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Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, believed the wearing of veils stifled a national effort to modernize. While Ataturk could have simply criminalized the otherwise unassuming garb, he understood there would be consequences to usurping tradition. Understanding the value of perception, Ataturk protected his scarfless vision for Turkey by making veils compulsory garments for every prostitute in the country.

By essentially re-branding the veil as the signifier of an undesirable class, Ataturk managed to change the garment’s perception, and in turn the identity of an entire nation.

The decision to re-brand veils may have been only a small measure in Ataturk’s valiant march towards modernization. Nonetheless, the effect begs the question, “how many problems in life can be solved…by tinkering with perception?” At the July 2009 TED Talk in Oxford, England, Ogilvy Group Vice Chairman Rory Sutherland addresses what Ataturk realized over a century ago. One, that all value is actually relative, and that all value is perceived value. The second: persuasion is often better than compulsion.

For more on the value of perception, be sure to check Sutherland’s TED Talk, and read his blog on Brand Republic.

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