The arrival of the millennial generation has changed the business landscape beyond recognition in the last 20 years. Worldwide, millennials formed the largest section of the working population in 2018. To accommodate the needs of this generation, companies made several changes; they introduced the concept of remote working, flexible timings, non-hierarchical structures, and the extensive use of technology. The same has happened on the branding front.

Brands had to adopt a completely different approach to communicate and connect with this well-informed generation. While most brands pulled up their socks and metamorphosed to accommodate the changes demanded to engage this generation, several others found it challenging to keep up with the millennials. Now, if you think millennials were difficult to deal with, here’s the update, an even more aggressive generation has just arrived- Gen Z.

Born after 1997, Generation Zs are known to be independent, super-connected and pragmatic. Roger Casey, president of McDaniel College in Westminster, said that “Gen Zs grew up in a dramatically different era. We’re just beginning to see transitions that are going to make them distinctly different from the younger people. ”

Gen Zs have lived their entire life in the era of mobile technology and have had access to social media for most of their lives. Therefore, brands will now have to change their approach yet again to stay relevant to this generation. Bobby Calise, Vice President of Ybrands, shed light on this subject- “In the past, brands might have considered playing it safe for fear of alienating its customer base. But in today’s social and political climate, not taking a risk is arguably riskier- when it comes to brands taking stands.”

Of course, taking a stand comes with its own risks. It’s tempting to succumb to the chaos of the marketverse and take “cause of the day” positions. This will draw eyeballs and get attention. But the risk is that the brand will appear inauthentic and untrustworthy. Thus brands need to pick stands that align with their core values and the Purpose that drives them.

Of course, it is easier for new brands to take risks and change their marketing strategy to connect with Gen Z because they have no baggage of past association. This is not the same for classic brands. They are well-known, their motivations and values are established, and they have been in the full glare of public opinion for years. So, what can famous age-old brands do to stay relevant to this new generation? Let’s take a look at a few brands that know how this is done.

Dove

Dove entered the market in 1955. It is sold in over 80 countries and is used by men, women, and babies. Despite having been in the market for 64 years, Dove has succeeded in creating magic and attracting the newest generation of buyers- Gen Z. And they’ve done it beautifully and uniquely. They released a new campaign addressing the unique struggles faced by adolescent girls. They have always focused on “real people”. By continuing to defy social conventions and unrealistic standards of beauty, Dove touched the hearts of the Gen Zs by making them feel like there’s more to them than just superficial and unattainable ideals of looks.

Adidas

Founded in 1949, Adidas has been a manufacturer of shoes, clothing, and accessories for about 70 years. In spite of the brand’s age, it is a favorite amongst the Gen Zs. Its recent Stan Smith collection made it Gen Zs favorite sneaker brand. Apart from its street style aesthetic which appeals to Gen Z, Adidas has been a pro at marketing as well. Adidas used pop culture to attract their audience. Adidas partnered with UK grime artist Stormzy to market its sportswear range. They promoted themselves as a youth-centric brand with an edge in design. The strong focus on sports continues, even as the sports themselves adapt to the changing generations.

Maybelline

A survey revealed that Gen Zs spend more on beauty than on apparel. And when it comes to shopping for cosmetics, age-old brand, Maybelline is a surprise favorite amongst the Gen Zs. Founded in 1915, Maybelline has been around for 104 years. Yes, you heard it right- it’s been over a century since this cosmetic brand has been in the market. Apart from providing excellent quality at pocket-friendly rates, Maybelline attracted Gen Z by collaborating with influencers to ace their social engagement game. Maybelline appointed Gigi Hadid, a famous youth icon to promote their products on social media. They talked to their audience where they lived their lives -online. The message is the same but it’s delivered in a very current vocabulary and meter.

Levi’s

Founded in 1853, Levi’s has been in the market for 166 years. Levi’s is a perfect example of a brand that has accommodated the Gen Zs but has also maintained its heritage brand. Recognizing that the generation needed to be addressed differently, Levi’s went out of its way to engage with representatives of the generation. For instance, they rolled out a flagship store dedicated the Gen Z in consultation with a German agency run by teenagers. In keeping with its age-old story of fashion with practical utility, the brand introduced variants of stretchable and athleisure pants. These products were appealing to the Gen Zs, but Levi’s also continued to manufacture its range of standby products. Well, this is how you get the best of both worlds!

 

The key takeaway from these brands and their youth-focused marketing campaigns is how they all exhibit the free-spirited and break-free attitudes of Gen Z. This new generation does not accept stereotypes and has its arms open to diversity. But the cornerstone of their success is authenticity and staying true to what the brand represents. Clearly, if brands want to attract this unique lot, they must shift their perspective and tell an old story in a new way.

 

Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.

There’s a new kid on the block making a lot of noise – say hello to Brand Purpose, said every ‘purpose-driven’ marketing campaign ever.

But if you take a pause and reflect, you’ll see that Purpose has always been the beating heart of the brand. Take a look at Nike, Dove, Body Shop…these brands live their purpose and hence always occupy a meaningful mind space with their consumers.

However, we seem to have got something mixed up here. Owing to the rise of ‘conscious consumerism’ we are being hit by a tsunami of ‘purpose-driven’ marketing campaigns. We have to admit that these campaigns seem quite convincing. We want to believe that the brands we trust are doing good, being good. But is that what purpose is? A marketing campaign carefully designed to sway customers into believing that you exist for doing good?

Before we go ahead and discuss 5 myths (amongst the many) about brand purpose, let’s take a moment and understand what brand purpose really is. Simply put, purpose is the reason why a brand exists. It is the essence that makes a brand relevant and necessary to their consumers. It sits front and center of the brand vision and dictates every decision a brand takes.

There is really no ambiguity when it comes to brand purpose. And yet, much like folklore, it has suddenly become susceptible to many myths.

Myth 1 – Purpose equals charity (or CSR, take your pick)

Repeat after us, “Purpose is NOT charity”.

While it can be easy to get lost in the labyrinth of purpose and charity, let us assure you these two are not the same. Charity is, quite frankly, a marketing initiative that a brand can leverage to showcase its purpose. It is a great way to improve brand equity and displays the brands’ altruistic side. And who does not love this? We all want to be associated with something ‘good’.

But purpose is higher than this. Purpose links back to the core values of the brand and answers the question ‘why you do what you are doing’. Purpose is also a business driver – it helps people realize how the brand aligns with their share of personal beliefs.

So, while Toyota might be setting up a hundred schools for the economically deprived and while it is a great initiative – this is not what Toyota’s purpose is.

Myth 2 – Price Trumps Purpose With the Customer

Who doesn’t love a good bargain? Did all hands shoot up in agreement? But when it comes to choosing between price and purpose, purpose always wins the game.

Don’t get us wrong – people still want to interact with a brand that sells quality products at fair prices. But as our social environment evolves, a brand no longer belongs singularly to the company that invests in it and monetizes it. Brands today are community property, belonging to the shareholders, the employees who work for it, and the customers who vouch for it.

According to the New Accenture Strategy research, the customers of today are looking to buy from brands that resonate with their personal values and beliefs. Given that we are moving into the era of radical transparency, customers want authenticity from their brands. And brands can only remain so if their actions come from their sense of purpose.

The price wars were yesterday’s battleground. Today it is all about purpose.

Myth 3 – Purpose is exclusive to B2C brands

How many of you think that purpose is exclusive to B2C brands? If you are a B2B brand and think that purpose does not matter, maybe it’s time to look at purpose from another angle.

The fact is, Purpose is extremely important to your customers. But it is vital to your employees. With the rising numbers of millennials joining the workforce, it is the purpose-driven companies that will survive. You see, your employees are your internal customers. And to create differentiated value for them, to keep them attracted and loyal to you, you have to be purpose-driven. Don’t take our word for it. Here is the data:

• PwC’s recent Workforce of the Future survey discovered that 88% of them want to work for a company whose values reflect their own
• According to the Deloitte 2017, Global Human Capital Trends report, most millennials look beyond a company’s financial performance when deciding whether or not to work there.

Along with this, purpose also matters for B2B brands because unless you have a strong sense of purpose, how will you create a differentiated experience for your customer? How will you transform your sales conversations? Won’t it be easy then to get trapped in entropy and chaos? Won’t all your initiatives be originating from aping what your competition is doing?

Chances are, as a B2B brand you do have a ‘purpose’. You perhaps need to articulate it clearly and ensure that all your organizational initiatives stem from it. Organizations like IBM, GE, Caterpillar, etc. have recognized this. Perhaps not coincidentally, they have withstood the test of time and have continued on their success trajectory.

Want to see a great example of how B2B companies use purpose to elevate their brand status? Check out this campaign by Caterpillar.

Myth 4 – Purpose and profitability are mutually exclusive

Do you think purpose and profit are mutually exclusive? That if you are driven by purpose then you cannot rake in the sales?

In reality, nothing could be further away from the truth. Purpose-driven companies are seen as organizations that stand for something bigger than what they typically sell. It is because of this that they achieve higher levels of commercial success since by doing so, they begin to mean a great deal more to their customers.

Unilever is a great example of a brand that leverages purpose as a core driver of growth. Driven by the purpose of Making Sustainable Living Commonplace’ to drive their business strategies. By doing so they have achieved a trusted status with their consumers and have created a community of loyal, engaged and valuable stakeholders. Growth has been a logical consequence of their focus.

Myth 5 – Customer beliefs influence brand purpose

It is clear that purpose can swing the pendulum in your favor. By being true to your purpose, you can create a strong community of loyal customers. But to design brand purpose on the basis of customer beliefs is a recipe for disaster.

It is true that by staying strong to your core purpose you could even be alienating a certain target audience. For example, when Nike released their advert featuring NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, they won many pats on their back. But they did, at the same time, see people burning Nike products as well. Many social media posts carried the hashtag #JustBurnIt, a play on Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan. But did this uproar impact Nike adversely? The answer is a resounding ‘NO”. They stayed the course because this was an authentic representation of what they truly believed in.

You cannot always do what makes others happy. This is as true of branding as it is of personal life. Brands thus need to look inwards, identify their own positive valance and define their purpose – their reason to exist. It is only then that they remain authentic and attract the right set of customers towards them. And it is these customers who remain loyal to the end and continue to contribute to the brand’s bottom line positively. That’s what Purpose is. And what it’s not!

 

Looking to define a clear Purpose for your brand? Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.

In the digital era, we are perpetually surrounded by buzzing phones and notification alerts. Our consumers are no different from us; they are surrounded by distractions as well. Today, brands have a tough job in catching the attention of prospects. Marketing has never been more challenging, —especially for new brands. Influencing customers and getting their attention takes more than just an excellent product, customer service, catchy headlines, and an appealing value proposition.

The one strategy to rule them all

To win this tricky battle, new-age brands are seen offering exclusive deals and big discounts to outdo competitors. While surely these techniques can help businesses reach their short-term goals, they don’t lead to long-term customer loyalty. For effective brand building, you need to build trust with customers; a one-time discount or steal deal can’t achieve this. If you look at the most renowned and longest-surviving brands, you will realize that they’ve created and nurtured emotional connections with their customers, turning them into devoted followers.

Today, it’s a given that to flourish, it is vital for brands to stay connected with the distracted customer. And how do you establish this connect?

Well, if you look around, you’ll realize that even though there are a million distractions, everyone is craving to be part of something bigger. They’re looking for a deeper meaning; people want to connect, to grow, to make a difference. People who are passionate about having a purpose will automatically be attracted to the idea that your brand has one, too. Therefore, the foundation of your marketing strategies should be your purpose.

If you’re wondering how you could communicate your purpose to impact the distracted consumer, then here are three things that you could do:

Emotional Branding

Emotional branding is about establishing a brand that engages directly with consumers’ emotions, needs, and goals. With emotional branding, brands can trigger an emotional response in consumers. By arousing emotions, brands can create a bond which embeds itself into traditional consumer decision-making patterns. This is highly beneficial because creating an emotional relationship with consumers can boost profits. Brands such as Coca-Cola and Nescafe are examples of how building emotional connections with customers directly impacts sales and increases brand value.

People get to show what they believe through the brands they buy. As it happens, consumers are also willing to pay more and go out of their way to do this. Brands have to position themselves in a way that connects and resonates with their target audience. Research reveals that customer value is maximized by brands that help consumers feel like they belong within the ‘brands’ values. This is done by making customers understand that their interactions with those brands are an extension of their natural beliefs. Apple and Nike are perfect examples of this approach. Apple connects with its consumers by showing how it understands their needs; Nike does so by showing customers’ how their dreams and ambitions are understood and supported.

Conveying an Explicit Message

The clearer you are with your communication, the more impactful your brand communications will be. Instead of creating heaps of marketing material with all sorts of fancy designs and text, focus on making your core message clear and explicit. Do not assume that customers understand what you do or sell. Your audience must know what makes your brand tick through everything that you say and do.

Clarity is a strategy that helps to cut through today’s turbulence and clutter and make your branding activities more effective. A survey revealed that a user only reads 28% of the text on your website before leaving and having a clear message can help reduce your bounce rate by 20-30%. Think of that in terms of the impact of your message -how many people read it and of that, how many understand it enough for it to resonate?

The key here is to be authentic and aligned to your core. A transparent demonstration of your values and a consistent alignment with that across all channels, media, and other strategies will help the message get through even in a chaotic and noisy marketplace.

Humanize Your Brand

As a brand, your focus should always be on providing a memorable customer experience that showcases exactly what your brand represents. Giving a glimpse into the people that make up the brand and connecting with the human motivations of your customers will help you deliver just such an experience.

Often, it’s the little things. Touches like having team-members sign their names on customer-support emails help in showing your brand’s human side. Online makeup stores Colourpop and Kylie Jenner show their human side by doing just this. For each order, they beautifully wrap up the product and write a personally addressed thank-you note to the buyer. Now, who wouldn’t appreciate such thoughtfulness?

In conclusion, when the heart of your brand narrative connects deeply with your customers and nurtures their emotions, it creates a new tone for your marketing strategy. That will help you catch the eye of those customers whose values align with your own. The relationships with those customers will also be more enduring since they will be based on a foundation of shared values rather than something monetary. This will help you to attract customers and convert them into enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

 

Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.

Did you know:

• The apparel and footwear industries account for a combined estimate of 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
• It takes 1200 liters of water to produce just one cotton t-shirt.

Well, the regular consumer today knows -and cares!

Sustainability, ethics, and transparency are taking center stage with consumers today. They no longer feel pressured to support brands for delivering nothing more than just a great product, they want more, and rightly so.

Consumers believe that corporations have a social responsibility to give back to the community in some way. They feel that the third industrial wave may have made factories and brands more efficient but at a tremendous environmental cost.

It’s clear that brands that do not authentically adapt to the increasingly conscious consumer, will get left behind.

To garner some inspiration, here are 7 brands that are doing a great job by authentically and mindfully connecting with the conscious consumer.

#1. Google

The company’s corporate mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”. And, of course, that’s in line with the work they do. But they genuinely care about driving universal access and utility across platforms. And much of what they do demonstrates that. For eg., Google is the largest corporate renewable energy purchaser on the planet. They also run a dedicated program which provides grants to various social impact missions such as the Equal Justice Initiative, Goodwill Industries International, and Pratham Books: StoryWeaver platform.

#2. Fabindia

If you’re familiar with the stunning works that Fabindia displays and sells, you would know that the brand resonates an urban ethnic vibe. But their true Purpose flows beautifully across the way they source and create their lines. A huge portion of their products is sourced from villages across the country where they work closely with local artisans, providing various inputs including design, quality control, access to finance and raw materials. Talk about how they are an alternative to the mass-produced while creating sustainable livelihoods in the rural sector.

#3. LEGO

Being a children’s product brand, LEO takes its responsibility to be an inspiration seriously. At their heart is the ability to “build”. And they’re doing a fantastic job of it. The company was recently called one of the top examples of social responsibility by Reputation Institute and ranked second for Reputation Institute’s RepTrak 100—which lists the most highly-regarded companies in the world. What put them on the map for being a conscious brand was when they agreed to end their partnership with Shell, who wanted to drill the Arctic for oil. They have also made partnerships with the World Wildlife Fund and have vowed to reduce their carbon footprint. They are also striving towards a 100% renewable energy usage by 2030.

#4. Levi’s Strauss

A big contributor to water waste is denim companies. Denim production used to be a very water-intensive process, which gave jeans a bad rep for being environmentally unsustainable. Jeans are and have always been, an “everyman” product. A product associated with good, honest toil -and those that do it. Levi’s revolutionized the industry by changing the way they produce and manufacture. Today Levi Strauss claims that their way of designing and manufacturing has saved more than 1 billion liters of water since its inception in 2011. The company has also worked to fight stigma and support people living with HIV/AIDS, facilitate clothing recycling with Goodwill, and decrease their contribution to climate change. Truly a product for all!

#5. Apple

Did you know that you can recycle your old Apple devices? The Apple Renew program encourages this, and 99% of the paper in the packaging used is recycled and sustainable. Clearly, their stated aim to make lean, smart devices is complemented by their efforts to make environmentally lean products as well. In 2015, Apple closed a $1 billion deal with First Solar, the largest developer of solar farms in the US. With this technology, Apple powers all of its stores, offices, and data centers, including their HQ, with the help of solar energy, making that the largest solar procurement deal for a non-utility company in history.

#6. Tata

A homegrown company that has stayed rooted to its humble beginnings and has earned (and held) the trust of the consumers as a result. Apart from all else that they do, Tata has aligned themselves with various meaningful causes such as health, education, employability, environment, community, and development, and so on. All these are grassroots issues felt all over rural India that Tata has always taken to heart. When they announced a generation ago that their Steel company “Also made steel”, they sent a powerful message about the importance they attached to their desire to deliver meaningful value to the community and the nation. It’s fitting that a company that started out as a family business and is now worth billions gives back to the impoverished of the country. And it’s entirely in character.

One common thread to the names mentioned here is that they resonate with the conscious consumer not because of clever ads and witty tag lines (there are those too) but because the authenticity of their intentions is never in doubt. Consciousness is essential to who they are, to their Purpose. That makes for a solid foundation for their relationship with the conscious consumer. That’s an enduring relationship. One that the brand and the consumer are conscious of.

 

Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.

Let’s say a company spent a lot on getting their name and brand established- they create a name, a logo, a tagline that makes a great promise the company intends to fulfil. They wove the brand name into their company culture to internally reflect their core values.

They wrangle over the color scheme, picking some and discarding others. They launch the brand with a flurry of advertisements across print and digital. Soon, everything is working.

Time to relax, right?

We don’t think so. The best kind of branding is an ongoing effort that never stops. You affirm and reaffirm your brand with everything you say, show, or do.

Where It All Begins- Brand Purpose

What is the ‘why’ behind your business?

As companies try to differentiate their brand in overcrowded industries, the purpose-driven brand stands out. For sure, it attracts eyeballs but more than that it earns customer loyalty based on a strong foundation of shared values.

While your products, services, and marketing campaigns are critical to your brand, your purpose is literally your definition. It’s what your audience associates with you, invariably.

A brand’s purpose is the ‘why’ behind its existence. The purpose is the reason why customers share emotions and connection with the brand. Your brand purpose, when reflected in your messaging, can inspire loyalty, drive your customers to relate to you, stick with you, and wave your flag.

A brand’s purpose cannot be its mission, vision, or even its values. To craft a compelling and motivating brand purpose, dwell over your:

• Ideology – Gain a complete view of your ideology. What are the things you stand for and against? What are the things you will consistently voice opinions for? A strong brand purpose doesn’t refresh every couple of years. Consider Nike, the company with the purpose to get you out of adversity, on your feet, and ready to face the world. Consistently, time and again, Nike has reaffirmed its brand purpose- it stands for bringing inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

 

• Context – The things that matter to you as an organization will also matter to your audience. With that in mind, aim to become a brand with a purpose that defines your cultural and competitive context. The resonance with your audience is based on the issues that matter the most to your customers as they relate to the Purpose. Evernote can be defined as a company with apps and cloud-based software solutions for note-keeping. But, they created a contextual brand purpose- to give people the time and freedom to focus on what matters by helping them to live more organized lives. Evernote’s logo is an elephant with a bend in its ear- which signifies that the animal that we know never forgets, is listening.

 

• Real Value – A purpose-driven brand gets noticed and followed because it solves real problems for its audience. Dove doesn’t deliver beauty products around the world- they aim to make “normal” women feel special and extraordinary- they want to defy stereotypical standards of beauty. Range Rover doesn’t sell cars; they feed and attract people who love adventures. These brands have a real value they want to keep on delivering. That is their purpose.

 

Brand purpose makes your brand relevant and necessary to your customers. How well a brand solves a need, creates loyalty, affinity, and connection with its customers separates the winners from the losers.

The Body Shop is another brand that lives its purpose. The brand occupies a meaningful place among its customers and catapults its growth.

Too many brands fear polarizing customers by consistently putting out their purpose. By doing so, they neglect their origins and struggle to evolve their ‘why’ as they grow.

Common Brand Purpose Errors Companies Make

Are you guilty of any of these?

1. Polluting Purpose with Business Interest – Take the Volkswagon emissions scandal. The company deceived regulators on emissions from diesel cars for a short-term gain. It sold and promoted vehicles as ‘clean alternatives”. Soon, what started as a sordid story of Volkswagen fitting cars with a defeat device snowballed into a global scandal that made its loyal customers lose trust in the brand. VW’s focus on clean vehicles was driven more by their business interests rather than a belief in doing what’s inherently right and justified. You need an authentic purpose- one that your brand would die defending.

2. Keeping Purpose Stuck on the Wall – Your brand purpose might hold a prominent spot in your organization’s four walls, framed in a decent, sophisticated manner. But, if it’s never active in strategies, tactics, in conversations, and discussions, it might as well not even exist. Your brand purpose needs to be alive in daily work and decisions. Keep conversations alive about ‘why’ you are doing what you are.

3. Promoting a Purpose Not Already Present – Brands often mistakenly take their brand purpose as another marketing campaign. They view purpose as a means of making more money, gaining more traction, and converting more customers. If your brand purpose is not embedded in all that you do, it is not effective. To truly leverage a brand purpose, augment a value that already lies at the core of your brand, instead of promoting something you don’t align with. If your marketing team creates a purpose out of line with your brand’s reality, cynicism will set in among employees and reflect in what you present to your customers. Live your purpose, as they say.

4. Death by causes – In the rush to target the conscious customer, brands today align themselves with the cause of the day. They support charities. Their PR teams work overtime to associate them with social commentary and movements. Of course, this delivers value to the cause. But does it for the brand? Not unless the cause itself rings true with the Purpose of the brand. Otherwise, the charity is just another marketing campaign. And its impact will last only until the next cause celebre comes along.

In a nutshell, any disconnect between your brand purpose and your day-to-day actions can breed distrust in customers and do you more harm than good. Therefore, creating a brand purpose that resonates with your organization is critical to its success. Steer clear of these common errors and manifest your purpose the best way you can.

 

Looking to define a clear Purpose for your brand? Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com

 

 

In today’s age of globalization and a free market, the competition has become cutthroat for B2B companies as well. Incentives from the government, innovations in technology, and opportunity have given rise to numerous B2B companies who compete with each other on every point.

To stand out in this cluttered space, you will need a defined B2B-specific, branding strategy. Here’s how you can get started.

Focus on brand stories

The fastest-growing B2B businesses focus heavily on brand stories. If you look closely, you’ll see they are all propelled by a brand story that supports their business strategy. These brands, like Salesforce and XPO Logistics, have defined their business around the problems they solve and the benefits they provide to their customers, rather than the products and services they offer.

With B2C, we project a lifestyle associated with a product, with B2B, you must paint a picture wherein you showcase your customers achieving the goals they set out to, thanks to your offerings. Tell the story of how you helped customer xyz make an impact on their customers and offer a glimpse of what is possible for others just like xyz!

Speak about value

Focus your marketing efforts on problem-solving, because that’s essentially the value which will be added to the lives of your customers. Let them know what they have to gain from supporting your establishment. Showcase this via case studies, testimonials, and transformation stories.

Remember that the B2B customer is rarely a single person. Usually, the target customer includes a complex amalgam of different stakeholders. Show how you can add value to each of them. How you can make their specific job easier and how you can make them win at what they do.

Focus on experience

There’s no better teacher than experience, and the same applies to your marketing efforts. Instead of telling your customers what you can do for them, show them. Your branding strategy should focus on product demos, testimonials and anything that can help in experiencing the product or service provided.

It’s important to remember who you are talking to. This should reflect in what you say as well. In this context, the communication from the brand should be centered around what the target customer wants to know rather than what you want to say. Anticipate and answer their questions to strike the right note.

Focus on presentation

You may have the best content in the world, but it won’t matter if it isn’t presented properly. Make sure that your content is attractive, consumable, and easy to digest. Experiment with different formats to find what works best for you. From blogs to videos and webinars, create content which will strengthen your branding efforts.

Add an overriding thread of humanizing the brand

A classic mistake that B2B marketers make is to be boring. A common way to do this is to follow a robotic communication style. It’s important to remember that even though the customer of a B2B firm may be a business, the decision makers are human beings so it is important to focus on human values. Often these human values are larger than the products the B2B brand makes. An authentic communication of these values is always memorable and meaningful. This is why brands like Tata Steel are still remembered for “also making steel.”

So even though you need to be more focused on professional values, it helps to talk about the people behind the business. This will also aid in your talent acquisition strategy. After all, selling your brand to prospective employees is also an important sale to make.

Focus on consistency – a common voice across the brand

Consistency is key, especially when it comes to protecting your brand voice. At the philosophical level, this means staying true to who you are and what you fundamentally represent. If innovation is at your core, then make sure that comes out in all that you do and all that you say. If you are about great execution, then that should form the backbone of your communication strategy to be visible. This is not to deny the possibility of evolution. But for that evolution to be authentic it must be organic. For instance, Google earlier used to say, “Don’t be evil”. With time, that evolved to, “Do the right thing”, which essentially means the same thing.

At the practical level, ensure that all of the company marketing materials are uniform. The best way to do this is to place all of them, from business cards to name holders, on a conference table. Examine them carefully and look for inconsistencies such as a difference in font or inconsistency in brand colours.

In conclusion, let’s look at the biggest players in the B2B business such as IBM and Cisco. Despite being multi-billion-dollar companies with huge workforces, they still make work hard to stay constantly in the eye-line of the consumer. They are very careful with their brand communications and are usually miles ahead in the recruiting wars. It’s this emphasis on B2B branding that could become the difference between such a colossal success or simply being an also-ran.

 

Looking to develop a strong B2B branding strategy? Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com

The past decade has witnessed a paradigm shift from analog to digital. Every industry has witnessed and accepted this change of medium and has reaped the benefits of greater brand awareness and customer engagement.

The digital medium does provide a scope to experiment with marketing & promotions. Multimedia options have paved the way for innovative concepts to connect with the target audience. And that audience is growing. Ernst and Young report that India has the second highest per capita consumption of online videos in the world -higher than the US and China.

However, there have been times when the marketers lost their way in the digital chaos. The danger of the digital medium is that every consumer is also a broadcaster. This means that even the slightest mistake or open-to-interpretation campaign can blow up spectacularly. Here are eight examples of such failures that invited a backlash:

Surf Excel/ HUL:

The recent Holi advert of Surf Excel invited wrath from people on social media for being divisive. The advert showed kids playing Holi and one kid helping her Muslim friend escaping the Holi colour to reach the mosque for evening prayers. This is a great example of the potential of the message getting mangled in the digital medium. Although the intention of the marketers wasn’t to draw lines but what went wrong for HUL here was the communal tinge. Unless this is core to their brand, and religion is core to very few brands, marketers have always been advised to steer clear of this subject -and that advice is even more sage in the digital age.

H&M:

Race is another evergreen hot-button and the digital world is no different. The fashion apparels giant released a poster for its new collection of sweatshirts in January 2018 where an African-American child wore the sweatshirt that read ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’ as a white kid looked at him with an expression of befuddlement. This would have been just another ad if the shirts had been reversed but as posted it became a poster-child for racially insensitive fashion brands.

Milwaukee Bucks:

 

In January 2018 in mid-season when the Bucks fired their head coach of four years – Jason Kidd, the official announcement made on Twitter got them a lot of negative attention. The team tweeted it from their official handle on the day the club was celebrating its 50^th birthday. Folks visiting their profile was welcomed with balloons. These were mistaken for celebrations for firing Jason Kidd. This was seen as mean-spirited and in poor taste.

Domino’s Pizza:

In September 2018, a Russian Domino’s franchise rolled out an offer called Domino’s Forever on its Instagram page. Under this offer, the franchise promised to give 100 free pizzas a year for 100 years to the customers who would get the Domino’s logo tattooed. Their Instagram notifications went berserk with hundreds of people getting the tattoo. To curtail the damage, they started adding restrictions like the size and extending the offer to only 350 people. They had planned to run this promotion for months but the response made them take it down within a week. The lesson -the internet is home to way too many crazy people so brand marketers looking to up the ante will almost always not be able to raise it high enough.

Lenskart:

Digital media drives topicality and recency. This means cashing on the latest trends and discussions but Lenskart crossed a line with their promotional SMS soon after a devastating earthquake had hit Nepal and northern parts of India causing many deaths. Their message inviting people to “shake it off like this earthquake” was a knee-jerk reaction that was poorly considered and poorly received.

Ford India/ JWT India:

Ford India’s ad agency – JWT India got fired in the wake of this controversial ad that received negative attention from people not only in India but worldwide. The idea was to showcase the big boot space. But the approach used was to show gagged and tied up women in the boot of a car driven by former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, himself in the middle of a scandal at the time. The brand and agency received flak for being insensitive, ill-tempered, and plain dumb.

Kurl-On/ Ogilvy India:

Ogilvy India’s ‘Bounce Back’ campaign for Kurl-On mattress invited people’s wrath. The brand and agency tried to cash on the popularity of figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Steve Jobs, and Malala Yousafzai after she received the Nobel Prize. The message was intended to reflect the ability of these icons to “bounce back” from personal adversity but was widely viewed as trivializing their struggles. The backlash was such that the agency had to withdraw from Kyoorius Advertising and Digital Awards that year.

Volkswagen Beetle:

The target audience for this ad were the HNIs but little did the agency and the brand think about the message being conveyed here. By suggesting that the bug was received as a wedding gift the ad invited flak for promoting dowry – a social evil still rearing its ugly head in India.

Digital and social media has taken over the lives of consumers. These channels have become great means to establish a connect with the target audience. But the open, transparent, and two-way nature of these media are a double-edged sword. The task for the brand marketers looking to exploit these channels is to stay true to what the brand actually represents, to be authentic, and to not get swept away by meme-worthy daily trends. This must become the foundation of the brand’s communication on digital channels. That’s the way to stay safe and communicate well!

 

Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.

Branding is a lot more than just a cool logo or catchy tagline. Building a brand is a process; a process that starts by identifying your core and defining yourself. For it is the culture that attracts customers, and customers that direct the nature of your communications. This will result in establishing long-term relationships with your customers. That, in turn, will lead to more word-of-mouth referrals, a steady increase in sales, and advocacy for your products and services.

With purpose-driven brands enjoying higher levels of success at attracting customers, retaining talent, and enjoying profits, it’s increasingly important to define those critical elements that can bring meaning to your brand. Here’s how you should go about defining a few key elements of your brand strategy:

1. Start by identifying your core

Every brand exists for a reason. McDonald’s exists so it can be their “customers’ favourite place and way to eat and drink”. Why does your brand exist? Which inherent, intrinsic, authentic, and inspiring strengths are fundamental to your brand? What is that one central idea your brand represents? Answers to all these questions will emerge from introspection – when all the internal stakeholders get into a structured discussion. Understand the shared values and positive valence that your brand possesses, and identify core elements such as authenticity and credibility that define your brand.

2. Move on to establish a mission statement

Before you can build a brand that your customers trust, you need to craft a clear expression of what your company is most passionate about, what value it provides. For Coca Cola, the mission is “to refresh the world in mind, body, and spirit”. Have you thought about your mission? Your brand’s mission statement is a critical element of communicating your brand purpose and basically defines your reason for existence. It lays the foundation of every other aspect of your brand building strategies. Everything from your logo to your slogan, your brand voice, message, and personality should reflect that.

3. Identify key qualities and benefits of your brand

Your products, and services, and the benefits you offer belong solely to you. So, delve deep and nail down what you offer. Perhaps something that no one else is offering. For Apple, innovation is what drives the company. It is through innovation that Apple has been able to strike a chord with customers and create a niche. Focus on the qualities and benefits that make you and the value that you deliver unique. This gives your target audience a reason to choose your brand from the melee of brands in the market. Note that the key qualities are not just a laundry list of features of your product or services. They are about the value you provide to customers, the values that help them overcome a challenge or improve their lives.

4. Form your brand voice

The personality and emotion infused into your voice depend entirely on your company mission, audience, and industry. Your brand’s voice is how you communicate with your customers, and how they respond to you. While defining your brand voice, make sure to choose one that makes sense and aligns with your Purpose. Nike’s brand voice, for instance, is inspirational – pushy even. But it motivates you to improve yourself. You’ll see that if you find and use the correct brand voice, you have the strongest chance of communicating meaningfully with your consumers. Your community of customers, followers, and readers expect a certain brand voice and brand personality when they consume your content; so, make sure you are recognised that way on multiple channels.

5. Build your brand message

When building your brand purpose, you need to tell customers exactly who you are. Use the brand voice as a foundation, and delicately build your brand message that associates your brand, its purpose, and the audience. Make sure to go beyond your logo and tagline, and define aspects such as who you are, what you do, and what value you offer to your customers. A brand message is your first opportunity to communicate with your audience; so, choose a language and tone that is understood immediately while striking a direct emotional connection with your consumers. Reveal not just what your product can do, but why you do it, and how it is important to your customer. 

6. And integrate your purpose into every aspect of your business

Defining your brand purpose should not stop at forming your brand voice or building your brand message. It should be visible and reflected in everything your employees and customers can see, read, and hear. As Jeff Bezos says, “brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”. So, whether your customer walks into your office, sees an ad, interacts with your call center executive, or reads a news item about some corporate activity, every tangible aspect of your business should reflect your brand purpose. Mind the nuances -use a clear style guide to create consistency with visuals; incorporate your voice, message, and personality into all your communications.

Stay true to your brand purpose

Defining your brand purpose is one of the most significant things you can do for your brand. When authentic and real, your customers will develop a deeper level of trust for your brand. This is the basis for an enduring relationship beyond trends and competitive pressures.

The important element is to develop the consistency that reinforces your brand’s core. Make sure to integrate that into every aspect of customer experience: from your retail store to your website, social media posts to one-to-one interactions. Once you have defined your brand’s purpose, make it the basis for everything you do. Stay true to your brand purpose and focus on consistency to make long-term brand building an automatic extension of what you do every day.

 

Looking for help to define your Brand Strategy? Write to us at info@lokusdesign.com

From airlines getting into trouble due to racist comments to carbonated beverage giants trivializing real issues, there is sometimes a fine line between creativity and disaster. Finding this fine line can be a challenge, and many brands have fallen flat as a result. But it’s not just the branding and messaging that can go wrong, you can also ruffle feathers with terrible customer service. United Airlines received a lot of bad press for forcibly shoving an elderly passenger from his seat to make room for an employee who was basically freeloading. Then there are the corporate scandals that can plague the company and every major brand associated with it. ICICI Bank’s CEO gets investigated for some wrong-doing and the brand takes a bit. A single government lab in a province somewhere finds lead in your flagship instant noodles and every state proceeds to ban the product for a while. Some of these brands recover from the hit and some don’t.

The point being, tarnishing your brand image is actually easier than you think, in this blog, we will explore damage control. Here’s what to do, and what not to do.

#1: Do tell your side of the story pragmatically, without blowing your own trumpet

Unfortunately, we live in a strange world where people will sometimes undermine their competition or former employer to rise up in the ranks or for a quick moment of fame. It’s not uncommon to hear of brands being slandered even though they have done nothing wrong. Sometimes brands may suffer a bad rep due to slander or disgruntled ex-employees, customers and sometimes even fake news published by competitors. If this is the case, the brand should simply state their side of the story in the most practical way possible, without getting defensive. Customers are smart and they do not like to be pushed to a conclusion, they like to come to their own judgment. If you give people the freedom to hear your side without making yourself sound like a victim or someone who is holier than thou, they will identify the straightforwardness and you may win back their trust. If you go too far with self-praise and being defensive, your customers may think you are overcompensating because you have something to hide. The key here is the relationship you have with your audience. If this is built on a solid foundation of shared values then they are more likely to listen to you and believe your version. As we have said many times -that kind of a relationship can be built only if the actions of your brand, before and after the crisis, are transparently based on your Purpose.

#2: Keep a keen eye on your media channels

If the brand is in the news for all the wrong reasons, it’s important to monitor the brand on all digital channels. People will have their own opinions and perspectives which they will share all over social media. This may snowball and do even more damage. Word of mouth has always been a great marketing tool, and social media is making amplifying the voice of the audience. Brands are always under the social scanner, even more so when they are infamous. So if a brand is in the news for the wrong reasons, then social media channels should be scanned carefully for early signs of unrest. This is a customer service kind of task/ The way the responses are handled are also very important. One must not seem too robotic or too unapologetic, this could derail your efforts to present your side of the story.

#3: Have a plan in place

If the brand is international or has a pan-country presence, it’s best to make an official statement. Whether this is a press release or a statement online is up to the brand, but avoiding the situation or waiting for it to blow over is usually a terrible idea. The sooner the brand takes ownership and makes amends, the faster it can start the task of bouncing back. There’s a lot to learn from the infamous worm infestation disaster suffered by Cadbury Dairy Milk in October 2003. After a dramatic drop in sales and a lot of negative press, the brand was shaken, but they regrouped. They came up with a comprehensive plan. They changed their packaging to make it more visibly robust, they employed voices that the people could trust to showcase their intent to change. Slowly they managed to build back the credibility and trustworthiness of the brand. Although Cadbury did not indulge in playing the blame-game, they issued an apology along with a statement which said that the infestation happened in a storage facility, and not in the manufacturing process. The brand spent the next 6 months restoring the confidence in their patrons and retailers. Two months later, Cadbury debuted a new packaging and invested around 15 crores on machinery, and although the metallic poly-flow was more expensive by 15%, there was no price hike in the bars itself. The double wrapping protection helped restored the faith of patrons and retailers and the brand bounced back.

#4: When the damage is done

There are times when the wound is far too deep, and the only possible way out is to change your identity and assume new messaging, positioning, and branding. A rebranding is the worst case solution. If a brand has a good product or service, and a bit of good fortune on their side, they could just bounce back. There was a time when most mothers would have avoided Maggi Instant Noodles like the plague. When the noodles were banned in June 2015, this spelled disaster for Nestle. The allegations were serious, and people were starting to doubt the much-loved product. The company recalled 38,000 tonnes of Maggi noodles and destroyed them. But after the ban was relaxed, the brand climbed back up to the lead with 60% of the market share in 2017. So how did this brand manage to convince people to consume their noodles? Through sophisticated branding. They knew their target group was, bachelors, students, and people who just don’t have the time or resources to put too much thought into the food they were consuming to satisfy an instant hunger. They leveraged their tagline “Taste bhi, health bhi”. The convenience factor was central to everything the brand was communicating about its value. Another powerful tool was leveraging the emotional connect to the food. The sheer convenience meant this food was often associated with memories such as college, hostel life, trekking through the Himalayas and noticing a tea stall which sold steaming hot Maggie noodles, the campaign “Meri Maggi — 2-minute mein Khushiyan” drove home just that message. The brand dug deep into what it stood for to the audience that mattered -and loudly said all the things that made them what they were. The message hit home.

#5: Never feed the fire

United Airline’s response to the customer service incident cited earlier also offers some instructional value. According to a report by Marketing Week, United Airlines CEO, Oscar Muñoz shared an email with his employees which was leaked on the internet. The email stated that Dr. Dao was being “disruptive and belligerent” and he also went on to praise employees for following “established procedures”. At this point, it’s worth mentioning that Dr. Dao lost two teeth and suffered a broken nose thanks to flight attendants forcibly removing him from his seat on an overbooked flight. This, predictably, blew up in the brand’s face. In a startling reflection of that, the brand’s social sentiment went from 91% positive a few days before the incident to 69% negative on the day of the incident with over 547 million views being garnered by #flight3411.

#6: Reach out to long-time loyalists

This is like putting the final dressing on a wound to accelerate the healing. When the time is right, you can reach out to brand advocates and ambassadors to issue a transparent statement to show their support and solidarity. Brands should do this only in cases of slander or misinformation. No celebrity in their right mind would choose to speak on behalf of a brand that is clearly in the wrong. However, if the brand has been a victim of a malicious campaign or slander, the long-time supporters will step up because of their relationship. A great example of this would be the posters of Amitabh Bachan candidly snacking on a bar of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk with the caption, “Don’t worry, he happy”, plastered all over the country. This is, of course, not restricted to celebrity advocates. We have spoken of the strong relationships that get formed between brands that walk their Purpose talk, and the consumer who resonates with those values. Those consumers also become defenders and advocates of the brand. They give the brand a second chance. They talk about the brand to their community. In effect, they become mini-influencers.

In conclusion, we would like to add -take ownership, don’t get defensive. Imagine you’re at a party, you hastily reach out to pick up a glass of wine, but you knock it down instead, staining the carpet and a few dinner guests. Would you immediately apologize and take initiative to clean up the mess? Or would you simply stand up, put your hands across your chest and blame the glass or the placement of the wine glass or the general vibe of the party. If you choose the latter, chances are you won’t be invited to any dinner parties after that. It’s the same with brands. It’s up to you to take ownership, offer a solution and reposition yourself if required. Over time you will recover, as long as you are true to your Purpose. Always keep it real, and your brand should make a full recovery!

 

Write to us at info@lokusdesign.com

Millennials are a much sought-after demographic with several brands. But not all brands can strike a chord with them. Millennials are known for adopting the latest technologies and rejecting traditional modes of advertising. Brands also eye the demographic because of their purchasing power. It is speculated that they are “expected to accrue more wealth by the year 2020 where they are speculated to spend $1.4 trillion.” 

While it is true that this segment of the population is difficult to “market” to, brands that have a clear purpose have been able to hit the bull’s eye. Purpose is important to Millennials in every sphere. For eg., the PwC Workforce of the Future survey revealed that 88% of Millennials would even prefer to work for organizations with “values reflecting their own”. This reflects in their expectations from brands too. A Havas Group survey showed that 75% of consumers worldwide expected the brands they chose “to contribute to their well-being and way of life”.

So, it’s clear that Brand Purpose is important. But so are other things. Let’s look at some brands that Millennials have fallen in love with and seek inspiration.

Starbucks:

 

Popular wisdom has it that Millennials have short attention spans. Engaging them is, therefore, important. To achieve this, brands need to put their best foot forward and provide them a great customer experience. Tons of similar products and services in every niche makes this difficult, but not impossible. A case in point is coffee-chain Starbucks. The brand is known for bringing forth trendy innovations, purpose-led messaging, and special days to woo customers. It was in the news over selling Cat’s Paw mugs, that created a furor of sorts and led to numerous users sharing their own stories. That’s what we call engagement done right and that too, without trying too hard! Talking about 60 percent of Millennials staying loyal to brands they purchase, Starbucks has it all it seems as this generation is also buying the stocks of the company.

 

Chipotle:

Transparency is one more trait that Millennials love, especially when they compare brands. Authenticity is a huge draw. Chipotle is one of the best examples here. The brand focuses on farm-fresh ingredients and often creates an interactive experience for its customers. It also ran a series of campaigns to showcase its sustainable side. The message rang true and touched the heartstrings of the demographic.

 

Nike:

Nike is one of the most preferred apparel brands for Millennials and, perhaps in connected news, was the best performing stock in the Dow, in 2018. This was due to the brand’s authentic image. Much has been written about how the brand stands for pushing the everyday limits of ordinary people -making everyone a sports person. Millennials perceive the brand to be innovative, trustworthy, encouraging diversity and absolutely aligned with its purpose. The brand’s popularity soared further as a direct result of the recent Colin Kaepernick and “Crazier” campaigns that hit home.

 

Fastrack:

Fastrack started on the right note with youngsters when it was first launched as a youth-targeted brand a few years ago. The brand is all about candor, being unapologetic about living life on one’s own terms and bold. Today, it has come a long way with its out-of-the-box campaign “Shut the Fake Up” that every Indian Millennial can relate to. The key takeaway? Clearly communicate your brand’s values to Millennials. This will surely help them relate to what you represent.

 

TOMS:

81% of Millennials expect companies to make a public commitment to charitable causes. This is a bit of a slippery slope because brands that become socially responsible just to woo Millennials run the risk of being seen as fake and opportunistic. A classic example of doing this right is TOMS. The shoe company is rooted in goodwill, with the mission and product deeply ingrained in the idea of helping others. In a way, it is conveying the message to the wearer that once you purchase the product, you are doing good too. This is the reason why the brand’s One for One campaign has tasted unprecedented success. It encourages the target audience to share their stories, making them participate in talking about the cause rather than egging them to buy the product. This inventive way to root for a cause strikes a chord with the Millennial demographic.

 

Coca-Cola:

How about that -a 100-year old brand that Millennials love! But it’s true. And it’s due to some very smart moves by this Classic brand. Millennials love customizations or personalized experiences. Coca-Cola knew this and came up with their “Share a Coke” campaign that had the buyers’ names written on the bottles. It chose 250 popular names among teens and Millennials on 20-ounce bottles. As a result of this, the sales of the soft-drink giant went up by 2%. This is a brand that “sold” the warmth of human connection, even as they sold a cold beverage. And the Millennials, as we have established, loved it.

 

The Wrap

Brands are evolving with time. They are offering more immersive experiences, both online and offline. This is one of the ways to communicate their purpose to their preferred target audience, the Millennials. Remember, when you market to this unique segment, the connection with them has to be on a deeper level. You need to stick to your core values. The brand’s Purpose matters. It matters more than the reports, data, and analytics.

What is your take on Millennials? How will your brand serve the generation? Are there any Millennial success stories you want to tell? Write to us on info@lokusdesign.com.