Today, I was reading an article from AdvertisingAge about the top 10 marketing ideas of this past decade. It was really a revelation to realize and remember (in a sort of grown up “duh” moment) that before this decade, such current Web staples as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and even blogs didn’t exist or were just in their infancy as little seedling ideas.
But two ideas from this article really struck me the most: brand journalism and branded utility.
Brand journalism is an idea advocated by former McDonald’s CEO Larry Light, who remarked at a 2004 conferences that “you own your ideas for about an hour and a half.” As the article explains:
… the associations and meanings around a brand change over time, so marketing has to be nimble, both proactive and reactive, and liberated from the notion that a brand idea can be lodged in a consumer’s mind over time.
In other words, smart companies realize that their brand perception changes and shifts constantly, and if they want to succeed in the current climate, they must be open, willing and ready to adjust in a timely manner. Today’s increasing notion of instant interactivity with consumers through Twitter, Facebook and blogs supports Light’s idea, and successful companies will do what they can to use this notion effectively.
The other idea that really hit home was the concept of branded utility, of creating actual value that’s useful to your customers rather than, as the article put so eloquently, “just flog[ging] consumers with product.” The way a company interacts with its customers does not have to be straight product push-based. The utility can be something powerful with immediate resonance, like Hyundai’s “Assurance” program where people who lost their jobs could return their car with no dings to their credit, or the Nike Plus system that lets runners track their progress on their iPod. Think of how your product or service can transcend its obvious use or intent, and you just may create a special connection with your customer that even your competitors can’t replicate.
This decade was fraught with victories, busts, breakthroughs and loss on a breathtaking scale. But it’s often in the face of adversity and challenge that innovation and true creative thinking flourishes. I for one can’t wait to see what the next decade brings.
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