With the pandemic easing in most of the US, brands are increasing their marketing budgets. It’s no wonder that some of that spending is focused on providing people with experiences (vs. advertisements). After all, we customers have been hunkered inside for more than a year. We’re approaching outdoor events as Rip Van Winkle reacted after being asleep for a long spell — eyes and hearts wide open to anything. As with all marketing efforts, there are ways to do experiences right and ways to do them wrong. For the latter, we need to look no further than the North Face X Gucci “Pit Stop” that was part of the 2021 Desert X event based in Palm Springs, California. Desert X presents art installations across 40 miles of the breathtaking Coachella Valley. This year, the event sought “to explore the idea of the desert…
Dear brand, “How many ways can I measure thee?”
A great brand delivers a lot, not just to lovers of the brand but also to its owner. Consider Apple’s price premiums and multiple brand extensions beyond its initial MAC computers. GE Health, through its R&D and savvy acquisitions, built a compelling brand with huge scale versus niche competitors. Service, sales and pricing advantages result. Its scale buys market protection as well, as many start-ups exit with a GE acquisition. And who, as a TOM’s Shoes employee, wouldn’t feel proud, loyal and excited to go to work? But how do we measure a great brand and compare brands’ relative strengths? What levers must those who manage brands move through their actions and investments? Deborah Macinnis of USC described three factors creating brand admiration in her webinar for Marketing Science Institute. The talk introduced Macinnis’ new book Brand Admiration: Building a Business People Love….
Four practices for creating an authentic brand
As an experiment, I followed the world’s twitters during the first Obama-Romney presidential debate. Amidst the flurry of messages passing by my eyes, I finally understood in my gut and not just my head how social media has changed the balance of power when it comes to controlling brand image. In an era when everyone single one of your customers can shout their opinions from an easily accessible “bloody pulpit,” how do you influence what these customers will say? They certainly aren’t going to copy messages from your mass market advertisements! The answer lies in making sure that your company’s actions live out the brand image you want to build. That is the only way to have an authentic message that will be repeated by customers you cannot control. How do you do that? Lessons about leadership apply. Leaderhip gurus Jim Kouzes and…