Brands as platforms - marketing in a digital age

BRANDS as PLATFORMS

Guy Kedar, MEC

ASSUMPTIONS

Decrease in Product differentiation

Globalisation with increased access to Technology and industrial capabilities erodes quality differentiation among brands

Brands’ comms affect purchase decisions in all stages of the customer journey

Creating a positive ‘Passive Bias’ is as important as an Active one

You don’t have to shout loudest to win

Smart spend counts just as much (if not more) than share of spend

• Having a good product isn’t enough • Passive stage matters • Smart solutions can beat spend

TRUTHS:

ASSUMPTIONS

WAYS TO WIN

Winning in today’s Technological environment

Centering marketing around the consumer

Tailor content to consumers’ needs, wishes and contextual relevance.

In this example: smart targeting and dynamic creative, powered by programmatic enable delivering tailored messages

Being ‘Always On’, or ‘Always Available’

ALWAYS DISCOVERABLE

ALWAYS LISTENING

ALWAYS ENGAGING

ALWAYS RELEVANT

ALWAYS EMPOWERING

ENGAGE BUYERS/ SHOPPERS: OWNED

LEVERAGE BRAND AMBASSADORS: EARNED

ACHIEVE EFFICIENT SCALE: PAID

Think OEP rather than POE. Use owned media to engage with consumers and empower them to promote the brand and products. Use paid media to achieve significant scale.

Building brands as platforms

Stop focusing on singular products or services; Look to build platforms and ecosystems

Nike turned a running shoe into a training platform

Red Bull integrates into consumers lives across multiple areas of interests

Spotify finds complementary areas to its service

UBER is present in the moments that consumers need a ride

NEST connects to every home appliance

WIN:

Customer Centric

AlwaysAvailable

Brand Platforms

Key takeaways

1. Identify the points that make a different in your customer’s journey

2. Create an ecosystem of value that goes beyond the core product

3. Leverage platforms/partners that will increase your integration into customers’ lives

•Through the platforms they use

•By adding meaningful value

• In a way that is related and credible to your brand

4. Design experiences that people talk about

Platforms over products