I have just discovered Rory Sutherland’s most excellent blog and have been devouring post after post like a ravenous escapee from Lost Island.
In one post, Rory talks about the difference between brands from the US and brands from France (particularly from the way that the brand promise is perceived. I love this quote:
I am much taken with an Andy Warhol quotation along the lines of “what I like about Coke is that the President of the United States can’t get a better Coke than the bum on the street.” Really great brands should be universal. (When you think about it, the huge explosion in the value of luxury goods brands is evidence of a social malaise).
The way that I found Rory is through a comment he left here. Rory is talking about the need to address your audience based on their need state not demographics. This is exactly the reason that a raft of consulting companies like McKinseys and Forrester are making rapid headway in the advertising/metrics space. As Alain Thys says over at MarketingProfs, by using technology and business logic, these consultants are going to revolutionise the way that creative and advertising agencies operate. And may, in fact, redetermine the role and prestige of agencies in the brand building stakes. Now that is a universal brand revolution!
“…and have been devouring post after post like a ravenous escapee from Lost Island.”
What a storyteller you are. I must check out this new blog. Great pic, too.
Oh must we talk about the President of the United States in the same line as a fabulous drink product? We are talking about quality goods here. ~sigh.
Interesting post.
But don’t smart marketers normally use a combination of demographics and “need state” information to target potential customers? For a sports drink marketer, for instance, you might look at age, sex, etc., but also determine their “need state” by narrowing the focus to, say, cyclists. Even narrower focus, cyclists at road rallyes.
CK … glad you like that line. Rory has a great, energetic writing style and strong opinions to back it all up.
Maryam … don’t get yourself into trouble 😉
David … thanks for dropping by. I guess smart marketers do segment and thin slice their communications, but I feel that there is so much more work to be done on the agency side (perhaps uncoupling some of the silos might help to start with) … and having worked in management/IT consulting, the ability to bring new disciplines to bear on marketing and advertising metrics is what will give McKinseys and their ilk a strategic advantage. It will be fascinating to watch.
“Really great brands should be universal.”
The broadcast generated mass market may be in trouble but anything that touches on universal “need states” is the way to rescue it.
When I hear “need states” I think of marketers with empathy for the people they offer products and services to.
From my point of view that is THE way to invite people to become customers.
When it comes to the future of branding, maybe we could say, “being human is the new better”!
Gavin, I can share your excitement for Rory’s post and will definitely check him out. A blog that gets “the pirate” jazzed is well worth looking into.
Thanks for enlarging the conversation.
Keep creating,
Mike
Ha ha, Mike, or should I say “ahoy there”? You made me laugh out loud with this comment!
Next stop … fake and authentic. Lewis Green is talking about it and I am keen to see how this fits too.