Brands with alarming importance

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Why Gillette's The Best Man Can Be campaign is going to lead to brand growth

Why is it important to take a stand?

Because, overall, people in general don’t care about brands.

They don’t “want” to talk about brands.

What they do want to talk about are social issues, things of importance to their everyday lives. Things that resonate with them on a deeper, emotional level.

Even if they care about the category, they rarely have a reason to discuss brands extensively.

And Gillette has been top of mind not for a few seconds, not for a couple minutes, but for almost an entire week now.

We’ll have to see what business results will Gillette have directly/indirectly associated with this campaign.

But they have had declining sales the past couple of years (they’ve been losing to challenger brands like Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club) and here they are, getting an incredible amount of buzz, getting noticed and talked about at the right time.

I also don’t think you can evaluate this piece in a vacuum, purely measured by profits.

You can’t ignore the timing of this piece: We are in a relatively slow period from a marketing noise standpoint (although leading up to the Superbowl, which if P&G has a second act to this, would be brilliant timing again.)

From a cultural standpoint, after a couple of years of the #metoo movement going strong, this reasserts importance of continuing the conversation and perhaps expanding it.

I thought this Adweek piece has done a great job at capturing the importance of this cultural momentum.

You can’t ignore that Gillette is not just the #1 razor brand among men, but also #1 among women. (See their US market share data here.)

Last summer, Bonobos has done a similar - albeit smaller - move with their Evolve The Definition campaign. The outrage was very similar. By the end of 2018, the brand has increased their sales by 98%.

The CEO of Domino’s frequently talks about Omission bias. In this Harvard Business Review article he explains it as “the tendency to worry more about doing something than not doing something, because everyone sees the results of a move gone bad, and few see the costs of moves not made”.

Thank you P&G for willing to take a huge risk!

In this day an age, the threat of boycott as a result of taking a stand for what’s right, is probably the best a brand can get.

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Google finds hope in a year that took hope away from so many of us. 

At the end of a devastating 2016, Google does it again: based on search data, they managed to organize the most important global events of the year in a way that helps us focus rather than be distracted. Focus on love, focus on supporting each other in hard times, focus on finding the positive moments or fueling change through negative ones.

It is a very powerful message, especially when you consider how much scrutiny the biggest search and social platforms are under for creating a stage for bullies and trolls spreading fake news and hate on the internet. 

Good job, Google. Now go and fix this messed up world. 

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Being ready for the unthinkable

In 2016, if you want to tap into the unthinkable emotions around a live sport event, you have to be ready. It’s true for any major cultural event, but if there’s a chance that the greatest underdogs of all time break a 108 year old curse, you’ve got to be among the first ones to celebrate.  Even if you have to be scrappy, like ESPN, or produce 2 different spots knowing that you’ll have to put one of them in a drawer forever, like Nike did. But most importantly, you have to make sure whatever you’re saying taps into a layer of culture that’s not too obvious. Signing it off with a brilliant line: Goodbye Someday (a’la Nike) or celebrating with the voice of a cultural icon, who is - even from the dead - is closely tied to the brand, and represents the message much better than anyone else could.  Good job, Budweiser. You won this one.

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To continue their incredible success from last year, REI builds on their #OptOutside program and includes other brands to grow its impact. The not so secret recipe of growing a social/environmental impact program’s reach is to tap into fellow brands’ and other organizations’ followers. This is very exciting, because the company is introducing a new model to do business and it is doing so on the day that shows the worst of capitalism. Every company that holds hands with them, is making a much bigger statement than just supporting a good cause and allowing employees to spend a day outside. 

Previously WWF’s Earth Hour was able to activate incredible amount of people around the world for a good cause, with a very similar strategy. But the NGO’s efforts always fell short of becoming a rallying cry among the brands and companies that have the capital and social currency to reach millions worldwide.

The continued success now depends on a few things:

- Will REI be able to measure the program’s payoff just as well as last year and justify the costs associated with its communication?

- Will the other brands be able to own and institutionalize their take on the program - that will always be associated with the Washington co-op?

- Will people beyond the core environmentalists and nature lovers embrace this opportunity and talk about their #OptOutside adventures?

But most importantly: will this become a cultural movement big enough to force other major retailers to OptOutside - or will they find another way to joint conversation - without losing their most important day of commerce? 

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KLM: It's an Airline

KLM wants you to know one thing: It's an Airline. Ken Marino really wants you to know that too. He wants you to know a lot of stuff you probably already know...

KLM is by far one of my favorite airline brands. Why? Because they are classy, use innovation to generate revenue and are laser-focused on a seamless customer experience. But I have to be honest: I am scratching my head right now. Their latest effort to promote the airline in the US is the kind of effort that may have deserved another round of ideation. Unlike the people commenting on YouTube, I don’t doubt the value of stating the obvious. But when recruiting new customers, you need to invite them to experience what it’s like to travel with KLM - as much as it’s possible through an ad. I get it. It’s a market where it’s hard to stand out. But my experience with KLM is that they always bring that differentiation through thoughtful ideas and just generally caring about their customers. 

And they seem to be able to pull of culturally sensitive customer acquisition campaigns that get the reach and positive reaction they are looking for.

I’m very curious to see what the reactions/results of this campaign are going to be. In the meantime, I’ll focus on the communication pieces that do deliver their signature style and humor. 

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“Nine Fifa officials and four executives of sports management companies were arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m, according to the US Department of Justice.” - reports The Guardian.

Those four executives of sports management companies are (via The Washington Post)

Alejandro Burzaco, a sports marketing executive based in Argentina.

Aaron Davidson, president of Traffic Sports USA.

Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, principals of Full Play Group, a sports marketing business based in Argentina.

These companies - that have already pleaded guilty and are likely to be cooperating - may reveal dirty secrets of the sports marketing practices as they may not merely be the only players involved. Allegedly they were wiring money for big corporations, sponsors, partners.

Although some of the bigger FIFA partner brands have already warned the international organization several times that they’re worried about the corruption allegations around FIFA’s operations, now we might actually learn why they were so worried in the first place. Even if their involvement in the kickbacks and bribes cannot be proved, marketing executives at these major global corporations need to re-asses the risks that they take by supporting highly corrupt organizations in order to get visibility around the most popular sport in the world.

As put by the acting US attorney general at this morning’s press conference: “It’s only just beginning.”

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There are 5 reasons I really like the Smart brand:

#1 Simplicity | Their communication is so simple. Because their benefit is simple. The product is simple. To identify who the audience is and where they are is simple. It’s easy to create simple briefs and simple work for them. Look at this case from Russia. Simply brilliant. 

#2 Maverick | They are the classic maverick brand archetype. They just don’t care. Some would argue that MINI is a rebel as well. But they have a sense of elegance and British (I know, I know) subtleness about them. But smart is proud of being ugly, proud of not being for everyone, they’re not trying too hard. They just hunt for buyers / users that share their mindset. And they have a certain sense of humor that I really like.

#3 Analogue | In today’s highly digital world where car manufacturers increasingly compete on other things than the body of the car, smart has one thing to show off: its size. This allows the brand to do stuff that isn’t as trendy anymore. Reinvent print. Reinvent outdoor. Reinvent ambient. Are they smart in digital? Of course they are. But they are massively present in the physical, analogue world which is the way to go for them.

#4 Relevant | Is this the car that you’re going to do extreme outdoor adventures with? Is this the brand that’s going to inspire you with its horse power and speed? Of course not. But ‘normal’ people today realize that there’s no road where you can go too fast, too furious (except for the German Autobahn maybe) and most of us unfortunately spend their every days in the city: commuting, not on family vacations. Relevance, people!

#5 Tied to the community | Smart understands that the people driving their cars are their biggest ambassadors. Because all smart drivers are different and they always get others’ attention, it’s important for them to celebrate that difference. Promote biking, and safety of bikers. Allowing for personalization of all cars. Being visibly different. Celebrating this diversity is crucial. Because these drivers - just like the brand - do not want to fit in... 

...except when it comes to parking in tight places. 

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Brands that ‘Take you there’

This post isn’t about a particular brand or campaign, it’s a journey through the experiences that have the same intention: to take you there. Whether the brand providing this experience can physically move you from A to B or just lift your spirits, this notion seems to be more and more widespread in (marketing) communication. 

Our lives have become so removed from nature, from discovering new places in the world or just simply going outside that often digital impulses you get throughout your day are the only way to take you to places. 

Look at the latest Old Spice campaign. They present it with their unique sense of humor but their promise is simple: experience nature through our scents in your rotten little digitalized world. And if you read this post from the brand, you’ll understand the place they are coming from. 

And this gets me to Instagram. The social platform that seems to be delivering the most of these experiences. Why? Well, one of the reasons is that this is the most mobile platform of all. It’s not about sharing heart wrenching stories, political statements, or even commenting on your favorite TV show. It’s more about giving visual impression of your journey. 

One of my favorite photographers on Instagram are Bethany Marie and Cory Staudacher who travel the country (the world really) and share beautiful images of them just being there. And brands who don’t have that kind of follower base but share this same passion with them, ask them to send messages to their followers. Like this Acura partnership during this year’s Sundance or their journey to Switzerland with Victorinox. 

Red Bull is really the master of taking you there. Their vision is to push this mantra as far as physically possible. What is the first image that pops in your head in relation to them? Probably Felix Baumgartner. They took us there. And the product is simply not present at most cases. The truth is, they make money by producing content, but hey, they take us with them on the journey...

Some airlines are doing a great job showing us how much more they can do than just fly us from A to B. And it works. I probably think about flying (with them) 100 times more than I actually get on board. 

Last but not least, AirBnB is becoming really good at selling more than just a bed for the night. With some of their recent contests they showed to the world that there are many places to discover and some experiences are only possible through them. 

When I want to take a quick break from my thoughts during the day, these are the kind of impressions I’m looking for. We used to indulge ourselves with opening a bottle of happiness or just getting a cup of coffee but our desire to break away from our day is now enabled by these brands that allow us to go much further than where caffeine can take us. 

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Keep that innovation going, people! This is a pretty brilliant product demo!

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Airbnb invites guests to stay overnight 9000 ft above the French Alps

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Aaand they did it. Newcastle Brown Ale convinced 37 brands to be part of their BandOfBrands commercial. It looks like after a few years of denial, most brands realized, they just have to be smarter about advertising during the biggest media event of the year. 

Well done.

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Branding Fiction in the new age of television

The new age of television is happening outside of television. Streaming, binging and best in class writing are all outside of traditional channels now. And with it parasocial interactions are back. But they are more real, more weird and more time consuming than ever before. 

Creating a connection between the viewers and characters of Girls, House of Cards or Looking is a very smart branding technique from the content creators, but it's a dangerous relationship to be in. 

There's nothing new about the nature of these bondings. Falling in love with or hating fictional characters has happened to people before. But creators and actors have never been so actively involved in promoting their shows and giving additional context to what we can all see on screen.

In other words, the story of the characters doesn't end when the show does. This leads to less mystery around their fictional lives. Less second guessing about what motivates them, how they feel and why the hell they did what they did. And it can confuse people.

I have to admit. I'm not immune to this either. Not only I own this T-shirt but I secretly hope I could be as classy as Robin Wright and as badass as Claire Underwood. 

Lena Dunham has constantly been accused of basically being the same person as Hannah Horvath, which leads to funny quizzes like this. And if you think that's a mistake - that's seriously underestimating the marketing power of these blurring lines. 

Or listen to this podcast discussing the HIV panic - of a fictional character from Looking. Everything is so real about the show, because it's fiction. 

I think letting viewers closer to these characters than ever before is a brilliant branding strategy. Clever marketers will learn how to do it with big brands sooner than we'd expect. And if you think it's unhealthy, the on-demand nature of it all will always let you opt out. 

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Together we advance

I promise this is not going to be a library of lengthy, emotional videos. Brands have much more to do in this world than just move us for a few minutes, then walk away. Especially when it comes to banks.

They have a bad reputation - to say the least - and aren't seen human very often. HSBC's new 'Stories of support' campaign challenges that. "Life's greatest achievement are rarely achieved alone" says the title line on every one of their 'thank you' videos. And we all get it. To dream big, you need a big support system. Emotional, moral, sometimes physical support. As well as financial. 

This campaign could be much more focused on the product. Hard hitting on the message and I suppose the logo could be bigger too. But someone had the courage to go beyond the task at hand and think about universal human stories that will touch people and make them remember more than just the bank's offer. 

I applaud any brand that makes me feel anything else in today's marketing environment than complete indifference. But great work also invites us to participate in the brand's thought process in many ways. Just by watching some of these videos one can't help but think about all the people that helped along the way. Or think about the path ahead that will lead to success.

And at this point it would be foolish not to create the social tool that allows everyone to instantly type in those thoughts into a template and send it to people they want to say thank to. 

Simple. Effective. Relevant. Bravo. 

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At the heart of the image.

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Who would have thought that brands will rapidly jump on the same sex marriage topic once they have quantifiable business interest in doing so?

Another recent example is coming from LYNX (aka Axe), a brand that was always famous for its sexist advertising but now is forcing itself to be open-minded for better or worse. 

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Newcastle please keep doing this to advertising

I would love to believe that there are marketers who have the balls to chip in to Newcastle Brown Ale's big game ad. If you think about it, it's not that hard to find shared values with this brand. It's honest. Simple. Telling it like it is. Truly resonates with consumers. Challenges convention. Oh wait...

I wouldn't be surprised if this ad happened but won't be surprised if it doesn't either. The brilliant thing is, Newcastle will be a winner either way. 

Keep it coming, NBA*, kept it coming!

*seems like a better fit than NFL, n'est-ce pas?

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Building brands again: a New Year's Resolution

When looking at the shortlist of AdAge's Top Ad Campaigns of the 21st century it's almost nostalgic to notice the common theme: any time a brand has identified its core values, created something that was relevant and original, people noticed. When people notice, they participate and when they participate, they let the brands much closer to their lives. And that trust (might I say loyalty) is the only foundation you can build a brand on. 

But it takes time. And that's why I get nostalgic: it seems like marketers don't have that kind of time anymore. Technology and data represent endless new opportunities and enable marketers to meet short-term business goals. And who wouldn't choose 'measurable success' over 'unpredictable risk' in a career quiz. 

Thankfully, some brands still have the courage to invest their time - at the peak of the holiday craze. 

Land Rover UK has re-launched its #hibernot platform that encourages people to explore the outdoors even when it's rough outside. They introduced the campaign a year ago with a beautiful manifesto spot. This year the Hibernot family adventures show us again that extraordinary things can happen to everyday people if you go Above and Beyond.

Netflix is telling people to do the exact opposite. In their pre-Christmas spot Watch Together they ask children to talk about what it means to spend a movie night with their families and how the experience lives on after the show. 

Fisher Price in collaboration with documentarian Patrick Creadon captured the precious moments of the first babies being born in 2015. Wishes for Baby is more than just a tearjerker YouTube ad. It puts the birth of a baby into the right perspective, creates a conversation among parents about what their children really need: "The best possible start begins with love."

Far enough from their products yet as close as they can get to their core values: these brands have cracked the code of creating content that can change behavior. 

Kids, family, dogs, cozy blankets, babies, loving mothers. New beginnings. Is it back to basics? I think it's definitely an old recipe used in our cross-channel reality. But it does feel like these brands have taken the time to look beyond their short term goals. 

It seems like it's easier to create something meaningful and engaging when you pay more attention to the brand's own cultural context and worry less about what's the next big thing in marketing.

Keep it up 2015. Let's build brands again!