Savvier-than-ever consumers and a plethora of new media mean that the familiar marketing saws no longer cut it. The marketing community needs a new set of branding rules, says Simon Williams, chairman of New York-based branding consultancy Sterling Group. And he’s more than happy to supply them.
“About once a year we put our thoughts together and look for trends and patterns,” Williams says. “For the savvy marketer, there won’t be a lot of new thoughts here. But the patterns we detect make successful brands.”
Williams outlined what he calls “The 10 New Rules of Branding,” and what marketers can do to follow the guidelines. Sterling Brands finalized what Williams calls the 10 New Rules of Branding in October. “If you follow these 10 rules, will you build a brand? Not necessarily,” he says. “But they are nuances you need to consider when aiming for stars.”
Without further ado, the rules:
1) Brands that influence culture sell more; culture is the new catalyst for growth.
“Look at Google. They are changing the way we behave online,” Williams says. “Nike is a brand that has become a part of all culture. If you get into that split screen, you become part of the lexicon of life.”
2) A brand with no point of view has no point; full-flavor branding is in, vanilla is out.
Love or hate Fox News, you know where it stands on issues, Williams points out. And Ben & Jerry’s is more than just ice cream; it’s a company that stands for a cause. “Younger consumers have grown up in a consumer world. They’re flexing their muscle, and they want their brands to stand for something.
3) Today’s consumer is leading from the front; this is the smartest generation to have ever walked the planet.
Today’s consumers are more discriminating and more experimental. “They have very strong opinions on brands, and a lot of brands are getting consumers involved,” Williams says. “Take Converse and the Converse Gallery, where consumers can make a 24-second film that will run on their site. It’s consumer-generated creativity and a natural savviness.”
4) Customize wherever and whenever you can; customization is tomorrow’s killer whale.
The second advent of the Internet has consumers wanting something all their own, Williams says: “Consumers say, ‘I need something that is mine, not mass-produced for everybody.'” The best example, he says, is Apple’s iTunes Website. Instead of buying a CD, consumers are buying the tracks they want and putting them on their iPods. Williams also points to Starbucks, which creates whatever beverage a consumer wants, and Nike, which allows you to design a shoe online.
5) Forget the transaction, just give me an experience; the mandate is simple: Wow them every day, every way.
Apple and Coach, Williams points out, found that the best way to give consumers a brand experience wasn’t just to sell product in store but to control the entire experience. “This is why they build stores in major cities. Looking for the other brands to soon be involved in the ‘experience.’”
6) Deliver clarity at point of purchase; be obsessive about presentation.
There’s an “option overload” in the supermarket aisles, and anything that simplifies that for consumers is welcome, Williams says. “If I’m a consumer and I stand in front of a shelf, I see a wall of product. Brands are beginning to recognize that you have to be clear about what they are selling at the point of purchase.”
7) You are only as good as your weakest link; do you know where you’re vulnerable?
Today’s younger consumers show zero tolerance when a brand makes a mistake. If a Website isn’t good enough, they will ignore your brand, and if you get negative PR about something, it will stick no matter what you do to rectify it, Williams says. “Brands like Wal-Mart and Nike are still connected to negative PR about alleged abuse of foreign workers,” he says.
8) Social responsibility is no longer an option; what’s your cause, what’s your contribution?
Consumers now expect corporations to get involved in cause marketing. Businesses are doing a better job at getting behind causes, Williams says, pointing to Timberland (“Take a stand against genocide”), Target (“Every day Target gives back to the community”), eBay (its Giving Works program, for starters), and GE (which this year launched its Citizenship Report, an annual report of sorts regarding the company’s environmental and safety initiatives). Not all businesses promote these efforts, however, because they’re worried their efforts will be seen as commercial.
9) Pulse, pace, and passion really make a difference; had your heartbeat checked recently?
“We’re in a crazy world. We keep piling more devices upon us. The more you have, the more you need. If your business does not have a high metabolic rate, you’re not going to survive,” Williams says. “Companies like Google move fast, and that means the older, slower companies are doomed.”
10) Innovation is the new boardroom favorite.
“Brands are inspired by Apple more than anyone else,” Williams says. “They transformed the music business, and people are taking what they did seriously. Procter & Gamble and GE are driving this and have made innovation the core of their corporate strategy.”
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