How propaganda kills thinking

Have you seen the KFC’s new marketing slogan?

𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 🐓

Propaganda at its best.

The Greeks believed that hanging the Evil Eye outside their homes kept the witches away; the Aboriginals believed that the Rainstick will bring them rain, the risk and safety industry believes that by moving the risk from red to green on the paper people will be saved.

But the KFC’s slogan takes propaganda to an entirely new level.

KFC wants people to 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 – not when they are hungry or when they are confused about what to eat.

Just Believe.

Chicken is not just an item for consumption. Written in blood red against a black background, the chicken has been turned into a sacred symbol with divine powers. That’s more than just smart marketing; it is propaganda at its best.

And here’s how propaganda kills critical thinking.

A few months ago, I met with a safety manager. He said, ‘we’ve done a culture survey and the survey result shows we have a speaking up problem in our organisation’.

‘Can you please help us, we need some training in psychological safety. No one here really understands what psychological safety really means so we need some help.’

Can you see what is happening here?

First, when people don’t speak up, it is automatically seen as the absence of psychological safety. It’s a no brainer.

Second, no one really understands what psychological safety means.

First, you mix the problem with the solution and second, you don’t have a clue what that solution even means.

But then notice how Edmondson defines psychological safety – ‘a belief that people will not be punished for speaking up or sharing their concerns and ideas.’

It is a belief.

Once you get people to believe in something, you don’t really need to do much to convince them.

People will believe.

Believe in Chicken.

How powerful is that?