The era of brand engagement
The pandemic has held up a mirror to the brand world. Many have not done their homework, or have done it inadequately. In his guest article, Colin Fernandes takes a critical look at the buzzwords in the industry - and shows what will be important in 2022.
There are a few favorite topics in the world of brand management that have released a lot of hot air in recent years: Brands need to prove attitude, brands need to become more digital, data is the new oil or content is king. Not to forget the buzzword trio sustainability, narrative and of course something with purpose. The question is: What remains when the hot air fizzles out?
The original function of brands is to provide orientation and create trust. Both remain relevant in today's hypercompetition. But what comes after I have communicated the benefits of my brand and my product, articulated my attractive values, and set the codes for orientation?
Engagement is the "Next Big Thing
For me, the answer lies in the genuine bond between people and brands - I call it engagement. For this purpose, we should again visualize the situation of brands in the first lockdown: Which brands had a bond that was not disturbed by the closing of distribution and sales channels? A bond that went so far that the brand was directly sought out by the customer and continued to be preferred and consumed even in e-commerce?
The potential of D2C rediscovered
What is now called Direct to Customer (D2C) used to be called Direct Sales and is fundamentally not new. The relationship and interaction takes place between customer and brand directly, without intermediaries - and is one of the central trends for brand management. Corona may not have been the birthplace of D2C, but it was a powerful amplifier and "reminder" of what brand management should really be about.
That brands have a real meaning for the customer should not be a peculiarity or an exception, but the rule. However, this has been forgotten in the "hot air talk" competition and in the superficial management of brands by means of would-be brand core values, slogans devoid of content, the thousandth picture of the sunset on social media, and imposed purposes.
Who is my girlfriend?
In an unstable world, people are looking for connection and for brands with which they can form a genuine bond. However, this is not about the much-cited concept of the "love brand," which is already being strongly questioned scientifically. Brands don't have to become love partners - because you have, as a rule, few of them.
However, brands can very well become a good friend. You defend a good friend in the face of criticism, you remain loyal to her. In addition, you write back and call her if she wants you to - that's the commitment by which brands will have to be measured again more in the future.
Simply keep your promises
For genuine target group engagement, however, it is imperative to move away from superficial, purely tactical marketing toward genuine depth, authenticity, and quite simply, once again, keeping promises. Because all the superficiality and phrase-mongering have made customers suspicious.
Purpose? Put an end to it!
2022 could be a better year from a brand management perspective if we can leave all the Purpose hype behind us. Let me be clear: brands don't need a purpose. If anything, the people behind the brand need a Purpose, but only if it really helps them to lead their brand more successfully and not if it's purely an end in itself or about simply meeting the demand of the CEO, the consultant or both.
The more the desire for Purpose comes from within the company and from the people who run the brand, the more it will help them increase engagement - and ultimately communicate Purpose authentically.
The same applies to other buzzwords such as "narrative" or "reason-why". Each element may have its justification, but without a critical examination of whether it really serves a purpose, there is a risk of overburdening people in the company (what else are we supposed to implement), putting brand management in the wrong light (another phrase that our marketing has had a consultant talk us into), or leading the brand into artificial, inauthentic communication.
Common sense is enough
The example of Snocks - a counterpart to Blacksocks - is a good illustration of what can help brands on the road to engagement: The startup has visualized what the scarcities and genuine cravings of its clientele are. Even though the brand is a stickler for data and analytics - figuring out what people really want from socks and bottoms wouldn't have taken mountains of data. The simple question, "What bothers people about sneaker socks or underpants?" is quite enough to give the brand the foundation it needs to succeed today.
As you can see, I advocate the renaissance of common sense and gut feeling for one's own brand. This can be supplemented with targeted analyses of data. Today's technologies, such as AI-based data analytics, can be a useful companion to identify the messages that move the heart and invite deep friendly relationships. Perhaps it can also be boiled down to the proposition that the really big ideas don't come from mountains of data, but from gut feelings and instinct.
* Colin Fernando is a partner at the management consulting firm BrandTrust and discusses new trends from a brand perspective in his weekly podcast "BrandTrust Talks". The podcast is available on all popular platforms such as Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts.
