The last mile just got longer!

The one-way, one-message-for-all, top-down brand communication format is on the way out and we need to find a more interesting way of igniting conversations between corporations and consumers.

Storytelling for brands is not just about the images and words. It is about everything you do that touches your prospects and customers. Narrating the brand story through activation is a process of engaging the prospect in an experience about the brand – at consumer touchpoint(s) and with their permission – to positively influence their brand preference and ensure a change in behaviour towards that brand for a lifetime.

The brand experience is fundamental and critical for a couple of reasons. Here are 5 of them;

1. Consumers no longer believe commercial messages. End of story. Read More HERE

2. A consumer’s source of information, research, evaluation and influence are not led by an organisation or brand. Read More HERE

3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own. Read More HERE

4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability. Read More HERE

5. The customer’s experience with the brand throughout its lifetime will drive the future. Marketers increasingly need to look at extending their roles throughout the lifecycle of the product to ensure future purchases. Read More HERE

The last mile just got longer! Contd..1

1. Consumers no longer believe commercial messages. End of story.

The promises made by commercial messages are tough to digest and while they might increase recall, the consumer takes the core messages with more than a pinch of salt. Consumers need to believe in the product’s virtues to become passionate enough to demand it by name and then defend the choice over others in the category.

There has to be a two-way conversation. It must be a longish conversation – not just 30 seconds – that not only informs but also resolves a consumer’s concerns. It is a conversation that facilitates a pre-purchase hands-on evaluation, a conversation that furthers the consumer’s belief that the brand fits his lifestyle or that his lifestyle matches the brand. The fact is each customer wants a personalised experience regardless of their value to you.

Go to 2. A consumer’s source of information, research, evaluation and influence are not led by an organisation or brand.

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The last mile just got longer! Contd..2

2. A consumer’s source of information, research, evaluation and influence are not led by an organisation or brand.

The consumer seeks information from a myriad of sources that he defines and trusts. These opinion forming communities can destroy the prospect’s chance of ever buying the product or build up a frenzy and passion. The need to own “the” iPhone, for example, made passionate consumers queue for hours, although everyone of them already had a mobile phone.

There are communication and interaction opportunities that allow brands to deploy a broader set of messages, tailored to reach their audiences where they live and play. It is critical to address all these touchpoints because while the consumer undertakes his brand research through one touchpoint, he seeks affirmation of his choice through a different touchpoint and will probably make a purchase at a very different touchpoint.

3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own.

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The last mile just got longer! Contd..3

3. The central idea of the campaign has become more important than the media used. The campaign idea needs to create the ripples which should take a life of their own.

It is important to create seamless messages and experiences at every touchpoint throughout the path to a purchase. No longer is it possible for a brand owner to look at the TVC and its messages in isolation or within that specific media silo. The brand owner needs to understand how the message will be translated at every consumer touchpoint, be it across sales channels, in the last mile, on the web or the TVC.

In Asia, this comes with its own challenges. Asia is diverse, multicultural, multiethnic and multilingual. The task of ensuring seamless brand communication and its amplification across media formats, across on-ground activation formats and across the online space, is critical.

4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability.

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The last mile just got longer! Contd..4

4. Brand activation brings with it a large extent of measurability.

The complexities of the market and geography do not necessarily have to mean complexities in measuring the return on the marketing spend. A closed loop marketing campaign process, with a clear definition of takeaways, can help create a defined ROI and marketing effectiveness matrix.

However, the benefits of brand activation are not limited to the lifetime value of the one prospect that is exposed to the experience. It would be suicidal for marketers to limit their evaluation criteria to 'cost per contact' rather than evaluating the long-term relevance of the contact. Activation allows a brand to create tribes of believers and communities of advocates who propagate the brand with all its virtues.

In a business environment where the brand options are ever increasing and there is the possibility of an economic slow-down, there is more pressure on marketing budgets and an enhanced need to retain existing customers.

5. The customer’s experience with the brand throughout its lifetime will drive the future. Marketers increasingly need to look at extending their roles throughout the lifecycle of the product to ensure future purchases.

Or go to the main post