One Question Debates, One Edition

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.

-

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