You Say You Want an Evolution...
Future Branding
Based on Current Trends
by Allen P. Adamson
Allen P. Adamson is Managing Director
of Landor in New York. Landor is a
leading global branding consultancy.
Since the firm was founded 57 years
ago, Landor has helped to create some
of the world’s most enduring brands.
"There is no
reason anyone
would want a
computer in
their home,"
said Ken Olson, President,
Chairman and founder of
Digital Equipment Corporation
in 1977.
While predictions are just that, one can
usually make an intelligent and reasoned
guess as to the future, by relying largely on
the past and current trends that are evolv-
ing. With that caveat, I will boldly make
claim to five directions that may influence
the future of branding, and hope that I am
not quoted 25 years hence, in the same way
as Mr. Olson is above.
Once a trend has been assimilated into
the culture, it no longer is a trend
Brands are long-term assets. As such, they
need to be managed that way. Considering
the future, by looking at trends currently
evolving, can help better position brands
over the long term. Creating value in
tomorrow's brands requires a look at what
is changing today.
Change is often subtle. It is rarely an all-of-
a-sudden epiphany. Brand stewards must
respond as they see trends evolving; they
must be cognizant of changes in consumer
thinking and observant to even slight
changes in consumer behavior. For even
small changes, over time, can accumulate to
become major trends. The challenge is in
identifying the change as it is happening
and adjusting your branding in concert with
that change.
On the next page are what I
consider to be five important
evolutions that are taking place
now, and that will influence the
way we create and manage
brands in the future...
1 The Shoe is on the Other Foot
There may have been a time when
2 Here, There and Everywhere
the marketer called the shots, but that is
certainly not true today. More than ever
before, today's consumer is self-reliant,
demanding, and skeptical. And, the incred-
ible variety of available choices, coupled
with easy access to vast amounts of infor-
mation, make today's consumer much
harder to reach, and much harder to keep.
There is less tolerance today for a product's
under-delivery of its promise. Consumer
perception of a product's performance con-
trols its success. Since a brand is a promise,
one must insure that the promise is ful-
filled at each and every point of contact.
3 Too Much of a Good Thing
May Not Be a Good Thing
Okay, we all know it, but how tempting it is
4 Strange Bedfellows
to have that second helping of apple pie
because the first was so good. Over-extend-
ing your brand is not much different.
Brands can stretch too far and the result
can be jarring: erosion of brand equity.
Most brands can probably be stretched into
a plethora of categories. But often, brands
become stronger when their scope is nar-
rowed. The objective is not to "fit" your
brand into as many categories as possible,
but rather only market your brand into cat-
egories in which it can have the necessary
leverage (relevent differentiation) to win in
the marketplace. Remember, successful
brands do not always beget successful off-
spring (who can forget New Coke, or rather,
who can remember it?).
5 We're all in the Same Boat
The brand is the sole of the organization,
and understanding its core values becomes
the responsibility of everyone within the
organization… from the HR professional
who is recruiting new talent, to the customer
service rep who is a direct link to the
customer to the R&D engineer who is
considering new technologies. Branding is
not solely the purview of the marketing
organization. It is not a function performed
by one department. Every point of contact
(not just advertising and promotion)
must be on-brand, and every individual
within the organization should be charged
with the responsibility of knowing exactly
what that means.
Your customer interacts with your brand
everywhere. 360-degree branding is here to
stay. Purchase decisions are not made only
at point-of-sale, so it is critical that you be
in your customer's face with a consistent
and coordinated expression of identity as
often as is feasible. New distribution and
communication channels allow you to be in
the same place as your customer
…whether that's in-store, on-line, in print,
or on TV. While budgets may dictate where
and how often, it is essential to make sure
your brand essence is delivered seamlessly
across all points of touch.
There are probably an infinite number
of alliances that any one brand can form
with any other. Most alliances that are
formed are driven more by short-term
promotional tactics than by long-term
strategy. All marketing tactics should be
undertaken within the context of a brand
being a long-term asset. We've moved
beyond the "buy some cheese and get free
crackers" approach. Partnering with com-
petitors of non-traditional companies/
products may enhance the brand's value,
but choosing the wrong partner can cause
substantial damage. Like people, brands
are judged by the company they keep. So
in choosing your partners, carefully assess
the rub-off, both in short term value and
long term brand image.
The Earth is Round, Columbus
Even with the emergence of new trends,
some things don't change. Enduring
brands, like most long-term assets, form
strong and lasting relationships with their
users. It is the strength of that relationship
that is intricately tied to the success of the
brand. And paying attention to trends as
they evolve can lead to successful brand-
ing.
Perhaps if Mr. Olson had understood
trends as well as a young Harvard dropout
had, the world would be a very different
place.
So how do these trends translate?
Do not over-promise or under-deliver
Consumers expect products to deliver and they
must. Barriers to switching have been greatly
reduced, and consumers are quite willing to
abandon a product that doesn't live up to its core
promise. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch to
think in terms of customer delight, not just satis-
faction (which is assumed).
Connect with your customers
whenever, wherever you can
Do not limit your marketing efforts to place of
sale. Consumers experience brands...
and the promise of that experience must
be reinforced with every communication
and image that is relayed–in a coordinated
ensemble that appears to come from a
single person/source.
Less is often more
Carefully consider the number of brands
you introduce under the same product
name……more is not always better, and there
is a lot to be said for the adage,
"Keep it simple."
Unlikely mergers may result in
successful new product categories
Consider forming alliances with non-traditional
partners. But do so cautiously. Know your audi-
ence as well as your potential partner.
Understand the common elements between
yourself and your partner, and only form
alliances that benefit all parties (your brand,
your partner's brand, and most importantly, your
consumer).
Increased decentralization, less corporate
hierarchy, more collaboration, all require a
single clear definition of “on and off brand”
to integrate branding in an organization. True
branding requires clarity, stewardship with
authority across divisions and departments.