Just finished the annual Society of Digital Agencies meeting in Vegas. Lots of great thinking. Biggest take-away for me is the need to redefine what we mean by brand. Consumer empowerment in the digital age has changed the game. Consumers are not only in charge, but know it. So what defines a brand has gone from what brands say to what they do. It’s not that persuasion doesn’t work anymore it’s just that the points of persuasion have to have some tangible value in a consumer’s life. That means anything that better enables a consumer to achieve their goals. This is all very well, but we need a mental framework to think about this. I like the idea that a brand is like a person you meet. The basis for the relationship rapidly moves from first impressions to personality, character and consistency; real stuff with real value. Brands have to create real relationships now, the days where they could rely on their good looks and a little sweet talk are gone. Consumers rightly expect more.
July 10, 2010
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Totally, completely agree. And we’re lucky to work with a CMO that gets it too. Just read a Brandweek coverstory on the work we’ve been doing with Domino’s, and saw this great quote from their CMO:
“Probably a couple of years ago, most brands realized that they weren’t in control of their message anymore,” [Russel] Weiner said, calling up a basketball metaphor. “When you’re taking a shot, your right hand pushes it and your left hand guides it. Right now, we’re kind of the left hand…You guide it by talking about what consumers want you to talk about.”