With an abundance of Easter eggs upon us, it seems now would be a good time to have our first guest post, aptly based on the idea of ‘brand obesity’ and what we do about it….
Our guest blogger is Dan Burgess aka @dansolo (www.twitter.com/dansolo), also found at http://danburgess.typepad.com/tap_tap/ ………
Iʼve been thinking a lot recently about what I can only describe as increasing signs of ʻobesityʼ in brands. This tweet from Marc the other night prompted me to try and write something down.
What I mean by ʻbrand obesityʼ is the result of innovation and marketing approaches which appear to have been junking out on the equivalent of NPD ready meals, BOGOF brand ideas, and super size portions of dubious insight.
Business got fat and lazy and now it’s getting ill. The symptoms are there in the mediocre products and lowest common denominator marketing that we see all around us.
As we rebuild from recession, businesses everywhere are clearly under huge pressure in what is a period of massive transformation. Surely now there is even more reason to use this opportunity to rebuild in a more restorative way – reshaping brands more positively not just piling more junk into an already creaking system.
We should be starting by building more resilience into businesses through the people who create and manage their products and services. After all, it’s people and teams who really create brands, not faceless corporations.
These people and teams need to re-discover their spirit and soul (read ‘purpose’) the more they can do this, the more it will encourage others to start moving in the same direction.
To do this we all need to stop accepting shallow, short term ideas which do little more than exploit people’s desire for quick hits of novelty. Our intelligent, connected and increasingly cash-poor society needs something more and it is up to all of us to work towards delivering it.
I became diabetic a decade ago, and one result of that was I started practising yoga. It has helped me reconnect whatʼs outside to whatʼs inside, it’s taught me the importance of internal awareness and balance, the need to nourish the soul, and importantly consciousness of the world around me.
I sense many organisations are losing touch with who they are, with where they are heading and critically how they are going to get there.
So hereʼs an idea: a more yogic approach to building brands and creating new products and services. One which creates a true sense of flow within an organization. Which establishes deep and real connections with both customers and the world in which it exists. An approach which wonʼt accept average, novelty for novelty’s sake or wastefulness.
Iʼm not talking about stripping off, burning nag champa and posture development (though I think it might add something quite interesting to a workshop….).
People talk about a holistic approach to marketing, but I think thatʼs generally more bluff. What we need imho, is a holistic approach which will see a re-awakening of strong, healthy, resilient, balanced brands with soul, developing meaningful products and services.
How amazing could that be?
Namaste.
(Here’s what Marc was referring to by the way….)
Dan (and Tom & Tom),Fantastic, thought provoking blog. I think the challenge is to link business models to this re-emergence of “soul and spirit” as you put it, or as I call it “humanity” into business.I think this is the biggest opportunity for marketers and communications professionals in decades to re-establish a strategic marketing agenda that fulfils social as well as commercial aims. I blogged about this recently: http://www.blog.basini.com/2010/04/did-branding-kill-marketing-star.html Be keen to hear your views on this thinking. Thanks for taking the time to share this thinking, its powerful and challenging. Justin Basiniwww.basini.comwww.blog.basini.com
Comment by Justin Basini — April 6, 2010 @ 9:40 am
Liked your post too, the business model bit is where it’s all at. How about we hook a few of us up to figure out what the emerging business models could be to support ‘purpose/humanity’?
Comment by Tom Farrand — April 9, 2010 @ 12:16 pm
TLDR.I just stopped by to say that I’m outraged at anyone calling a KFC Krushem ‘filth’. Oreo flavors Krushems have significantly improved my life since I discovered them. I’d KILL for one right now *drool*.
Comment by tobeconfirmed — August 31, 2010 @ 8:40 pm
Thought provoking stuff Dan. Interesting to see how this rationale is used to empower the change that is required to provide the fresh new thinking to a brand identity.
Good luck in Costa Rica (I kind of stumbled across this whilst looking for idea on re-branding my own company)
Comment by paul mcken — January 8, 2011 @ 12:13 am