The Traitors: Identity, Storytelling, and Deception
NBC’s hit show, The Traitors, has taken the world by storm, giving its audience a front-row seat to the deception, lying, and manipulation seen throughout much of the game. If you don’t know the premise of the show, here’s the gist. A group of contestants come together in a spooky Scottish castle and are divided into two groups: “faithfuls” and “traitors.” The traitors’ challenge is to make it to the finale, where they will take the prize money and be crowned the victor. The faithfuls must work together to banish the traitors before they “kill” off any remaining faithfuls and make it to the finale undetected.
Sounds innocent enough, right? Wrong. The show has amassed a huge following, with the fourth season garnering over 3 billion minutes of views on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock. So, why the fascination? From a marketing perspective, The Traitors isn’t just another reality game show. It’s a fascinating look at identity, branding, community, storytelling, authenticity, and human instinct. Here, we’ll go over what the show can teach us about the human role in marketing and how we can use the psychology behind game play to boost brand growth. Let’s dive in.
Identity, Branding, and Authenticity
Identity and personal branding each play a key role in The Traitors. From the way contestants present themselves, to the way they interact with other players, to even their fashion choices, personal expression quickly defines players and tells a story. In Season 4, think of Maura Higgins’ eccentric hats, Rob Rausch’s laid-back overalls, or even Candiace Dillard Bassett’s iconic corporate looks, and you immediately conjure up a persona, story, and identity for that player. Even after only watching them for a few minutes.
The same goes for brand identity. You don’t have to appeal to everyone, you just have to find a quality that speaks to your true self and structure your brand’s identity, persona, and story around that authentic narrative. Oftentimes, contestants who make it far in the show are the ones who aren’t afraid to be themselves when it matters most. Find the quirks behind your brand and let your content, social media, and marketing strategy tell that story. When someone sees your product or post, they should immediately know it’s yours. Find that angle and pursue it.
Storytelling in The Traitors
The players in The Traitors aren’t just aimlessly wandering around. They’re actively constructing a narrative. What makes the show fascinating for so many is that the setting and context already tell so much of the story: a spooky Scottish castle, intense challenges, and dark, moody decor set the vibe for an entertaining tale. But the real masterclass in storytelling comes from the players themselves, especially those playing the traitors. To make it to the end of the game, these players must lie, deceive, and essentially create stories about themselves and their opponents. Season 4 winner Rob Rausch was a lot of things, but a masterful storyteller was definitely one of them. By creating a story that depicted himself as just a “simple” boy from Alabama, Rob’s narrative played on his innocence, charm, and inexperience to get him to the finale of the game.
When it comes to telling your brand’s story, remember that presentation is key. Your audience can’t see the internal workings of your mind or understand your reason for doing something. That’s why you need to craft the story through your brand’s narrative and make sure that all your points are coming across clearly and cohesively. You’re not a traitor trying to deceive, but you are a business owner trying to win over your audience. The underlying psychology behind both is much of the same.
Trusting Your Gut
A big theme of The Traitors is watching contestants go against their instincts and eliminate the wrong players. In this way, the show teaches us that many times, our instincts are often right, and we shouldn’t dismiss gut feelings just because they go against popular opinion.
In your personal and in your professional life, it’s important to trust yourself, even if it goes against the crowd. You know what’s best for your business, and like so many in the show, we often find ourselves regretting actions that went against our gut. Trust yourself and let your instincts help guide you in the right direction.
Conclusion
NBC’s The Traitors isn’t just an entertaining reality game show. It’s a deeper look into the human aspects of identity, branding, authenticity, and storytelling, especially when it comes to trusting yourself and your gut. As marketing professionals, we can learn a lot from the show about how to position our brands, find our unique angles, tell our stories, connect with our audiences, and remain faithful to our instincts, even when they go against popular opinion.
