Is there an example of a company that changed its financial results thanks to smart branding and how?
Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 10:31 am
Younger generations want to associate themselves with brands that reflect their global values. And that influence goes beyond monetary access. The conversation is starting to shift to who the board members are and what they stand for.
Take the Coca-Cola brand, for example. There are many things behind the name, including family values, magic, authenticity—a happy, positive image. People feel emotionally attached to it because it has become important to them. So consumers who care about the Coca-Cola brand may start asking, “Why is their CEO behaving this way?” and ultimately, if the behavior continues, “Why is Coca-Cola doing this?”
To ensure that a brand remains relevant, diversity must be encouraged, gender bias must be avoided, and freedom of expression must be supported. Eliminate stereotypes, sexual exploitation, or misuse of children in campaigns. Many brands still operate in Russia – this is shocking to me.
So what can brands do about this?
Brands need to understand who is in control. As I say, “we are the medium.” You can see that clearly on – the audience will define the future of the brand. Consumers will start defining the values of the company and what it stands for.
If Nestlé wants us to keep buying its chocolates, they need to stop planting palm oil trees that threaten orangutans. Consumers will be happy to switch to new flavours if the candy formula has to change – but they will know there is a good reason for it. That could be a powerful campaign. Nestlé could say, “We do this for you.” That would boost sales georgia telephone number data regardless of the temporary drop in profits. The world is fed up with consumerism.
As soon as a brand's development depends on its consumers, it becomes a truly democratic brand. It begins to create a multi-generational presence. This is the future. Consumers will set the brand's rules before brands enter their lives.
Success in brand strategy comes in many forms. I can divide brands into three categories: progressive, compromise, and slow. The “compromisers” are companies that have to do a lot of work to adapt to change, but still do it. For example, Nike gets an A from me. Patagonia gets an A.
Nike products are truly sustainable. The company people should stop buying from is Adidas. They have shown no interest in sustainability, but continue to sell a disingenuous brand message.
We recommend reading:
blog-small-preview-adidas-puma-61fae082b8856588402426-min-64490aa00c4e5057839809.jpg
Article
Adidas and Puma: The Story of Eternal Rivals
Read
Patagonia is amazing. The money they give to charity, the way they approach sustainability, that's a top rating. Disney gets a four from me because there are so many aspects of the company that need to change. They're in the middle, but they're trying to make changes. They bought a lot of solar panels in Orlando to power Disneyworld, which is amazing.
Apple, IKEA and Google get a three because of the products they sell. But they try. How to make an iPhone without plastic? Google's energy consumption is incredible.
There are also smaller companies: Doconomy , MAC Jeans , Ecovadis or Bowery Farming , which will become big brands if they continue to move in the same direction. They understand what people want. Their budgets are not big, but the number of people who follow them is record-breaking and still growing. And this is a lesson for bigger brands to learn to listen.
What is the most powerful brand in the world today?
Definitely not Amazon or Apple. They don't listen. Many big brands sell image to hide their real strategies.
Disney probably has the biggest influence on culture because it's about culture and storytelling. And that's what branding is all about. They're still pushing the boundaries, like having an African-American Little Mermaid. People are starting to realize that the characters and the stories we tell need to evolve from the typical narrative. We need to start embracing shared global values.
They have set the pace for culture time and time again. Take for example the way they create subliminal animations, presenting positive messages. You will never get a negative opinion about Disney anywhere in the world.
We recommend reading:
blog-small-preview-brand-intimacy-62767c0cef574681386316.jpg
Article
Good Morning, I Love You: 10 Brands We Have the Strongest Emotional Bonds With
Read
How to wisely use data to improve your branding strategy?
You have to learn to read between the lines. Data should always be taken with a grain of salt. It's creativity and innovation that make data valuable.
How you decide to position your brand will impact this data. If the data isn’t what you expect, always remember that it’s a fantastic indicator of where you should be heading.
Don't just look at the biggest numbers . Read what the data is trying to tell you about the cultural perspective, about listening to your audience, rather than just being guided by the numbers.
For example, gaming demographics will tell you that people play video games within a certain age range. But Nintendo has shown us that parents can be gamers too. People who used to play Atari or Super Mario now have kids. They may not have as much time to play as their kids, but they still play. They want to share a platform with their kids or relax on the weekend.
Gaming data always focuses on younger gamers, guys who fit the stereotypical image of a computer nerd. That's how you lose a huge audience by simply reacting to the numbers instead of understanding what the numbers are trying to tell you and asking questions.
Take the Coca-Cola brand, for example. There are many things behind the name, including family values, magic, authenticity—a happy, positive image. People feel emotionally attached to it because it has become important to them. So consumers who care about the Coca-Cola brand may start asking, “Why is their CEO behaving this way?” and ultimately, if the behavior continues, “Why is Coca-Cola doing this?”
To ensure that a brand remains relevant, diversity must be encouraged, gender bias must be avoided, and freedom of expression must be supported. Eliminate stereotypes, sexual exploitation, or misuse of children in campaigns. Many brands still operate in Russia – this is shocking to me.
So what can brands do about this?
Brands need to understand who is in control. As I say, “we are the medium.” You can see that clearly on – the audience will define the future of the brand. Consumers will start defining the values of the company and what it stands for.
If Nestlé wants us to keep buying its chocolates, they need to stop planting palm oil trees that threaten orangutans. Consumers will be happy to switch to new flavours if the candy formula has to change – but they will know there is a good reason for it. That could be a powerful campaign. Nestlé could say, “We do this for you.” That would boost sales georgia telephone number data regardless of the temporary drop in profits. The world is fed up with consumerism.
As soon as a brand's development depends on its consumers, it becomes a truly democratic brand. It begins to create a multi-generational presence. This is the future. Consumers will set the brand's rules before brands enter their lives.
Success in brand strategy comes in many forms. I can divide brands into three categories: progressive, compromise, and slow. The “compromisers” are companies that have to do a lot of work to adapt to change, but still do it. For example, Nike gets an A from me. Patagonia gets an A.
Nike products are truly sustainable. The company people should stop buying from is Adidas. They have shown no interest in sustainability, but continue to sell a disingenuous brand message.
We recommend reading:
blog-small-preview-adidas-puma-61fae082b8856588402426-min-64490aa00c4e5057839809.jpg
Article
Adidas and Puma: The Story of Eternal Rivals
Read
Patagonia is amazing. The money they give to charity, the way they approach sustainability, that's a top rating. Disney gets a four from me because there are so many aspects of the company that need to change. They're in the middle, but they're trying to make changes. They bought a lot of solar panels in Orlando to power Disneyworld, which is amazing.
Apple, IKEA and Google get a three because of the products they sell. But they try. How to make an iPhone without plastic? Google's energy consumption is incredible.
There are also smaller companies: Doconomy , MAC Jeans , Ecovadis or Bowery Farming , which will become big brands if they continue to move in the same direction. They understand what people want. Their budgets are not big, but the number of people who follow them is record-breaking and still growing. And this is a lesson for bigger brands to learn to listen.
What is the most powerful brand in the world today?
Definitely not Amazon or Apple. They don't listen. Many big brands sell image to hide their real strategies.
Disney probably has the biggest influence on culture because it's about culture and storytelling. And that's what branding is all about. They're still pushing the boundaries, like having an African-American Little Mermaid. People are starting to realize that the characters and the stories we tell need to evolve from the typical narrative. We need to start embracing shared global values.
They have set the pace for culture time and time again. Take for example the way they create subliminal animations, presenting positive messages. You will never get a negative opinion about Disney anywhere in the world.
We recommend reading:
blog-small-preview-brand-intimacy-62767c0cef574681386316.jpg
Article
Good Morning, I Love You: 10 Brands We Have the Strongest Emotional Bonds With
Read
How to wisely use data to improve your branding strategy?
You have to learn to read between the lines. Data should always be taken with a grain of salt. It's creativity and innovation that make data valuable.
How you decide to position your brand will impact this data. If the data isn’t what you expect, always remember that it’s a fantastic indicator of where you should be heading.
Don't just look at the biggest numbers . Read what the data is trying to tell you about the cultural perspective, about listening to your audience, rather than just being guided by the numbers.
For example, gaming demographics will tell you that people play video games within a certain age range. But Nintendo has shown us that parents can be gamers too. People who used to play Atari or Super Mario now have kids. They may not have as much time to play as their kids, but they still play. They want to share a platform with their kids or relax on the weekend.
Gaming data always focuses on younger gamers, guys who fit the stereotypical image of a computer nerd. That's how you lose a huge audience by simply reacting to the numbers instead of understanding what the numbers are trying to tell you and asking questions.