How are companies maintaining control of their brands as consumers 1) take control of the media they consume and 2) distribute their own messages about brands?
19. a question if the consumer controls the messages, can a company still control its brand direction and inspire users?
20. “Price and functionality are now taken for granted (or, in other words, not sufficiently differentiating). It is now the intangible, irrational, and subjective attributes of the brand offering that are the new factors of success . . . Empowered brands are the ones managing to deliver hedonist and emotional attributes throughout the brand experience.” -Vladimir Djurovic, CEO, Labbrand China
23. good companies inspire affinity toward the product inspire affinity for the company
24. good companies inspire affinity toward the product inspire affinity for the company by letting the consumer approach you, rather than the other way around.
46. affinity shows that if Virgin breaks guitars, you won’t have to make a YouTube video to get it fixed.
47. “Micro-interactions are the everyday exchanges that we have with a product, brand and service. Each one, in and of itself, seems insignificant. But combined they define how we feel about a product, brand or service at a gut emotional level.” -David Armano, AdAge
Consumers taking controlCutting out advertisingListening to each other rather than your ads
Get people to rally around brand relationships
If you can Cut traditional media out of your lifeAccess product reviewsEasily find the lowest price online Get lots of other people’s opinions Can you control your brand?Inspire conversation? Or are companies at the mercy of a democratic market?
Marketing agency which specializes in brand strategy; Worked with clients like Morgan Stanley, L’Oreal, Mercedes, and Brita.
Differentiates itself from all the other carbonated sugar water.Takes you to the Coke Side of Life: sensorial, stimulating experience
Cognitive dissonanceWord of mouth recommendationsInjects humor into the brand
If you’re already making it more fun than all the other toys while it’s still in the box, you have a leg up on the competition.
Someone buying a high-end convertible sports car isn’t doing it for purely utilitarian reasonsShows it’s something you play with and enjoyArt: reflects something about you. Just like when people see you driving in the car.
If you stay at Hyatt, you’ll be able to have fun wherever you go. Service from concierge is like service from the rest of the employees.FYI: they don’t know if you’re staying in a Hyatt or not—but does it really matter?
Ice cream and pastries. More dissonance: if I have to check multiple times, it must be goodWord of mouth send to a friend.Gained over 200,000 fans the week of July 19—and you don’t have to be a fan to get promotionMore receptive to other messages later if you’ve already opted in
Everybody hates airlines.Not just meeting, but exceeding levels of customer service.Airplane problems are unavoidable. Fixing them is not.
There’s no formula for going viralA big campaign won’t cover up a poor product anymoreWhatever you do, it probably won’t workWhat you can guarantee is small, quality interactions. If you ensure people have quality, happy interactions at every touchpoint, that’s the future of branding and how you’ll keep loyal customers.