What do really m
27.02
oes Brand mean?
02.18
Sarah Parsonage One Question
“Here’s to the crazy ones.. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
- Apple’s Think Different Campaign, 1988
I created One Question two years ago to ‘be different’ to curate thoughtful content in real life, print and online that challenges the way we think and forces us out of our comfort zones. I wanted to encourage people to embrace change through exposure to different perspectives, building long-term relationships in the process.
It’s this quality over quantity mentality that inspired me to produce the latest iteration of our series, One Question Debates. By going deep in to a single topic with those best placed to comment, we’re able to explore it in more detail and in a far more genuine way. The question of ‘brand’ is no longer a solely marketing or communication conversation, but a business one. At this evenings Debates event we will discuss what brand really means from the perspectives of music, FMCG, military, communication, advertising and automotive, and it’s these varied points of view that make this debate so valuable.
In my last piece for the One Edition that coincided with our annual conference in May, I observed that while we might be the most connected generation of our time, our reliance on technology is making us more isolated from real life and genuine interaction. We’re now able to create our own news feeds, our own playlists, build online-only relationships and even run our own individual political ‘campaigns.’ In short, we’re creating personal echo chambers.
With that in mind, my thanks go out to Sarah Golding for joining us as moderator, as well as all of our panelists for taking part; Fred Bolza, Sarah Ogden, Shane Bellamy, Rebecca Robins and Dan Balmer. As is synonymous with previous copies of One Edition, you can read more about their answer to this one question throughout the rest of the book.
We can burst these bubbles and force ourselves out of our own comfort zones by asking questions of each other. By being the change we want to see.
My thanks also go to Interbrand and 3Monkeys Zeno for supporting this unique conversation, as well as my advisory board for their continued support; Andy Oakes, Jeremy Waite, Ross Sleight, Vikki Chowney, Gordon MacMillan, Simon Davies and Perveen Akhtar.
For me, conferences and events are still an excellent place to ask these questions. Most events are run on a footfall-based model, where more people equal more leads, and therefore perceived sales. But it’s just not sustainable. There’s overlap, wastage, and a scattergun approach that not only turns people off, but also doesn’t work.
Finally, thanks go to you for attending this evenings One Question Debates. I hope you enjoy this evening and the impact of this conversation continues to challenge the way you think.
By creating a ‘quality over quantity’ environment in which senior thought leaders from differing backgrounds can ask the bigger questions and seek advice and learnings makes for a powerful conversation and more sustainable relationships.
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7
Sarah
Contents Rebecca Robbins
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Global Director, Interbrand Sarah Ogden
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Head of Corporate Communications, 3Monkeys Zeno Sarah Golding
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President, IPA Fred Bolza
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VP Strategy, Sony Music Shane Bellamy
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Marketing Director, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises Rebecca Robins
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Global Director, Interbrand Fred Bolza
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VP Strategy, Sony Music Sarah Ogden
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Head of Corporate Communications, 3Monkeys Zeno Shane Bellamy
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Marketing Director, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises Andy Oakes
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MD, Bluestripe Media Jeremy Waite
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Global Leader of CMO Programs, IBM Ross Sleight
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Chief Strategy Officer. Somo Global Vikki Chowney Chief Content Strategist. Hill+Knowlton Strategies
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Dan Palmer President UK & South Africa, Aston Martin Lagonda
Rebecca Robbins Global Director, Interbrand
Sarah Ogden Head of Corporate Communications, 3Monkeys Zeno
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SPEAKERS
Sarah Golding President, IPA
Fred Bolza VP Strategy, Sony Music
Shane Bellamy Marketing Director, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises
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Many Happy Returns Best Global Brands
450 400 350 300
Benchmark indices*
250 200 150 100 50 0
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
*Interbrand calculation, taking the average performance of MSCI World, Nasdaq and S&P 500 benchmark indices.
Accelerated, sustainable business performance founded on the ten factors of Brand Strength. Are you pulling all the right levers?
Rebecca Robins Global Director, Interbrand
Thirty years ago, Apple was the brand that invited us to ‘Think Different”. It was a powerful and poignant combination of what Apple was saying about its vision of humanising technology and how it was saying it that captured an audience then, and still continues to engage us now. Think about it – “Think Different” is grammatically incorrect. This is a brand born from writing its own rules, dislocating the norms and creating its own verbal, visual and experiential lexicon. And it’s one that has gone on to see the brand hold the position of the most valuable brand in the world.
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Rebecca Robins Interbrand
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Apple’s Think Different Campaign, 1988.
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Four years ago, we conducted a study into ‘The
As we consider the recent news of Soho House
Age of You’, looking at how the role of brand has
Group’s planned IPO, the rise of the ‘club
evolved through the history of modern branding.
brand’ has been based on the very premise of
In the Age of Identity, brand acted as identifier
being part of access to an insider space and
and differentiator, with brand communications
community, and how they manage the demands
primarily a one-way street. The first pivot,
of shareholder return, while protecting the
however, comes as we enter The Age of Value
desirability of that space and community will be
where brands are recognised by businesses as
telling to watch.
wealth creators, where brand value is measured
As we reflect on the past four decades,
on balance sheets. Brand gets a seat in the
Interbrand has branded everything from cities
boardroom. The Age of Experience gives rise
and cultural destinations, to game-changing
to brand as the higher purpose that inspires a
mergers and acquisitions, we’ve designed
connected ecosystem. And ultimately, we arrive
currencies, valued the brands of world-
at The Age of You, where brand is becoming
renowned artists and sports stars, created
the consumer’s partner. Brand experiences are
experiences that have redefined categories and
becoming unique and highly customised to the
named brands that have entered the public
individual and brand performance is measured
vocabulary. The single, unifying red thread that
in its ability to capture and leverage data and
runs through all of this is people. Brands are
engender participation.
created by people, for people. As we enter a new
So, to the one question of what a brand really
Renaissance, humanity and tech, art and science
means, let’s consider the many roles that it
will need to come together as never before. And
assumes and can assume:
people are at the beating heart of that. Great
• • • • • • • • • • •
brands begin from within. They are sustained
Brand as differentiator Brand in the boardroom Brand as curator Brand as co-creator Brand as educator Brand as navigator Brand as entertainer Brand as culture Brand as gatekeeper of access Brand as club and community Brand as ecosystem
and continue to grow through the strength of a powerful purpose and crystal clear and common culture. What inspires me, is the role of brand, and the potential of a brand, as game-changer. Think about the brands who are calling it out, who are setting new standards, who are ripping up rulebooks – for the good. That is the real meaning of sustainable brand value.
And the roles go on and continue to evolve…
So, “Here’s to the rebels, to the misfits…” Here’s to
Let’s focus, for a moment, on the role of brand
the brands that have provoked us to think – and
as gatekeeper of access and brand as club and
act – differently. Here’s to the brands that have
community. Netflix was one of the new entrants
yet to provoke us to think – and act – differently.
to our Best Global Brands study last year and
Here’s to brands, and every one of the people
just broke through a few weeks ago to hit a
behind them, because we have the power to
market cap of $100bn: a powerful example of
change the world.
brands growing businesses based on access.
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Fred Bolza VP Strategy, Sony Music
When faced with questions on meaning, consulting a dictionary seems a sensible place to start. According to the Collins English Dictionary,
7. a burning or burnt piece of wood, as in a fire
brand means the following: NOUN
8. archaic or poetic; • a. flaming torch • b. a sword
1. a particular product or a characteristic that serves to identify a particular product
9. a fungal disease of garden plants characterized by brown spots on the leaves, caused by the rust fungus Puccinia arenariae
2. a trade name or trademark 3. a particular kind or variety he had his own brand of humour
VERB (TRANSITIVE) 10. to label, burn, or mark with or as with a brand
4. an identifying mark made, usually by burning, on the skin of animals or (formerly) slaves or criminals, esp as a proof of ownership
11. to place indelibly in the memory the scene of slaughter was branded in their minds 12. to denounce; stigmatize they branded him a traitor
5. an iron heated and used for branding animals, etc
13. to give a product a distinctive identity by means of characteristic design, packaging, etc*
6. a mark of disgrace or infamy; stigma he bore the brand of a coward
*It also, amusingly, adds the following as well: Noun Russell. born 1975, English comedian and television presenter
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Scanning these various definitions a number of
follows the “fire”. Furthermore, the notion of an
thoughts spring to mind. Firstly, like many of the
“identifying mark” is really interesting because
best words, it functions as both a noun and a
it subtly introduces the fact that brands and
verb which denotes the possibility of both being
identity are deeply intertwined in contemporary
and action simultaneously. Secondly, it quickly
culture so what we chose to display on our skin
becomes evident that it is a word that holds
– literal or figurative – is part and parcel of how
within it multiple meanings so finding some sort
we position ourselves in a world in which so
of clear definition may not be that easy.
much is symbol.
However in order to help us define what the
“The more I think about it the more I would argue that it is not really for the fire builders to define what brand means– their job is primarily to ignite”
value of brand is in our contemporary age, it is necessary to start pruning this list a bit. So I propose we sidestep 1,2, 3 and 13 as functional / obvious answers to the question and regard 9 as an interesting biological curio, leaving us with 8 remaining options to choose from. Looking carefully at the remaining nine it is really hard not to notice that 5 of them (4, 5, 7, 8, and 10) are rooted in the image of fire which seems an avenue worth exploring. After all fire
So back to the original question: what does
is the transformation of inflammable material
brand really mean? Well, based on a synthesis
into light and heat both of which seem like lofty
of the above, it means the careful creation
ideals for a brand to aspire to. However there is
and respectful management of a not entirely
also the risk of smoke which, in this analogy, is
controllable force that aims to leave a positive
when a brand doesn’t quite get it’s alchemical
mark on people in a way that is consistent with
proportions right. Equally, if not tended to,
their lives and identities. In a word it means fire.
fires tend to go out or burn wildly consuming all in their wake, so care must be taken to
But the more I think about it the more I would
understand the conditions in which they burns.
argue that it is not really for the fire builders to
This ephemeral aspect is particularly worth
define what brand means– their job is primarily
remembering– nothing lasts forever not fire and
to ignite. Ultimately, it is for those who come
not brand.
into contact with their handiwork to decide how it will be used within the advancement of their
If we now consider definitions 6, 11 and 12 we
lives and it is to that standard that the definition
see that they are bound by the concept of
must be held. Greek mythology teaches us that
making a mark. While some of the imagery
humanity benefited greatly from the theft of fire
conjured in the mind’s eye is excessively
from the Gods by building an entire civilisation
gruesome for this exercise, the idea that a
upon it. But what about Prometheus who stole it
brand can create something indelible, be that
for them ? Not so much.
a memory or a physical impression, seems powerful especially if we understand it as what
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+44 (0)20 7009 3100 www.3monkeyszeno.com hello@3monkeyszeno.com @3monkeyszeno
Sarah Ogden Head of Corporate Communications, 3Monkeys Zeno
Brands: Go Hard or Go Home A brand is the north star for a company that wants to draw you closer and have a relationship with you. Brands can unify, rally, inspire, reassure, instil pride, create movements or overthrow regimes. Brands are used to organise ideas, operationalise organisations and build economies.
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Sarah Ogden 3Monkeys Zeno
They are the mirrors of society. But they exist in an increasingly changing world. So in answering the question, what does a brand mean now, I’d like to delve beyond the what and into the why. So, why does a brand matter now? What’s going on around us that influences what we gravitate towards. Brands are how we organise, communicate and bring to life ideas that help people understand, consume or derive value. From religion to soft drinks and everything in between, brands connect what we think with what we make and how we define ourselves individually and as a society. In an uncertain world in which trust in institutions is at a low ebb and people are doubting who to believe, it’s tempting for brands to question whether they can play a more forthright role in people’s lives.
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As the world becomes more fragmented,
To get it right, brands need to think inside-
communication more personal and our need
out. The place they can carve out in our daily
to find and create value in the world more
lives, and the work they can do to build and
pressured, the potential for brands and our
protect reputation, all has to start at the core
relationships with them has never been greater.
of the business, and then manifest itself in the
A brand is the one thing that can connect at
brand. What people on the outside experience
scale with how people think and feel – uniting and guiding those on the inside and outside of an organisation around a common purpose and set of values. So we must think about brands in the context of today:
has to run through the
“The potential for brands and our relationships with them has never been greater.”
the complicated
organisation, like a stick of rock. Those brands that understand and cultivate this thinking are the ones that will be better equipped to survive a shifting world dynamic and arguably have the power to shape them too. Brands needs to be confident about stepping into their changed place
world at large is being navigated increasingly
in a changed world, and in our changing lives.
with the help, and through the lens of, our brand
And to understand that expectations of them
relationships. It is my belief that brand power
have changed too.
is in its ascendancy, mattering more than ever before, as organisations battle in the most challenging of environments and the world around consumers shifts and shapes at pace. If content is King, then context is God. People want brands to take a stand, and to step into the void left by the unsettling change we’re seeing in the world. But to do that the right way, so there’s mutual gain.
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Shane Bellamy Marketing Director, Royal Air Force Charitable Trust Enterprises
I’ve been very fortunate in my career to work on a broad spectrum of brands across an equally broad spectrum of industries and audiences – and to observe the differences in behaviour and results. Call Of Duty offers a good opening example, it’s
theft of fire from the Gods by building an entire
just a game. Or is it a cultural phenomenon? At
civilisation upon it. But what about Prometheus
one COD Summit meeting back in early 2012 the
who stole it for them ? Not so much.
CEO stood up and presented a list of the top ten
So here was a physical product which had
things mentioned on Facebook that year. Sure
achieved global-cultural-event status without
enough, in that top ten list, was Call Of Duty.
much in the way of recognisable or traditional
But he went on to point out that it was the only
“brand” tactics. What they had was a stellar
game in that top ten. In fact, it was the only
product that gamers people would spend
purchasable product in that list. And to push
hours per day interacting with over a long
things even further, he made the point that it
period of time. You don’t need ‘always-on’
was the only physical entity on the list – all the
brand spend when you have an always-on
other most popular Facebook mentions that year
product. Oversimplified a little, but the point is
were global events – a Royal Wedding, a natural
that there’s more than one way to become a
disaster, some high profile departures from this
successful brand.
world and Charlie Sheen hashtag winning.
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Compare and contrast the amount of time,
detail you can have myriad parameters and it
analysis, effort and money that goes into a
could be as straightforward as being the best
successful Food & Beverage brand and the
product in your particular field which will go on
implication is that the route to the top of the tree
to establish the brand. Another of my former
is hugely dependent on the type of tree you’re
employers, BlackBerry, is a classic example of
climbing.
this. The brand ingredients were the same over time, the brand behaved the same over time, but
So what does that say about what ‘brand’
as soon as the device was no longer the best
really means? On a macro level it means
smartphone you could hold in your hand, the
understanding, identity and trust. There’s a
brand suffered. At this level you’re at the mercy
great example from Riot Games who within their ethos never want any of their gamers to experience buyers’ remorse. Even months/ years after even the smallest of financial transactions, they don’t want their gamers to look back and regret spending that money. How many of us would
“So what does that say about what ‘brand’ really means? On a macro level it means understanding, identity and trust”
of perception, and your hard work can appear completely differently in the eyes (and other input sensors) of the beholders. But even down in the weeds of individual experience and perception one element stands out above the rest and that’s trust. If I have trust in my own
love to apply that approach as mandatory across other industries
understanding of how interaction with a brand
who seem to accept that regret is part of the
is going to go, and that expectation (whether
normal customer experience? (Oh and btw
positive or negative because this cuts both
with that attitude Riot’s ‘League Of Legends’
ways) is validated in the reality of experience
has become the most-played multi-player
then that brand status remains valid in my mind,
PC game in the world.) At the macro level a
at least until the next time.
brand’s behaviour over time can heavily impact success or failure because behaviour engenders understanding of what the customer is getting, a recognisable identity to stand out from the crowd and trust that our hard-earned money could not be better spent. On a micro-level brand becomes more diverse and more subjective. And the dynamics can shift massively by multiple external factors socio-economic, demographic and down to individual cultural influences. At this level of
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Advisory
What does bran
y Board
nd really mean?
Andy Oakes MD, Bluestripe Media
Brands can be brave but need to be prepared At a time when political culture has become so
Many will argue that there is no point in taking
polarised, brands are being faced with a whole
a stance unless its authentic and backed up by
new set of challenges and risks, challenges
actions.
which have never been faced before. As
Let’s look at the case of Virgin Trains. They
brands are becoming more comfortable with
outraged those on the right on Twitter with their
the prospect of championing political causes,
stance on not stocking the Daily Mail. Virgin
it’s worth asking: is it okay for them to get
claimed that this was a response to their staff
involved in politics? And if so, when? The goal
being upset at some the editorial angles that
of remaining relevant and true to their brand
‘newspaper’ took. Immediate reaction was split
values has never been more difficult
down political lines with many praising the
Many will argue that that brands don’t need to
brave move and others citing this as a restriction
take a political or social stance. Many will think
on freedom of speech and tantamount to
that the risk outweighs the potential benefits.
censorship.
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Later that week, it emerged that the Mail only
In some cases the reasons for a brand taking
sold seventy copies a week on Virgin Trains so
a stand are much more close to home. When
it seemed that this was more of a commercial
Google came out against Trumps travel ban who
decision rather than an ethical one. And then
were the target audience? For a company who
Richard Branson weighed in and reversed the
regularly hires immigrants, President Trump’s
decision and one suspects that a brand manager
immigration ban promised to dramatically
somewhere was tearing their hair out.
impact a significant segment of its workforce.
Let’s take a look at Starbucks. In response to US Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily halting US travel for individuals from several Muslim-majority nations, Starbucks issued a statement saying that it would hire 10,000 refugees. Unsurprisingly, Trumps base on Twitter were mobilized and the almost inevitable #BanStarbucks began trending. Despite this, many consumers praised the brand for taking a stand. So, there’s an opportunity
“There’s an opportunity for brands to align with causes and this could bring rewards but only if its backed with authenticity and the balls to stand up to the barrage you will inevitably get of social media.”
for brands to align with
It’s easy to see how a lack of public opposition to the ban could be interpreted as implicit support. For those workers, the silence from their company would ring uncomfortably loud and clear. So where does this all lead? We are living in unprecedented political and social times and I’m not sure that brands will thrive by sitting on the sidelines. I want to know what they stand for, I want to know if they are ‘on my side’ The decision on brands and to take a public stand (on one side
or another) carries considerable risk, as recent
causes and this could bring rewards but only
disputes outlined above illustrate. But is staying
if its backed with authenticity and the balls to
neutral no longer an option. My advice? Pick a
stand up to the barrage you will inevitably get
side, be a brave, be authentic and hold on tight.
of social media. Virgin looked daft for executing a pretty rapid reverse ferret when the criticism started flying. Starbucks stuck their guns and looked (to me) all the better for it.
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Jeremy Waite Global Leader of CMO Programs, IBM
Ever since Egyptians decided to brand their livestock as early as 2700BC, people have been creating marks (and marques) in order to identify their property, products and ideas. Ever since then a debate has grown increasingly
I was reminded of this on a trip to Washington
louder around the value of those brands, and
recently, when I was told by one Whitehouse
the place that they should take within our
correspondent that “everyone is entitled to their
society. The fact that this argument has raged
own opinions, but no one is entitled to their own
for almost 3,000 years proves that this is not just
facts”.
an important topic to debate, but it’s one that we still don’t have all the answers too.
SO WHAT DO THE FACTS SAY?
It’s like politics. We like to think that certain
Well, according to people smarter than me who
people have all the answers, but really all
create the official definitions for these kinds of
we have are groups of people with their own
things, a brand is “a marketing related intangible
opinions. And these people are trying to
asset including, but not limited to, names,
champion a certain point of view, to a specific
terms, signs, symbols, logos and designs, or
audience, so that they can advance their own
a combination of these, intended to identify
agendas. Whether it’s ad agencies, marketers,
goods, services or entities, or a combination
tech companies or philosophers, what a brand
of these, creating distinctive images and
is (and isn’t) is open to all kinds of interpretation.
associations in the minds of stakeholders,
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thereby generating economic benefits / value”.
valued at $46.8Bn. Millward Brown on the other
(Taken from the internationally recognized
hand (who have access to more consumer data)
standard on brand valuation ISO 10668).
think that IBM should come 9th with a valuation $102Bn. And Brand Finance, focusing on more
But beyond that definition, all we really have are
economic metrics, have IBM down in 20th place
opinions and biased arguments. Why? Because
with $36Bn.
the very definition of a brand is intangible. If it was as simple as marking an animal like the
“A GREAT BRAND IS A STORY THAT’S NEVER COMPLETELY TOLD”
Egyptians did then it would be easy, but despite all brands being products of some kind, not all products are brands. Evian for an example is a great brand, conjuring up images perhaps of the marathons that they sponsor or of Wimbledon.
- Scott Bedbury
What comes out of your tap on the other hand, despite being an almost identical product, is not. Overly simplistic? Perhaps. But marketers
How is it possible that the three largest (and
have long argued that your brand is not what
smartest) brand valuation agencies in the world,
you say it is, it’s what other people say it is. This
can’t even agree on the value of one of the
is because a brand is essentially what goes on
world’s oldest brands to within $66Bn?
in peoples minds when they think of it, which
Because it’s all opinion.
is why companies don’t create brands, their customers do.
What is a valuable brand to you, is not a valuable brand to me. I love Tom Ford, Red Bull, Marmite
So on that level, brands, like politics and religion,
and Dior, but most of my friends don’t care for
are destined to remain the subjects of heated
any of them.
debates around the value that they offer and the thoughts that they create. Oprah Winfrey,
So where does this leave us? What is brand?
arguably the world’s most valuable ‘personal
And why should anyone care?
brand’ put it eloquently when she said that, “your brand is what other people say about you when
For me, Don Draper summed it up best in his iconic Kodak pitch during an episode of Mad
you’ve left the room”. So if the essence of a
Men, when he explained that a brand only
brand is not what you say it is, but what they say
works when a consumer has a “sentimental
it is, where does that leave us?
bond” with the product. Saatchi’s Kevin Roberts
Well we should probably start with the brand
used similar language in his superb book
consultancies and valuation agencies who have
Lovemarks and went on to say that as a result of
been doing this the longest. They have long
that sentimental bond, the best brands create
client lists, impressive show reels and teams of
“loyalty beyond reason”.
academics who help them to create and build
This is why I don’t care what other people
brands. But alas we can’t pay too much attention
think about the brands that I like, all that really
to them when looking for the facts because
matters to me is how they make me feel.
none of them can agree with each other. Take the company I work at for example. According to Interbrand, IBM is the world’s 10th largest brand 29
Ross Sleight Chief Strategy Officer. Somo Global
For brands, experiences matter more than advertising in our digital age. Brands live, grow and die in our heads. Brands
relevant and entertaining scraps to build your
are self-constructed; narratives we build
brand nest. Advertising and PR worked so well
for ourselves based on our own, and others,
due in part to the absence of other information
experiences and impressions. What I think of a
about a brand.
brand could be wildly different to what you think
But inevitably digital has disrupted this. Today
of it.
we have unlimited access to scraps and straws
The famous Ad Man Jeremy Bullmore once
about brands a click away. From social media
said: “People build brands as birds build nests,
content to influencers to reviews - all have a
from scraps and straws we chance upon.” Now
part to play in how we build our brand stories.
in pre-digital days these scraps were actually
Importantly, most of these are not controlled
quite scarce; the biggest influence on our view
by brand managers any more. Traditional
of brands came from Advertising and PR. These
Advertising is still a powerful channel, but
were the conduit for corporate brand managers
today it competes for time and headspace
to communicate to us, to ensure that their view
with other media and content. Additionally,
of what you should think about their Products
advertising budgets have moved closer to
and Services consisted of the most accessible,
the point of transaction with performance
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channels such as search, and as we still struggle
through digital channels, supplemented by
to create meaningful and impactful brand
occasional branch visits or telephone calls
communications in digital media, we are just
when we cannot achieve what we want on our
paying less attention overall.
devices. The digital only challengers in financial services like Monzo
Which is why today experience is the key opportunity for Product and Service owners to help people build their view of the brand, to communicate and differentiate their offering and bring to life the promise that was often made, (but not often delivered in reality) through Advertising. The
“Poor digital experiences are commercial suicide as customer journeys increasingly turn to digital”
or Revolut have recognised this and crafted exceptional digital experiences which challenge the incumbents and set consumer expectations. They build their brands through experience first, advertising later (if at all) as they believe that digital experience is their key differentiator.
experience someone has of a product or service has always been
Poor experiences anywhere today are
important, but crucially has been diminished
unacceptable. Poor digital experiences are
over time by seeking operational efficiencies
commercial suicide as customer journeys
and cost savings that have negatively impacted
increasingly turn to digital channels as a
that experience – the retail store looks shabby
touchpoint. Advertising is a diminishing crutch
and staff are not well trained, we are held on
if your product experience is poor. Fix your
a customer service call for twenty minutes
product experience first. It’s the simplest way to
enduring elevator music, the website is a
help people build and share a positive image of
hodgepodge of sales not service journeys.
your brand.
Experiences matter more than ever in building a brand. First, we are herd animals, and we put a lot of stock in other people’s experiences which are freely shared across social and review sites. Secondly, today many of our product and service experiences are primarily digital, or increasingly digital only. For example, for many of us our experience of our bank is primarily
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Vikki Chowney Chief Content Strategist. Hill+Knowlton Strategies
What do I think when I hear the word ‘brand’? Well, for me it’s almost impossible to separate the word from my working life. I spend my days trying to help brands work out
to a brand book; a set of values outlined by the
what content to produce, with whom, and where
company that resided in unread booklets or in
it lives. Once upon a time, this would have been
somewhat dull sections of websites. ‘Purpose’
focused on making the message the centre of
meant CSR, coming to life almost purely through
whatever amazing bit of content we produced to
charitable donations.
tell a story. It was largely about what our brands
Now, there’s increased social awareness and
were trying to say. Now, it’s very much more
even more than that, expectation from younger
about why they’re trying to say it.
employees and customers that a company will stand for something beyond what they sell. This
The starting point for brand building has always been to define brand purpose - beliefs, point of view and tonality. But this was once confined
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has elevated the idea of purpose to no longer
the excellent work conducted by BrandZ on
being ‘a nice thing to have’, but to become a
mapping stock value of brands that have clear
core fundamental of business.
purpose and meaning. Brand purpose is a core step in outlining what ‘brand’ means. It always has been, but now it’s so
“Brand purpose is a core step in outlining what ‘brand’ means. It always has been, but now it’s so much more visible.”
much more visible. On one hand this brings better, more-thoughtful advertising. Unilever, the world’s secondbiggest advertiser, rolled out a global strategy in 2016 to “unstereotype” its advertising and eradicate out-dated portrayals of gender in order to deliver against the part of its purpose that promises to increase positive social impact. A focus on purpose also brings us companies that think more carefully about the impact they have on society like Patagonia or Tom’s. Very good. But on the other hand, we see the bandwagon
To the left of my desk right now I can see
effect. The influx of ‘worthy’ Cannes Lions entries
Harvard Business Review’s ‘The Business
over the past few years is proof of this. The work
Case for Purpose’ and EY’s Purpose-led
created specifically to solve a ‘world problem’
Brands report. These are just two examples
in order to win and award. It’s a plague on our
of thousands of other pieces of research in
industry and one I’m quite ready to see the back
to this space. From those trying to unpick
of.
the motivations of what some are cringingly
But what next? When ‘Purpose over Profit’ is
calling ‘The Purpose Generation’, through to
the new norm; what’s the new sexy ‘thing’ for brands? I don’t have the answers, but I can’t wait to hear the panel try to talk it out.
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One Venue, One Question. One Debate. What does brand really mean?
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6.00 ~ 6.30pm Registration & Welcome 6.30 ~ 7.30pm Live Debate Join Fred Bolza of Sony Music, Dan Balmer, Aston Martin, Sarah Ogden, 3 Monkeys Zeno, Rebecca Robbins, Interbrand and Shane Bellamy, RAF to a live debate on just One Question, what does brand really mean? The debate will offer a range of perspectives from leading experts from some of the worlds largest brands.
7.30 ~ 8.00pm Live Audience Q&A 8.00 ~ 8.30pm Drinks Reception
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“If it doesn’t change the industry I am not doing it.” - Alexander McQueen
www.onequestion.live
ONEQUESTIONCONF 1.QUESTION COMPANY/ONE-QUESTION-EVENT