4 Tenets of Digital Branding
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Rob Walker, author of Buying In
and the Consumed column in the NYTimes, says that these two fundamental human desires motivate our decisions in life:
How's that for a nifty paradox? We want to be unique and we want to be the same.
Josh Spear is rubbing elbows with world leaders and titans of industry at The World Economic Forum in Davos right now. This morning he tweeted this gem of wisdom from Shimon Peres, the President of Israel:
Ain't that the truth. Digital technology has made it easier than ever for people to connect. And, simultaneously, all of our experiences are becoming more personalized.
These paradoxes are the reason why brands have to start focusing on passions instead of products. Our digital lives revolve around our personal passions. We read, view, and share the things that are most important to each of us. And, as Rob Walker points out, these choices are guided by a desire to fit in and a desire to be unique. We want to demonstrate what communities we are part of, and which people we stand out from. We also have incredible tools that allow us to follow our passions to connect with like-minded groups (all over the world), and to curate for ourselves a unique stream of information and inspiration.
This is the next evolution of branding.
"This brand helps me be unique because it's not for everyone."
Stand for something more important than your product. Find something that you know lots of people are already passionate about that is a natural fit for your brand, and be a champion of it in everything that you do. Be willing to say that only people who share this interest are allowed to where this badge.
"This brand shows me how I can be a part of something bigger than myself."
Use your money and power to illuminate the community. Introduce the people you're trying to reach to the groups of people who are already gathering around this shared interest.
"This brand empowers me to connect with people who share my interest."
Work to transform the crowd into a community. Make use of tools that help individuals come together. A passionate group of people will take action, if a leader tells them what the mission is, and if the tools are in place to make it as easy as possible to get started.
"This brand enables me to participate in my own way."
Making it easier for people to connect to each other, also means making it easier for individuals to connect in their own ways. Digital experiences are constructed by bits of data. This is a blessing, because that data can be broken apart, shared, and put back together in a million different ways. Embrace this, and let your audience put your experiences together in whatever way they prefer.
What would you add/change? Comments welcome.
and the Consumed column in the NYTimes, says that these two fundamental human desires motivate our decisions in life:...to stand out and be different and to fit in and be part of something.
How's that for a nifty paradox? We want to be unique and we want to be the same.
Josh Spear is rubbing elbows with world leaders and titans of industry at The World Economic Forum in Davos right now. This morning he tweeted this gem of wisdom from Shimon Peres, the President of Israel:
The world is both global and individual like never before.
Ain't that the truth. Digital technology has made it easier than ever for people to connect. And, simultaneously, all of our experiences are becoming more personalized.
These paradoxes are the reason why brands have to start focusing on passions instead of products. Our digital lives revolve around our personal passions. We read, view, and share the things that are most important to each of us. And, as Rob Walker points out, these choices are guided by a desire to fit in and a desire to be unique. We want to demonstrate what communities we are part of, and which people we stand out from. We also have incredible tools that allow us to follow our passions to connect with like-minded groups (all over the world), and to curate for ourselves a unique stream of information and inspiration.
This is the next evolution of branding.
"This brand helps me be unique because it's not for everyone."
Stand for something more important than your product. Find something that you know lots of people are already passionate about that is a natural fit for your brand, and be a champion of it in everything that you do. Be willing to say that only people who share this interest are allowed to where this badge.
"This brand shows me how I can be a part of something bigger than myself."
Use your money and power to illuminate the community. Introduce the people you're trying to reach to the groups of people who are already gathering around this shared interest.
"This brand empowers me to connect with people who share my interest."
Work to transform the crowd into a community. Make use of tools that help individuals come together. A passionate group of people will take action, if a leader tells them what the mission is, and if the tools are in place to make it as easy as possible to get started.
"This brand enables me to participate in my own way."
Making it easier for people to connect to each other, also means making it easier for individuals to connect in their own ways. Digital experiences are constructed by bits of data. This is a blessing, because that data can be broken apart, shared, and put back together in a million different ways. Embrace this, and let your audience put your experiences together in whatever way they prefer.
What would you add/change? Comments welcome.
2 Comments:
Great stuff. I think the duality that comes with a digital presence is an interesting thing. We are, all at once, egocentric and voyeuristic in a way that wasn't possible only a few years ago.
I agree that to be relevant anymore brands have to champion something bigger than themselves. It doesn't matter if it's a rebel attitude, green living, or community building, just that it's something outside of it's physical offering. With the right tools and knowledge, anyone could build a car or make a shirt, but it's the ideas behind brands like Aston Martin and Under Armour that really make the difference.
Nice post Mike. I agree with your four points, but I wanted to point out that the last one, "This brand enables me to participate in my own way."is possibly the hardest for brands to understand.
the microsite is a great testament to how brands are intent on controlling the experience. However as you pointed out, "Digital experiences are constructed by bits of data". The really smart brands are beginning to catch on, but it will take some time for the rest.
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