Joshua Franklin Wiedeman

Unity & Identity

Unity is the seventh principle of persuasion that Robert Cialdini added in his 2016 book Pre-Suasion. Liking says “this person is like me.” Unity says “this person is one of us.” When people share an identity (same profession, hometown, or community), persuasion starts to feel like collaboration. Brands that build a real sense of “we” earn loyalty and advocacy that transactional marketing does not.

How it works

People sort the world into in-groups and out-groups, and they are far more open to influence from their own group. This goes beyond demographics to identity: “I am a founder,” “I am a designer,” “I am a runner.” When a brand belongs to the customer’s group instead of just selling to it, resistance drops. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign spoke to an identity, not computer specs. Harley-Davidson sells belonging as much as motorcycles.

How to do it

  1. Find out what your best customers call themselves. Read community forums, Reddit, and interview transcripts for the words they use.
  2. Speak as a member of that group, not an outsider. Use “we,” share the same struggles, and show insider knowledge.
  3. Create shared rituals and symbols: your own terms, community traditions, and visual markers (for example, Salesforce’s Trailblazer identity).
  4. Build spaces where members connect with each other, not just with you: Slack groups, events, user conferences, and ambassador programs.
  5. State clearly, without hostility, who the brand is not for: “We are for bootstrapped founders, not VC-backed startups.”

What to measure

  • Community participation rate: the percentage of customers active in community spaces each month.
  • Self-identification: how often customers use your community’s terms unprompted, from social listening or interviews.
  • LTV by community engagement: compare customer lifetime value for active community members and non-members.

Best practices

  • Only claim an identity you actually share. Your founding story, team, and values must fit it.
  • Celebrate members publicly. Spotlight customers and share their wins.
  • Develop shared language and inside references that help members feel like insiders.

Common pitfalls

  • Borrowing an identity you do not belong to. Audiences notice and push back hard.
  • Making the group feel elitist. Aim for belonging, not gatekeeping.
  • Building community before the product delivers. Without real value, the group fades.