Why the name ‘Elephants Can’t Jump’?

At Elephants Can’t Jump, we know that the emotional mind works faster than the rational.

Why ‘Elephants’?

Psychologists have long told us that our brain has two independent ways of thinking. One is the emotional side, the other the rational side. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt introduced a simple analogy to explain how we change our behaviour – our emotional side as an Elephant and our analytical, rational side as a Rider perched on top.

This analogy proposes that since the Rider is rational, they can see the path ahead, whereas the Elephant he is seated on, is driven by emotion and instinct. The rider of the elephant may look like they are in charge, but when there’s a disagreement between the elephant and the rider, the elephant usually wins.

We know that helping our clients’ brands engage with their consumers at an emotional level, requires fine-tuning their empathy muscles to be receptive to the trends and changes in their markets. It’s why we do what we do and why we are called what we are called.

#1 Social at heart

Elephants are complex creatures, each one as layered as any human being.

• They are capable of feeling joy, grief and compassion.
• They can form deep emotional connections as much as people can
• They play games and support each other in their herds.
• They are incredibly social and empathetic animals.

With this in mind, the herd at Elephants Can’t Jump are all about what elephants can do.

#2 Unique communication

Our planet’s largest land mammal can boast great communication skills. Elephants can communicate through a variety of ways including trumpet calls, reading body language, using their senses of touch and smell as well as taking advantage of seismic signals (in other words, vibrations). Our herd is equally attuned to the way brands are perceived through language as well as semiotics. We prioritise great communication with clients, in order to produce the best results.

Then there’s the Elephant’s trunk. It is a veritable asset which can be used in a plethora of ways. Elephants use them to pick up objects, trumpeting out warnings or greetings to each other, drinking, bathing and so on. At Elephants Can’t Jump, each member of the herd uses their individual assets and skills to help brands.

Check out how elephants communicate through roars and rumbles in this National Geographic video:

#3 They never forget!

Of course, we can’t talk of Elephants and not think of the saying ‘an elephant never forgets’. Elephants are scientifically proven to have great memories, perhaps thanks to their large brains which are similar to a human’s in both structure and complexity. At Elephants Can’t Jump, we are proud of our good memories which allow us to work efficiently, and take the lessons learnt from past projects and apply them to current projects.

It’s a name to remember!

It’s true, Elephants Can’t Jump… but given everything else they can do, perhaps that’s not such an issue! We’ve achieved so much with our clients and worked on projects that we are extremely proud to have been involved in.
The name Elephants Can’t Jump is unique and is sure to stick in the minds of clients and colleagues alike. After all, if you have read to the bottom of this blog post, it means the name sparked your curiosity, right?