Have you thought about the evolution of brand marketing? Two recent articles had me considering and appreciating that brand marketing has become deliciously unscripted and human.
Fast Company's For Brands, Being Human Is The New Black explains that "more and more, brands are gaining traction by embracing qualities like honesty, kindness, and simply having a sense of humor about themselves."
Have you noticed?
The notion of becoming more human and acknowledging wanting to be better - as Patagonia does - is compelling, engaging and believable.
It also reminded me of Jonathan Salem Baskin's 10 Ideas To Refocus Branding... and made me appreciate once again how Zappos has redefined its brand and marketing with its focus on being real, human and unscripted [in fact, customer service calls are unscripted!]. These blog posts were inspired by a visit to Zappos headquarters and capture a very human and unscripted brand experience.
- Customer Experience "Powered By Service"
- Zappos Uses Social To Share Culture
- Zappos: Where Happy Employees Deliver
- Zappos Embodies Customer Service
- Zappos & Service
On the other hand, the New York Times published Bloggers Don't Follow the Script, to ConAgra's Chagrin which describes a ConAgra publicity stunt which could - in my humble opinion - have been so much more successful and engaging has the brand (and the PR Firm, Ketchum) been more honest, open and even humorous about their food event.
[In contrast to Domino's Pizza's Radical Authenticity - see BRITE Conference 2011: Highlights.]
Who wants to be duped? Do you? How would you have responded?
As you consider the evolution of brand marketing, what is your reaction to brands becoming human and unscripted? How do you incorporate that into your business planning and interaction with customers?
Let me know in the comments.
