Your Brand? OUR Brand. (IIMA version)

Your brand? OUR BRAND. Branding in the Era of the Empowered Consumer

Eric Weaver | Tribal DDB 10/21/09

Tonight ◼  Definitions and realities ◼  Four cultural changes that have turned the world upside-down ◼  Trust and its impact on revenue ◼  Rethinking the brand in terms of trust ◼  Social media branding makeovers ◼  Final thoughts/Q&A

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Definitions and realities less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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Branding: a dog’s breakfast? Disparate definitions: is it identity? Experience? Advertising? Gut feeling? A promise? October 21 at 6:31pm - Comment - Like - See Wall-to-Wall

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Slight prob: suggesting any expense of time/money that does not support a quarterly earnings goal is often political suicide. October 21 at 6:32pm - Comment - Like - See Wall-to-Wall

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My def’n: the process of crafting a UVP and platform for reception (& now interaction) w/one’s market. Have to go to mkt with something. October 21 at 6:33pm - Comment - Like - See Wall-to-Wall

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Old-school control of brand, msg is a bit like controlling gossip. You may “steer” it but really, that’s about it. O.M.G. Did u see that tagline? October 21 at 6:34pm - Comment - Like - See Wall-to-Wall

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2:57 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Why? BOOMERS = propriety. Trained in formalities, don’t offend, guarded means safe, not so great with “random.” Suit & tie = trust.

2:57PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

GENS X&Y = affinity. Formalities ignored, sharing means finding, tech is easy, random is life. Consider your lens. Suit & tie = distrust.

In fact, 66% of customer touchpoints are now CUSTOMER GENERATED

(McKinsey Quarterly, June 2009)


And it’s not only consumers who are creating touchpoints. 6:39 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

THE REALITY: your brand is now our brand. Branding must consider social implications. 6:40 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Let’s look at the business of promoting a brand. less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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Outbound mktg is a $1TT machine. Each niche = a full industry. We're rewarded for storytelling/ intrusion/repetition. Unchanged in 150 yrs.

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Our customers, however, have changed. Maybe a lot, LOLZ. 6:42PM Oct 21from TwitterBerry


Commercialism starting to smell like self-interest. Consumers flee to social netwks where they could connect w/like minds, pitch-free.

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For marketers, social netwks looked like a smorgasbord of opportune audiences. OOH YUMMEH!

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What’d we get? Same ol’ same ol’. “Look over here! A chance to WIN!” #yawn October 21 at 6:48pm - Comment - Like - See Wall-to-Wall

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Traditional ads in social netwks are like #amway salesmen showing up at a cocktail party. Not the right context, kids. #fail 6:51 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

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The waning Outbound Voice: RT @TNSMedia Intelligence US ad spend plunges 14.2%; only online posts growth. 6:52 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Four major cultural changes are killing the outbound model and amplifying dialogue. less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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CHANGE #1: trust has fallen off a cliff. (RT @edelman) 6:55 PM Oct 21 from Edelman Trust Barometer

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RT @edelman: “banks, automotives, media and insurance hit hardest in US.” Wonder abt schools,

cops, doctors (societal pillars) 6:56 PM Oct 21 from from Edelman Trust Barometer

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CHANGE #2: time starvation, micro-niche interests, endlessly-customizable media options, expecting free information 6:59 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

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#SEARCH: people, products, info, media I care abt; #EXPRESSION via blogs, opinion sites, ratings; #SHARING what we like, or hate About a minute ago - Comment - Like

Generally, consumers don’t need advertising, marketing or PR (#TimeToRethink)


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MARKETERS

MEDIA

EMPLOYEES

CUSTOMERS BLOGGERS

TRADE ORGS

ANALYSTS

INVESTORS

GOVERNMENT

CHANGE #3: the new cacophony.

7:02 PM Oct 21 from culture

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CHANGE #4: people turn to PEERS when risk is high, more choices to review, less time for research. #remarkable 7:04 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

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Most credible ppl giving me company/product info? 47% believe in PEERS. 13% trust marketers. #wakeupcall #outboundvoice 7:05 PM Oct 21 from 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer

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Trust isn’t just influential, it’s widely shared. 56% age 35-64, 63% 25-34 share trust/distrust on the web. 7:06 PM Oct 21 from 2008 Edelman Trust Barometer

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Trust drives preference: 91% choose to buy from companies they trust, 77% refuse the distrusted. Bottom line: TRUST DRIVES TRANSACTIONS. 7:07 PM Oct 21 from 2009 Edelman Trust Barometer

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Rethinking the brand in terms of trust less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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Growing revenue not abt clever, elegant, loud. Not abt tools! Nor Ashton/Oprah. Not abt Social Media change. IT’S ABT PPL TRUSTING YOU. 7:08 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

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CONSUMERS WANT PROOF OF INTENT: “How much more would u trust a company for taking these actions?” 7:10 PM Oct 21 from Edelman Trust Barometer

So build a trust strategy. Where are u trusted? distrusted? Reexamine brand attribs, think thru proof points and executional steps. less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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DON’T KILL TRUST W/INTRUSION: Don’t interrupt search. Be found/referred. Don’t talk abt ur value, demonstrate it. 7:12 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint


BUILD PROOF POINTS. Demonstrate u know ur stuff, a vision for sector/mkt, that others took a chance & benefitted, that ur ethical, easy, trustworthy.


EMPOWER OTHERS TO SPREAD THEIR TRUST IN YOU. Give customers a voice. Amplify their words. Make value sharing effortless.

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Look for and target ur organization’s trust soft-spots. Rebuild trust there w/proof pts. Be real. Take fodder from conspiracy theorists. 7:14 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Soft-spots in trust: would you still hire someone after this? 7:16 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Social branding makeovers less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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BEFORE: Starbucks was slow to adopt SocMed. This was what people found. 7:17 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

AFTER: Proof of interest in listening to consumers. 75k ideas in 6 mos. 7:18 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

AFTER: Starbucks demonstrates commitment through partners 7:19 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

BEFORE: consumer-generated brand hate. Remember, search loves conversation and extends across time. 7:20 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

AFTER: customer service superstars 7:22 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

BEFORE: quiet branding, low relevance to new customer base. 7:23 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

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AFTER: trust generated, $4 million happened. 7:24 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

OTHERS: leveraging social causes to focus conversation (and brand) on giving back. 7:25 PM Oct 21 from PowerPoint

Final thoughts less than a minute ago - Comment - Like

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Social media is so NOT a fad. Google gave us search. SocMed gave us sharing, connecting. Consumers will not give up this ability.


Social Media reflects that we are time-starved creatures trying to get our day back, rather than being shallow. Sharing = finding lk minds.


One more thing for marketers to do: more like engaging ur market where they prefer to be. How’d that last trade show budget work out?

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RECAP: Rethink your entire brand and mktg approach from a prospective of trust and with a wider lens.


Build trust by being found, demonstrating your knowledge, your vision and offering proof of trustworthiness. #linkedin


Finally, use social marketing to leverage the EXISTING TRUST already established between peers, rather than buying new trust.

THANK YOU! AND QUESTIONS. me: twitter.com/weave company: tribalddb.ca slides: slideshare.net/weave

Business

Your Brand? OUR Brand. (IIMA version)