A bit of crystal-gazing for 2021, in the context of brand narratives. Many aspects of our lives are in a chimeral state, and we’re continuing the balancing act from 2020. How does this affect brand communication, customer engagement, and media choices?
Across the world, inequities are becoming more stark, and increasingly, brands are being pushed to move from activism to action. Where do things go from here for a business and its communication, for us as consumers, and for (some of us) as marketers?
On one hand, the pandemic has taught us the value of empathy, on the other, marketing efficiency continues its race to convert the customer into a numerical possibility. Can a brand then be truly empathetic?
First published in ET Brand Equity Fintech is one of those small words that contains worlds. Just like marketing. While the former could be payments, lending, insurance, wealth management, […]
In the not-so distant past, determining the audience of a brand, and the success of its campaign was not very complicated. Relatively speaking. But with VC funding and digitisation, ways of building a business have changed. And so must brand storytelling. Add to that a polarised world and social media amplification, and there’s enough material for a smart brand to game it.
A question on Twitter prompted me to write about why I call myself a full stack marketer on LinkedIn. While one reason is the audience I connect to on LinkedIn and their familiarity with the phrase, the more important part is the experience and expertise that qualifies one for the usage. This is my version.
The pressure test being carried out thanks to a virus induced lockdown has resulted not just in shifts in consumer behaviour, but a trend among brands to espouse social causes. In an earlier post I had commented on the challenges of brands becoming “woke”, but what is the long term impact on consumption and brand building?
Across the world, brands are waking up to the need to be part of larger cultural narratives. But being ‘woke’ brings its own challenges.
In life, and in work, there is a balance that can theoretically be achieved between popularity and prestige. But as time passes, one is more often than not, bound to follow one of these tracks. To the extent that it almost becomes output vs outcome. In a world of signals and perceptions, is one path better than the other, contexts aside?
A bunch of factors – ranging from an explosion of interfaces to the expectation from brands to take a stance on societal issues – made me reflect on the idea of brand. Is being consistent the way forward, or does retaining the brand essence in vastly different contexts warrant a different approach?
