Can brands be truly empathetic?
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?
The future of Fintech marketing
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, […]
The business of brand
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.
What makes a full stack marketer?
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.
Woke it out for yourself!
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?
Provoke the Woke?
Across the world, brands are waking up to the need to be part of larger cultural narratives. But being ‘woke’ brings its own challenges.
Signals, Trade-offs, Outcomes, Perceptions
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?
The idea of brand
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?
Mind your language?
Brands not using the local language has long been a pet-peeve for many consumers and marketing practitioners as well. It is true that sometimes the reasons offered are callous, but there are chances that there has been some thought put into it. This is an attempt to bring out a few of these possibilities.
Nike: Big shoes to fill
When Nike took a stand last year, I saw it as an excellent brand play. While that hasn’t changed, recent developments based on LeBron James and the protests in Hong Kong are proving to be a test of character for the brand, because billions of dollars of revenue from China are at stake. Despite the high stakes, this could prove to be an invaluable lesson for the brand on how to shape its personality to navigate the storms that lie ahead. The die is cast, and Nike now needs to fill its own big shoes.