the link the consumer - brand relationship

T H E L I N KEXPLORATIONS INTO THE CONSUMER - BRAND RELATIONSHIP

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

A good brand changes the world.

Guy Kawasaki, former Chief Brand Evangelist at Apple

1. THE PSYCHO BRANDS

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.

➜ PSYCHO BRANDING

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.

➜ THE SILVER BULLET JOB

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.

➜ SNIPERS

➜ 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 engineered buying-decision-making organ in the known universe.

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.

➜ THE LIMBIC CAVEMAN

"Washing powder's out"

"GOOOOORGEOUS 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.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!

THE MIND CAKE

2. THE WIRED BRANDS

Many brands only have meaning and value in a social context.

We ask a friend. We look at what the Joneses do. We negotiate with the family. We brag in the office.

➜ HOMO CHATTENSIS

Most of the buying decisions we make, we don't make as an island.

➜ SOCIAL CAPITAL

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?

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

Some brands have strong impact on how we relate to people. Think how Microsoft shapes our office life.



Some people are influential experts in certain categories. Mac users, Playstation gamers or Sodastreamers all can't resist to evangelize.


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."

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".

➜ ALL WIRED UP

®

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 themost conversationalbrands.

➜ YOU TALKIN AT ME?

They don't want to be talked at, but listened to!

The web has changed how people relate to brands and companies in a fundamental way:

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 but only 223 friends on Facebook?

➜CAPRICIOUS EYEBALLS

The uncaring masses,from a painting by the late Sigmar Polke

Not all brands have an appropriate idea of the conversation they should have with their customers. With whom? About what? How much can I reveal? What will the SEC say?

➜ NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT?

The uncaring masses,from a painting by the late Sigmar Polke

3. THE BRAND RELATIONSHIP

➜ UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS

Every human relationship is defined by two questions:



&1. How is power divided between us? Are we equals or does one have authority or a spell over the other?

2. Do we love or hate the other? Or do we interact on neutral grounds?

1. How is power divided between us? Are we equals or does one have authority or a spell over the other?

2. Do we love or hate the other? Or do we interact on neutral grounds?



&

In the same way, we have to look at brand relationships.

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

➜

®

®

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

4. THE BRAND IN RELATIONSHIP

A Fentbrands

g

brands

➜ A BRAND TYPOLOGY

IMaster

brands dol

riendbrands


Masterbrands

... has Power over its customers(maybe in society at large)

because it Knows or Can Dosomething we can't do by ourselves.

We give away some of ourControl & Independence

and find Peace of Mind in return.

➜ THE MASTER BRAND ...

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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.

➜ MASTER BRANDS LIKE ...

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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.


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Swiffer :Knows something aboutmagnetizing dust so I cancollect it effortlessly.Superior performance on oldhousehold nuisances is alwayswelcome but awards only short-lived authority. How will Swifferfare in a supportive role, is thelong-term question.


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Allianz:Knows something about risks that I don't.Turning personal tragedy into cold statistics can actually take the stingout of many ofour paranoias.

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

➜ THE MASTER BRAND

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... is our little (or big) Helper whosaves us: Time or Labor or

Hassle or Attention Span.We accept to pay a Premium for

our Convenience and Laziness.

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

Google: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.

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

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.

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

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..

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

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.

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➜ THE AGENT BRAND

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.

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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

➜ THE AGENT BRAND

F


riendbrands

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

... runs on its customers'Sympathies as lifeblood

because when everything looks Equal and Equally Boring,

Charms may well become the most important competitive asset.

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

Playstation:Accelerating pixels for accelerated pleasure.Some people actually get lost in Pixeltopia. For the rest of

us it's more like killing time in an engaging way.

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

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.

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

McDonald's:In peace with my little devil.

Confessing our - just occasional, sure ;-) - junk food fits has never been more socially acceptable.

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

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!

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➜THE FRIEND BRAND

ROLES: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

brands


I dol

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

... taps into Desires that godeeper than our material needs.

It plays with our Self-Esteembecause it can dispense

Prestige and Distinction.Idol brands are our society's

Navigation Systemfor Social Status.

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

Stella Artois: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.

➜ 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

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

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?

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

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.

➜ 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 ...

➜ LOUIS VUITTON CRAFTSMANSHIP AD

... and cut-outs from LV's craftsmanship campaign.

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

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.

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

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.

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➜THE IDOL BRAND

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

5. HOW BRANDS RELATE

NEW BRA

ND RULE

S

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

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➜ HOW MASTER BRANDS RELATE

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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.

➜ FOOD FOR THE NETWORKS

1.Transparency builds

trust(not mystery)

NEW BRAND RULES

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 ...

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➜ HOW AGENT BRANDS RELATE

Consumers hire brands to do a job for them. Brands have to become radically supportive of what people really want to achieve when using them. Think of your brand as a verb, not a noun. What action does it perform?

➜


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BRAND AS APP


trust

2. Brands are Apps

NEW BRAND RULES

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.

➜HOW FRIEND BRANDS RELATE

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➜CAN YOUR BRAND DANCE?

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Many brands are petrified in the name of consistency; strangled bloodless by codebooks that leave no room for authentic interaction.

DON'T

MOVE

DON'T

MOVE

➜CAN YOUR BRAND DANCE?

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((tap))1.

2. + 4.

3.

5.

6. + 7.

((tap))2x

2x

Many brands are petrified in the name of consistency; strangled bloodless by codebooks that leave no room for authentic interaction.

Brands must learn to dance; to relate to flirt to surprise -- but always with one foot on the solid ground of a robust proposition.


trust

2. Brands are Apps

3.Brands must learn to dance

NEW BRAND RULES

E M O T I O N A L

Idol brands' fans and lovers want to be part of a movement. They want to feel recognized and valued.

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Traditional one-way media cannot touch them and get filtered out.

WATCH

ME!

WA

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ME!

WATC

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WATCHME!

LOOK

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WATCH

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WA

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LOOKHERE

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ME!

LOOKHERE

WATCH

ME!

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LOO

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WATCH

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WATCHME!

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WATCHME!

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Traditional one-way media cannot touch them and get filtered out.Traditional direct marketing is nothing more personal, plus a scandalous waste of ressources.


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Brands have to proceed from media thinking to touchpoint scope: where and when are people receptive to my touch; and how do I get and stay in touch with them?


trust

2. Brands are Apps

3.Brands must learn to dance

4.Brands touch people ... or else

NEW BRAND RULES

6. WHERE YOUR BRAND BELONGS

➜ THE SWEET SPOT ...

...IS HERE,... ...HERE,...

...HERE,... AND HERE.

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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.

➜ BRANDS IN MOTION

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After more and more - and free - competition occurs in 'the cloud', Microsoft has finally decided to step off from the pedestal and stop patronizing its customers. In the launch of Vista, and even more so with Windows 7, the company deliberately keeps a low, supportive profile.


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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.


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Why did McDonald's change its slogan? Global harmonization, highest common denominator ... sure.But what we can read in the new slogan is also a new brand ambition.


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Coca Cola, on the other hand, had to acknowledge that the days were dawning on liquid expressions of youth culture and turned to football as a brand vehicle.


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Remember the days when Apple was all about making computers affordable and usable for regular folks ... ?


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... And when IBM was the brand that actually did it, with (Intel x86 powered) "PCs" that soon were on every desktop, business and private? Today, IBM is a pure business services player - and doing better that way than ever.


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With its controversial 'Reassuringly expensive' campaign, Stella Artois leapfrogged from being just another overpaid import blonde to cult sip.


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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.

I F AM

Do customers ask for yourguidance or advice?

Do loyalists become emotionalwhen talking about your brand?

Do customers enjoy their daymore having you around?

Does your brand make lifeeasier for your customers?

➜ FINDING YOUR BRAND'S BEST PLACE(IN 4 EASY QUESTIONS)

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

bit.ly/uwelucas

the link the consumer - brand relationship

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