My roots and background are actually in traditional branding, few people know that. I defected to the geek side of advertising so long ago, it’s almost not even relevant….until the last few years.
For so many years, us geeks weren’t allowed around brands with the exception of the brand bible given to us by the branding agency. When we started building websites and executing web marketing for clients, there were only so many ways you could translate the fonts, colors, tag lines, tone, imagry, etc. It was actually nice, we didn’t have to do the heavy lifting, and we were able to leverage the success of what worked traditionally. And just about the time when we mastered how to “translate a brand” into this online brochure thing, web 2.0 reminded us that managing a brand online is like trying to rope a tornado. And, we really knew better, but control was the name of the brand game .. back then.
It also took a lot longer to manage brands before open communication forced us to become transparent in brand creation. To “Manage” a brand in today’s interactive communication is both ardent and cost-prohibitive. Instead of working to “contrive” a thought, feeling or image about a brand, new brands/open brands plant seeds and allow them to grow naturally with consumers. If you are a gardener you know, seeds are cheaper than full grown trees.
“The bar is being raised by Innovators like YouTube, Flickr, MySpace and Digg, which are redefining cultural relevance, paving the way for brand co-creation, social networking, citizen journalism and more. Now brands are expected to provide faster and more customizable experiences, more enhanced content, and more opportunities for consumers to exchange and ideas and be both seen and heard.” Nita Rollins, PhD and author of The Open Brand.
The Travel Industry has shining examples of open brand, loyalty marketing and advertainment. (Las Vegas, Hyatt, Travelocity). Smaller budget destinations have made great strides in developing popular, open brands (Virginia, Colorado). It is a normal adoption cycle that the destinations and travel companies with less budget would take much longer to achieve a similar impact. But, in today’s instant, low-cost communication, the only challenge for a creative destination with a modest budget to succeed in mass-market appeal is having new media focused, right brain capital…in droves. There is also a trend to choose an interactive communication agency to lead the brand. Yea, I know it benefits us to report that.. but it’s true. J But, still this misses the point of opening the brand up. It doesn’t matter who leads your brand if they don’t understand the marketplace is not theirs to control. The people leading your brand should be great promoters and know where they can help .. and where they are in the way.
Today’s brands are co-created with consumers. The web is littered with case studies that show the aging brands are those that are “too tight” and “scripted”. Newer, fresher brands are done transparently with customers. Take Doritos for one example. They definitely get an award for one of the most hilarious, hip commercials during SuperBowl (and still playing). Check it out here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhabSD02X4 Two guys entered the contest for creating a commercial, and with 2K and some cool ideas of “advertainment”, won 2 Million Dollars for the winning commercial. Doritos leverages another major trend that reality tv brought us: Advertise the Byproduct. It’s a huge story for Doritos that they held this contest + the marketing directly to consumers with the kitchy commercial. That’s an open brand. Advertise to us, share with us, entertain us.
The gap is closing fast on who can leverage emerging medias before they wear out or cost too much to produce. Blogging is a form of authentic brand communication, and it’s two way. Social Media (Interactive P.R.) is growing at the speed of the internet. Wildly successful blogs have been largely due to a good idea and a lot of work. In October, the blog Bankaholic was sold for a record 15 Million (popularity, readers, advertisers = dollars). Bankaholic was a one man shop. The New Media shares the American Dream –anyone with an idea, ingenuity and hard work can make their fortune.
But, my friends, I am talking about engagement past blogs, past user comments. Though I applaud those DMOs who bravely have communities on their sites and user review on their listings, this is a great start. But, this is not a dialogue. It’s an invitation for scrutiny. Our websites are not live online focus groups. These are real consumers who can be brand evangelists if they are moved.
The open brand marketer creates dialogue and engagement in lieu of a monologue and awareness.
Relax the brand control and solicit the help of your consumers. Ask them to talk about you, tell friends, give you ideas. We are really helpful if we like your brand .. and actually, really helpful even if we don’t. The big thing here is that, as marketers we can’t be afraid to be wrong. Coming from a long interactive background, if I was afraid to try something that I hadn’t before… I would have never gotten my first site off the ground! We have to get comfy with feedback and dialogue. We have to learn how to create a constructive platform for brand communication. Ya know what, we have to PLAY! Inspire authentic communication, run a contest for a new branding campaign. In the coming times, the DMO who can differentiate and communicate authentically with their end-users will be the most viable.
What’s our lesson: Loosen Up Brand Managers!!
No one gives a flying fig if the font is correct. What new brands are about? Can you Change Minds? Can you Communicate?
Posts
