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Presented to IABC Senior Communicators Group June 17, 2012, Washington DC. Notes: -There is a constant tension between wanting brands (which provide a fantasy of reconnection for the alienated self) and not wanting them (to return to a purer time). -Brands are a symptom of alienation - from G-d, community, the land, etc. They provide a temporary relief from the pain of that disconnect. -Brands continue to have an incredible power over every aspect of our lives. We feel surer about ourselves when a brand endorses our actions - whether it's raising children per an "expert's" advice or buying a brand of paper towels that we "know" won't disappoint the family. -When we talk about brands evolving this isn't to say that an old form is going away but rather that there are concurrent streams of activity. It's about choosing the right kind of branding for the right product and the right audience. - Brand insight is not an exercise in political correctness. If you refuse to see what's going on because it makes you uncomfortable you are losing insight and therefore money. -Brands take the natural and give it back to you in a form you want to pay for. In the process they make you devalue the natural. - Children are born unbranded and for a short time experience wholeness through the caregiver (ideally). However, they are rapidly introduced to the world of brands, which also quickly become markers of identity. - The choice of brand is a very deliberate statement about who you are and is something even young people take very seriously. - The concept of functional value is nothing more than the fantasy of protection against a dangerous world. It is not a logical function. Marketers exploit the notion of quality to instill a feeling of insecurity, e.g. "unless you buy my product you are at risk." - Every type of economy is associated with a dominant brand fantasy: agrarian (fantasy of protection); industrial (escape); service (lifestyle); knowledge (superiority); collaboration (community); New Age (unity) - There are 5 hallmarks of the post-branded age: 1) the disruption of "normal" and the othering of the previous "mainstream" 2) empowerment 3) sarcasm 4) anti-brand activism ("antibrandivism") and 5) reflexivity. - Reflexivity is the most important quality - possessed by rare brand masters such as Charlie Sheen and Kris Jenner - who are able to immediately shift the brand based on anticipated reaction by the audience. - The 10 principles of communication in a post-branding era: 1) balance consistency and authenticity 2) build the culture first 3) start at the top 4) everyone builds it 5) plain English 6) avoid roboticism and the "b-word" (brand) 7) distinguish marketing from information 8) reflect brand strategy in logo and name 9) encourage dissent 10) support social media. - In the end, we won't need brands.
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Becoming Post-BrandDannielle BlumenthalJuly 17, 2012
Brand = attempt to reconnect. The alienation of worker from work, of self from self.
From G-d, family, community, certainty.
The Economy of Fantasy
#1 “Normal… is what we make it.”
•
• #134 The TED
Conference
• #133 The World Cup
• #132 Picking Their Own
Fruit
• #131 Conan O’Brien
• #130 Ray-Ban Wayfarers
• #129 Banksy
• #128 Camping
• #127 Where the Wild
Things Are
• #126 Vespa Scooters
• #125 Bob Marley
• #124 Hating People Who
Wear Ed Hardy
• #123 Mad Men
• #122 Moleskine
Notebooks
• #121 Funny or Ironic
Tattoos
• #120 Taking a Year Off
• #119 Sea Salt
• #118 Ugly Sweater
Parties
• #117 Political Prisoners
• #116 Black Music that
Black People Don’t Listen
to Anymore
• #115 Promising to Learn
a New Language
• #114 America
• #113 Halloween
• #112 Hummus
• #111 Pea Coats
• #110 Frisbee Sports
• #109 The Onion
• #108 Appearing to Enjoy
Classical Music
•
•
#2 Empowerment: “The process of obtaining…basic
opportunities for marginalized people.”
Source: Wikipedia
The Top Websites Are Social
47% reach880m unique users
42% reach800m unique users
YouTube
Figures for 2011. Via Google
33,019,551views
#3 Sarcasm: “The meme: a concept that spreads rapidly from person to person via the
Internet.”
Source: Wikipedia
“Rage Comic”
42% reach800m unique users
YouTube
Classic
“…funny, awkward and let me express my feelings.”
#4 Anti-Brandivism
A Symbol of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Naomi Klein’s No Logo – a “manifesto.” Image via Adbusters.
#5 Reflexivity (sociological): “Examination
or action…refers to, and affects the entity instigating the action or examination.”
Source: Wikipedia
Charlie Sheen“Two And A Half Men”
$1.25mPer episode vs. $125K
Kris JennerStar, Creator,& Executive
Producer, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”
$13mper season vs .$1-1m
The 10 Principles
1. Balance consistency and authenticity.
2. Culture first.3. Start at the top.4. Everyone builds it. 5. Plain English.
6. Avoid roboticism & the b-word.
7. Distinguish marketing from information.
8. Reflect brand strategy in logo and name.
9. Encourage dissent.10.Support social
media.
In the future we won’t need it.
