credibility with others by being dishonest.
Taking it Home
Image matters because it shapes perceptions, builds trust, and creates lasting connections with others by instantly communicating who you are or what you represent.
Manage your personal and professional image with care, as it can heavily affect your career opportunities and personal life. We say “don’t judge a book by its cover” and I earnestly believe that we try our best not to, but it’s nearly impossible for us not to form opinions of people and brands based on what we see and what we’re told.
I can personally say that time and effort spent developing my personal image has paid off tremendously. Remember that we operate in a market economy, and being mindful of what the market sees and thinks matters in the business world.
To health and wealth,
Jared
Brilliant read. Great job!