DRAFT FOR DISCUSSION branding is in a personality crisis. What's to be done? Here are a few suggestions

1. S S
R E
O G
P R
IN ®
R K
O
W
THE LINK
EXPLORATIONS INTO THE CONSUMER - BRAND RELATIONSHIP

2. Branding has jumped the shark.
The meme is stale.
Worn out.
Post-peak.
If branding were a show
on Fox, it would be cancelled
next week.
Doc Searls, co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto

3. A good brand changes the world.
Guy Kawasaki, former Chief Brand Evangelist at Apple

4. 1. THE PSYCHO BRANDS

5. ➜ PSYCHO BRANDING
The dominating school in
branding today looks at the
brand's reflection inside the
individual and tries to
understand its deeper
psychological structure:
associations, motivations,
attitudes.
It's based on the belief that
brands must push a hot button
in the consumer's mind to be
successful.

6. ➜ THE SILVER BULLET JOB
This school of thinking believes in the
magic message.
Once delivered into the subject's mind, it
will trigger unconscious desires and trick a
rational censor on the way, if necessary.

7. ➜ SNIPERS
There's a whole industry around
the casting, loading, aiming, and
firing of silver bullets. It's called
advertising.
There are planners who design the
magic messages, creatives who
craft it, researchers who test it,
media planners who target it, and
media channels that deliver it.

8. ➜ CORTEX THE GREAT
New approaches, like the
current "Neuromarketing"
buzz, follow the same
road, driven by advances in
brain scanning technology.
They help us better
understand the functional
topography of the most
highly evolved purchase-
decision-making organ in
the known universe.

9. ➜ THE LIMBIC CAVEMAN Neuroscience has
refreshed an old
myth: That man is just
a puppet of his inner
devils. The scientist
Benjamin Libet
showed that our
hand knows we will
move it before we
know it ourselves.
Our brain's limbic
system has been
triangulated as our
little devil's hide-away.

10. "GOOOOORGEOUS
THE MIND CAKE ➜
RACER"
And yet ...
In spite of the hard science, the
psycho school is notoriously weak in
foresight.
In reality, some brands just get a much bigger
slice of peoples' attention, desires, thoughts,
dreams (or curses) than others.
"Washing powder's out" We may find ourselves daydreaming
about a Porsche. Or swearing about
Micosoft's latest idea of how we
should work. But nobody
daydreams about Persil or Coke.
... and that's OK!

11. 2. THE WIRED BRANDS

12. Most of the buying
decisions we make, we
don't make as an island.
We ask a friend.
We look at what the
Joneses do.
We negotiate with the
family.
We brag in the office.
Many brands only
have meaning and
value in a social
context.
➜ HOMO CHATTENSIS

13. Brands are a part of our social life. They are
social currency, social signals, social glue, and
meeting points. Social capital is a significant part
of a brand's equity. Can we afford the simplicity
of one-dimensional brand theories?
➜ SOCIAL CAPITAL

14. Some of our
relationships
are actually
centered
around
brands. Both
Tupperware
and Harley-
Davidson bring
people
together who
would never
have met
otherwise.
➜ BRANDS IN OUR SOCIAL GRAPH

15. Some brands have
strong impact on
how we relate to
people. Think how
Microsoft shapes
our office life.
➜ BRANDS IN OUR SOCIAL GRAPH

16. Some people are influential
experts in certain categories.
Mac users, Playstation gamers
or Sodastreamers all can't
resist to evangelize.
➜ BRANDS IN OUR SOCIAL GRAPH

17. In some of our social
groups, we have rituals
and membership badges
that may involve specific
brands.
Parachuters après-jump
on Red Bull. Girls' night-
outs start with a rallying
cry for "Bailey's, on ice."
➜ BRANDS IN OUR SOCIAL GRAPH

18. ➜ ALL WIRED UP
Because brands need social capital,
there's a new mantra for marketing
these days:
Brands should live in social
networks and attract and nurture
communities of "subscribers", "fans"
and "followers". ®

19. ➜ YOU TALKIN AT ME?
The web has changed how people relate to brands
and companies in a fundamental way:
They don't want to be talked at, but listened to!
The social life of a brand is not just a nice cream
topping on a psychologically sound brand strategy.
Customers, consumers and consumerists have lifted
their expectations to the standards set by the
most conversational
brands.

20. CAPRICIOUS EYEBALLS ➜
And yet, many brands
return disappointed
from their first
ventures into social
networking.
Amateur video steals
the show from your
expensive "cheap"
viral campaign on
YouTube? 1.5m loyal
buyers in the panel The uncaring masses,
from a painting by the late Sigmar Polke
but only 223 friends
on Facebook?

21. ➜ NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT?
Not all brands
have an
appropriate
idea of the
conversation
they should
have with their
customers.
With whom?
About what?
How much can
The uncaring masses,
I reveal?
from a painting by the late Sigmar Polke
What will the
SEC say?

22. 3. THE BRAND RELATIONSHIP

23. ➜ UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS
Every human
relationship is defined
by two questions:

24. ➜ UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS
Every human
relationship is defined
by two questions:
1. How is power
divided between us? 2. Do we love or
&
Are we equals or does hate the other? Or do
one have authority or we interact on neutral
a spell over the other? grounds?

25. ➜ UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS
Every human In the same way, we have to
relationship is defined look at brand relationships.
by two questions:
1. How is power
divided between us? 2. Do we love or
&
Are we equals or does hate the other? Or do
one have authority or we interact on neutral
a spell over the other? grounds?

26. Towards many brands,
we don't have any
particular emotions. We
look at their pro's and
con's and make a fact-
based decision.
If emotions are involved,
we usually know exactly
what we want - and
need facts only to justify
our craving.
➜ EMOTIONS IN BRAND RELATIONS

27. A lesser known fact is
that brand relations
®
are not just a matter of
facts and feelings but a
play of powers, too.
Some brands have
authority over us while
other brands have a
supportive role in our
life.
®
POWER IN BRAND RELATIONS ➜

28. 4. THE BRAND IN RELATIONSHIP

29. ➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY
brands
brands I dol
M aster
brands brands
A gent Friend

30. ➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY
brands
M aster

31. AUTHORITY
... has Power over its customers
(maybe in society at large)
because it Knows or Can Do
something we can't do by ourselves.
We give away some of our
Control & Independence
and find Peace of Mind in return.
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ THE MASTER BRAND ...

32. AUTHORITY
Deutsche Bank:
Knows something about making money
that I don't.
Its arrogance, though annoying, is well-earned and
actually quite reassuring for its customers.
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ MASTER BRANDS LIKE ...

33. AUTHORITY
Microsoft:
Knows something about working with
computers that I don't.
I've learned a thing or two myself over the years,
however. And most of the places I play and work on
the web, Microsoft is nowhere near.
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ MASTER BRANDS LIKE ...

34. AUTHORITY
Swiffer:
Knows something about
magnetizing dust so I can
collect it effortlessly.
Superior performance on old
household nuisances is always
welcome but awards only short-
lived authority. How will Swiffer
fare in a supportive role, is the
long-term question.
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ MASTER BRANDS LIKE ...

35. AUTHORITY
Allianz:
Knows something about risks that I don't.
Turning personal tragedy into cold statistics can actually take the sting
R AT I O N A L EMOT
out of many of
our paranoias.
➜ MASTER BRANDS LIKE ...

36. AUTHORITY
ROLES:
Father, Teacher, Boss, Connaisseur,
Craftsman ...
ATTRIBUTES:
informative, serious, confident
SOURCE OF AUTHORITY:
Knows something the consumer doesn't
BENEFIT:
Peace of Mind
RISKS:
Condescending
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ THE MASTER BRAND

37. ➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY
A gentbrands

38. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
... is our little (or big) Helper who
saves us: Time or Labor or
Hassle or Attention Span.
We accept to pay a Premium for
our Convenience and Laziness.

39. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L
Google:
EMOT
Helps me find what I'm looking for.
It may be the biggest global brand these days, but its
attitude is surprisingly humble. Google seems fully aware
that it's there to serve and that only hubris could kill it.
SUPPORTIVE

40. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
Colgate:
Permission to forget about toothcare.
We could all care more about our dental health. Our
smiles have turned into competitive advantages in our
race for success. But not everyone is committed to the
ultimate degree of shine. In fact the majority - show the
market shares - is where Colgate is.

41. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
Ariel:
Gets the stains out, or else.
Washes out what can be washed out within the realm
of what's technologically possible and humanly sane.
Anything more would be over-zealous and housewify.
Anything less is sloppy..

42. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
Intel:
It's only the calculator, but a darn good one.
It's only speed that makes these stupid pieces of silicon look
intelligent - and smart apps for which they do the tedious
labor. Semiconductors are the humble servants of the
information age. And Intel's are the most servile of them all.

43. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
Deutsche Telekom:
Plumber of bits (and some more).
For telcos, the "Dumb Pipe" scenario is no longer a
threat but reality. Trying to convince the switch-happy
customer that not all plumbers are created equal is as
futile as teaching the blind about the different shades of
white - they couldn't care less. For the moment, having
the iPhone or not makes all the difference between
brands.

44. ➜ THE AGENT BRAND
R AT I O N A L EMOT
SUPPORTIVE
ROLES:
Agent, Supplier, Service Rep, Slave ...
ATTRIBUTES:
hands-on, intense, persuasive
SOURCE OF AUTHORITY:
Does for the consumer what she doesn't
like doing herself
BENEFIT:
Convenience
RISKS:
Indifference

45. ➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY
brands
Friend

46. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
... runs on its customers'
Sympathies as lifeblood
because when everything looks
Equal and Equally Boring,
Charms may well become the
most important competitive asset.

47. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL Playstation:
Accelerating pixels for accelerated pleasure.
Some people actually get lost in Pixeltopia. For the rest of
SUPPORTIVE us it's more like killing time in an engaging way.

48. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
Dove:
Against the tyranny of the super model
measure.
Body care for the not-so-perfect rest of us feels so
much better when it comes from a rebel with a cause.

49. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
McDonald's:
In peace with my little devil.
Confessing our - just occasional, sure ;-) - junk food fits
has never been more socially acceptable.

50. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
L'Oréal:
Wow, Jennifer has that same
problem, too.
How good to know, not just that you're
not left alone with your pain but that you
share it with half of Beverly Hills!

51. THE FRIEND BRAND ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
ROLES:
SUPPORTIVE
Friend, Kid, Good Fairy, Buddy ...
ATTRIBUTES:
helpful, honest, eye-level, understanding
SOURCE OF AUTHORITY:
Understands the consumer and fulfills his
wishes
BENEFIT:
Feeling valued
RISKS:
Emotional blackmail

52. ➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY
brands
I dol

53. AUTHORITY
... taps into Desires that go
deeper than our material needs.
It plays with our Self-Esteem
because it can dispense
Prestige and Distinction.
Idol brands are our society's
Navigation System
for Social Status.
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

54. Stella Artois:
AUTHORITY
What difference can a price tag make?
Stella was just another import lager, competing with
Heineken, Beck's and many others for Britain's social
climbers. Until the day it launched its "reassuringly
expensive" campaign that encapsulated the essence of
social distinction in the 90's: to have or have not.
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

55. ➜ STELLA ARTOIS. REASSURINGLY EXPENSIVE (2000)
Vandalism or iconoclasm? Prole ignorance or excessive snobbism? All of the above? It's the beholder's pick in lowe lintas' campaign

56. AUTHORITY
Apple:
Designing the signs of the times.
From mere cult status as manufacturer of 'different'
computers Apple has moved even further up the
Olympus of brands towards creating the key visuals
that illustrate our times for future historians. If you live
in the present, you have to have it. If you don't have it,
where the hell do you live?
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

57. AUTHORITY
Louis Vuitton:
True luxury is rooted in craftsmanship.
In the hysterical race of fashion trends, only a few brands succeed to
stay in the lead for more than a few years. LV excells in playing the
luxury game with both legs: heritage and glamour. In these ever more
mobile times, LV gives the traveling man something solid to hold on to.
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

58. ➜ LOUIS VUITTON BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ (SINCE 2008)
Keith Richards, Sean Connery, Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola, Michael Gorbatchev all starring in LV ads by Annie Leibovitz ...

59. ➜ LOUIS VUITTON CRAFTSMANSHIP AD
... and cut-outs from LV's craftsmanship campaign.

60. AUTHORITY
Red Bull:
Gives you wings, honestly.
From the magic ingredient 'Taurin' which is supposed to 'give you wings',
Red Bull has stretched the matephor to such lengths that it should break.
But the company's engagement for quirky sports like cliff-diving, freestyle
motocross or breakdancing is honest and therefore appreciated in those
niches and beyond.
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

61. AUTHORITY
Porsche:
A sporty drive without the downsides.
Ferrari has more passionate genes, Lamborghini more
testosterone, and Aston Martin more style. But only
Porsche embodies sportiness in such purity and, yes,
naiveté that it comes with a minimum of social payload.
Even for the socially aware citizen, it's ok to want one.
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

62. AUTHORITY
ROLES:
Idol, Movie Star, Vamp, Mother, Hero ...
ATTRIBUTES:
independent, aspirational, self-centered
SOURCE OF AUTHORITY:
Knows and ignites consumer's desires
BENEFIT:
Excitement, indulgence, distinction
RISKS:
Hubris
N A L EMOTIONAL
THE IDOL BRAND ➜

63. 5. HOW BRANDS RELATE
UL ES
D R
AN
BR
N EW

64. AUTHORITY
People have always
trusted master
brands as reference
points in their area
of expertise. But
the new generation
of prosumers*
expects them to
open and share
that expertise.
* producing and/or professional consumers
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ HOW MASTER BRANDS RELATE

65. AUTHORITY
The strategy, not just
for master brands, is
to share rather than
jealously corrall their
knowledge.
Transparency is the
new foundation of
(brand) trust and
feeds and inspires
word-of-mouth
among customers.
R AT I O N A L EMOT
➜ FOOD FOR THE NETWORKS

66. NEW BRAN D RULES
1. Transpar ency build s
tr u s t
(n ot mys ter y)

67. ➜ HOW AGENT BRANDS RELATE
R A T I O N A L E M O
SUBMISSIVE
Agent brands run into walls of indifference most
of the time. There seems to be no other way for
them than to buy attention space and shoot
silver bullets ...

68. ➜ BRAND AS APP
R A T I O N A L E M O
Consumers hire brands to do a job for them.
Brands have to become radically supportive of
SUBMISSIVE
what people really want to achieve when using
them. Think of your brand as a verb, not a noun.
What action does it perform?

69. NEW BRAN D RULES
1. Transpar ency build s
tr u s t
2. Brand s are Apps

70. HOW FRIEND BRANDS RELATE ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
Friend brands are in the entertainment
business. Not just since YouTube but since the
beginning of advertising. They invented the soap
opera and created the most memorable and
entertaining ads of all times.

71. CAN YOUR BRAND DANCE? ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
Many brands are petrified in the
name of consistency; strangled DON'T
bloodless by codebooks that leave
MOVE
MOVE
no room for authentic interaction.
DON'T

72. CAN YOUR BRAND DANCE? ➜
N A L EMOTIONAL
2x
2. + 4.
((tap))
SUPPORTIVE
3.
Many brands are petrified in the
1.
name of consistency; strangled
5.
bloodless by codebooks that leave
no room for authentic interaction.
Brands must learn to dance; to
6. + 7.
relate to flirt to surprise -- but
always with one foot on the solid ((tap))
ground of a robust proposition. 2x

73. NEW BRAN D RULES
1. Transpar ency build s
tr u s t
2. Brand s are Apps
3. Brand s mus t learn
to dance

74. ➜
DOMINANT
HOW IDOL BRANDS RELATE
Idol brands' fans and lovers want to be part of
a movement. They want to feel recognized and
valued.
N A L E M O T I O N A L

75. ➜
DOMINANT
HOW IDOL BRANDS RELATE
LOOK
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HE OK
WATCH RE
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LO RE
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Traditional one-way media
HE
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OK
LOOK
WA E!
H
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CH
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W M
M
TCH
LOOK LO ER
cannot touch them and get HERE TCH
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H TCH
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filtered out. H HE OK M
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LOOK
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WATCH M
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CH
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ATCH WATCH
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W LOOK LOOK
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ME! HERE ME! HERE
N A L E M O T I O N A L

76. ➜
DOMINANT
HOW IDOL BRANDS RELATE
Traditional one-way media
cannot touch them and get
filtered out.
Traditional direct marketing is
nothing more personal, plus a
scandalous waste of ressources.
N A L E M O T I O N A L

77. ➜
DOMINANT
TOUCHED BY THE BRAND
Brands have to proceed from
media thinking to touchpoint scope:
N A L E Mwhere and when are people L
O T I O N A
receptive to my touch; and how do
I get and stay in touch with them?

78. NEW BRAN D RULES
1. Transpar ency build s
tr u s t
2. Brand s are Apps
3. Brand s mus t learn
to dance
4. Brand s to uch
people ... or else

79. 6. WHERE YOUR BRAND BELONGS

80. ➜ THE SWEET SPOT ...
AUTHORITY
...IS HERE,... ...HERE,...
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
...HERE,... AND HERE.
SUPPORTIVE
No place is better or worse than another per se. But there is a
right place for every brand: given its category, its individual brand
history and strengths, corporate culture and customer base.
Sometimes brands have to move to find the place they belong.

81. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
After more and more -
and free - competition
occurs in 'the cloud',
Microsoft has finally
R AT I O N A L E M O T I O N A L off from
decided to step
the pedestal and stop
patronizing its customers.
SUPPORTIVE
In the launch of Vista, and
even more so with
Windows 7, the company
deliberately keeps a low,
supportive profile.

82. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
With the launch of its IP TV product, Deutsche
Telekom migrated from the role of a pure enabler in
the background to a home entertainment player and
adjusted its branding accordingly.
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE

83. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
Why did McDonald's
change its slogan? I O N A L
R AT EMOTIONAL
Global harmonization,
highest common
SUPPORTIVE
denominator ... sure.
But what we can read
in the new slogan is
also a new brand
ambition.

84. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
Coca Cola, on the other
hand, had to acknowledge
that the days were dawning
on liquid expressions of
youth culture and turned to
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
football as a brand vehicle.
SUPPORTIVE

85. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
Remember the days when
Apple was all about making
computers affordable and
usable for regular folks ... ?

86. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
... And when IBM was the
brand that actually did it, A L
R AT I O N EMOTIONAL
with (Intel x86 powered)
"PCs" that soon were on
SUPPORTIVE
every desktop, business
and private? Today, IBM is a
pure business services
player - and doing better
that way than ever.

87. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
With its controversial
SUPPORTIVE
'Reassuringly expensive'
campaign, Stella Artois
leapfrogged from being just
another overpaid import
blonde to cult sip.

88. ➜ BRANDS IN MOTION
AUTHORITY
R AT I O N A L EMOTIONAL
SUPPORTIVE
While 90% of LV's advertising (next page) is designed
to provide the social reward that its buyers expect
from a luxury label, 10% go into grounding its
premium in superior craftsmanship.

89. ➜ FINDING YOUR BRAND'S BEST PLACE
(IN 4 EASY QUESTIONS)
M I F A
Do customers ask for your
guidance or advice?
Do loyalists become emotional
when talking about your brand?
Do customers enjoy their day
more having you around?
Does your brand make life
easier for your customers?

90. MY THANKS GO TO THE ARTISTS OR THEIR RIGHTSHOLDERS WHO I HAVE
BORROWED ART FROM FOR NON-COMMERCIAL USE:
Banksy, Damien Hirst, Sigmar Polke, Michelangelo

91. bit.ly/uwelucas