Hunger for magic among Romanians
“We note that there are many voices criticizing the fact that on every street corner there is a bank, a pharmacy and a gambling hall, but who is to blame? Is it the fault of these businesses or is the problem due to the education and culture of Romanians, which encourages burning steps and immediate rewards rather than hard work and effort?”
What does Romanian society look like today?
In the local context, people’s expectations and values show that today’s priorities and concerns are generally dominated by fears, anxieties and an increased need for control.
Romanians’ fears have deep roots in the country’s tumultuous history. Economic and political instability, various social pressures or panicky news have contributed to the fertile ground for the development of a persistent anxiety about the future. In a troubled world, where people lament that every day brings new challenges and uncertainties, they often look for the quickest, easiest and most miraculous solutions to overcome the fears and anxieties of everyday life. Shortcuts are therefore preferred, as a solution to relieve the pressure and the prevailing behavioural and mental dependencies. These ‘miracle holes’ in the anxiety fence are chosen over slow, gradual, step-by-step construction. They are up to us, to the nature, education and psychology of the Romanian people.
We note that there are many voices criticising the fact that on every street corner there is a bank, a pharmacy and a gambling hall, but who is to blame? Is it the fault of these businesses or is the problem due to the education and culture of Romanians, which encourages burning steps and immediate rewards rather than hard work and effort?
To try to find answers to these questions, we will use one of the analysis models used in the world of marketing and consumer psychology, which helps us to understand in depth the complexity of human needs, motivations and behaviour. This tool is called the archetype map.
What is the archetype map?
The concept of archetypes derives from Carl Gustav Jung’s analytical psychology, which identifies collective patterns of thought and behaviour that transcend cultures and eras. In this context, archetypes become a map of consumers’ mental terrain, revealing dominant motivational directions and adjacent preferences. In a broader sense, these archetypes are symbolic categories that capture key aspects of identity and aspiration, reflecting how people relate to the world around them.
A whole series of archetypes are positioned on this map, which serve as cardinal points, providing insight into the fundamental motivations that guide people’s individual choices and actions. At the same time, the archetype map helps to position different product categories, consumer segments or brands.
What does each archetype mean?
The Anchor archetype is the territory of fears and anxieties, symbolising the need for stability, control and security.
- The Expert archetype represents the desire for in-depth knowledge, competence and expertise in a specific field, generated by another type of anxiety manifestation.
- The Magician archetype symbolizes the desire for rapid transformation, innovation and discovery of unconventional solutions, allowing the exploration of new and daring perspectives.
- The archetype of the Jester or “Jester” symbolizes the desire for nonconformity, liberation, entertainment, unpredictability, in a superficial, hilarious and even unbelievable way.
We note that the Anchor and the Expert are located at the bottom of the archetype map, while the Magician and the Jester are positioned diametrically opposite, meaning that they represent absolutely antagonistic solutions to the former.
What is the applicability of this archetype map in Romanian society and what implications does it have for people’s needs and motivations?
In a society facing serious educational and cultural challenges and shortcomings, these archetypes provide a crucial insight into how Romanians respond to environmental pressures and demands.
For the Romanian people, the archetypes Anchor, Expert, Magician and Jester dominate the collective mind.
How do we identify archetypes in Romanian society?
Fear of disease
One of the fundamental fears of the Romanians is the fear of health (positioned in the Anchor and Expert area), and the shortcut to the Magician area is the desire of people to access cures or quick health improvements. In the search for simple, immediately effective solutions, medicines and dietary supplements offer ‘instant’ benefits that can ‘magically’ solve health problems and related anxieties, thus radically transforming quality of life in the absence of long-term prevention or lifestyle change.
Fear of poverty and social marginalisation
Fear of poverty and social marginalisation is another widespread and deep-rooted fear (also located in Anchorage territory). It often stems from economic uncertainty, difficulties in securing a decent living and the fear of not being able to meet basic needs.
Many Romanians hope that they can overcome their financial difficulties and get rich overnight, as if by magic (Magician’s territory), if they go and play at the betting shops or win the lottery. Casinos, sports betting and other forms of gambling are attractive because they offer the temptation of effortless winning, generating the illusion of immediate winnings and the hope that prosperity can come quickly.
Fundamentally, in the perception of Romanians, banks or financial companies are positioned as identity in the territory of Anchor and Expert (of control, security, professionalism), and only some services (online or digital, such as apps or cards) are positioned in the territory of Magician (of transformation, innovation, novelty). However, companies prefer to offer shortcuts to the Magician zone as this is how they successfully respond to relevant and existing bundles of needs.
The myth of the saviour in politics
An interesting aspect can easily be observed in politics. Here, in addition to the archetype of the Magician, who can play the same transformative role, we find the archetype of the Jester. I leave it to you to discover the jesters in politics. But beyond the jesters, there are candidates with notoriety and confidence, whom we have known for years, who have built their careers caramel by caramel through hard work and sacrifice, doing tangible things that everyone has heard about.
So we have elections in 2024. What do you think will happen when a candidate comes along who has never been heard of, but who possesses a messianic aura, and who miraculously, at the last moment, offers miraculous solutions that respond to profound pressures. What will Romanians choose? Will they behave as they have in the past or will something change? Will they want to build progressively or will they use the magic wand again? Will they choose something already known, in plain sight, or will they use the top hat again?
In the hectic society of contemporary Romania, burdened by stress and uncertainty, in the absence of education, Romanians are and probably will continue to be adepts of the search for miraculous solutions as a panacea for overcoming fundamental fears.
Although interested in deep, transformative changes, they will probably do nothing, as it is more comfortable to have modern “magic wands” at hand, even if they only involve taking a pill, betting on a few numbers at a roulette wheel or choosing the solution that will save the country.
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Marius Luican is a Romanian entrepreneur who has successfully placed his company – Reveal Marketing Research – among the first independent research agencies on the Romanian market.
Since 2008, Marius Luican and Reveal Marketing Research offer concrete solutions, helping the development and consolidation of Romanian and international brands, based on comprehensive data obtained through a mix of qualitative and quantitative studies (Segmentation Studies, Development and Testing of Communication Programs, Price, U&A and Satisfaction Analyses, Mystery Shopping etc.).
Marius also offers consulting and strategy services based on Reveal’s 4 values: passion, honesty, empathy and trust.