Rediscovering the Art of Branding

Digital technology has changed the nature of brand marketing. But only brand philosophy can resolve the tension between traditional brand-building practices and the opportunities unlocked by technology and widespread consumer empowerment.

Today’s digital frenzy has led many to declare that advertising is “dead” or “should die.” But could they be mistaken?

Seduced by the glamour of big data, brands are beginning to shift from advertising to digital marketing to avoid being labeled “conservative” or, worse, “outdated.” The result is often counterproductive: lacking clear brand propositions and creative execution, cutting-edge videos, social media content and apps fail to inspire purchases or brand loyalty.

Indeed, tradition has been disrupted, and the digital world has only variables, not constants. CEOs seek redemption, intoxicated by the promise of new approaches to maximize. A typical Business Insider headline: “Big Data Could Help Marketers Generate $200 Billion in Revenue.” Buzzwords abound: CRM, cookies, digital ecosystems, experience optimization, and platformization. Advertising is experiencing turmoil.

Digital redemption?

Digital technology offers countless ways to engage consumers. Branding can be transformed into branded “newspapers,” leveraging social networks to push relevant “news” to consumers throughout the day. Branded apps—from Tablespoon.com, General Mills’ online recipe portal, to Allergy cast, Johnson & Johnson’s pollen index counter—turn passive propositions into actual services.

But one thing is certain. Whether we’re selling Coke or computers, the opportunities presented by various digital channels are both relevant and confusing. Unless marketers master the timeless principles of brand building, they will get nowhere. In the complex digital world, the best law of marketing still holds true: consistency. Cutting-edge data mining technology or augmented reality applications will be useless in the background environment without a long-term concept behind them.

Yes, the digital realm presents greater challenges. But it’s too easy to lose sight of the consumer themselves—the desires that drive them, and the role brands play in their lives. Remember, consumers will only be attracted to brands with clear and relevant propositions. Back in 1917, J. Walter Thompson, who founded the eponymous company, immortalized the statement: “There is always something ‘different’ in your product or business, something that can be told through a story, that is so important and compelling that it differentiates your product from your competitors and is perceived as something special by your target customers.” In 2014, JWT celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The hyperconnected, ‘always on’ digital lifestyle has brought a kaleidoscope of new choices and pressures that some people find overwhelming. In an effort to avoid being seen as conservative or outdated, advertising and marketing professionals have fallen for the allure of technology. We have deployed cutting-edge digital innovations without adequately considering the underlying brand strategy and message consistency. The result is that consumers become more confused and less loyal.

In the midst of this confusion, rules can be particularly reassuring. Marketing practices may be evolving, but the fundamentals of brand building are the same today as they were fifty years ago. Today, strong brands command premiums, and great brand ideas generate profits.

Only branding can resolve the tension between the new opportunities unlocked by technology and widespread consumer empowerment and traditional branding initiatives. Traditional branding is top-down, articulated by manufacturers and driven by transparency and a deep understanding of consumer motivations. The new opportunities offered by technology are bottom-up, coming from and serving target groups.

The Nature of the New Engagement

There is no doubt that digital technology is impacting life and brands. From video games to social networks that offer new platforms for self-expression to Uber, which connects riders to drivers at the touch of a button, the digital world has enabled an explosion of lifestyle opportunities and consumer empowerment. Audiences want a voice. They want to join in the fun – and participate in alternative entertainment options with the brands that advertise. Consumers want to be rewarded for their loyalty. They don’t want to be lectured to.

This is the nature of the new engagement – consumers want more than a messy, short-lived binge. Engagement is now less like an engagement and more like a marriage: a long, rich conversation between consumer and manufacturer with tangible benefits for both parties. Engagement needs to have equal power and structure. Marketers must strive to achieve the goal of simultaneously allowing consumers to engage with the brand and empowering marketers to manage the message.

Brand Concept: From Chaos to Order

Although intangible, a great brand concept integrates information across media, geography, and culture. It remains the key to consumer loyalty, media placement, and overall operations.

In an extensive brand development, the brand concept ensures consistency across time and media. Nike always upholds the spirit of "Just do it" and is everywhere. Axe deodorant promises "irresistible attraction" to people seeking a great date and is everywhere.

Brand concept is more than a positioning statement. It defines the long-term relationship between consumers and brands and remains consistent over time. It is inherently interactive and supports engagement across digital and analog media. A unique brand concept is derived from product truth, that is, the differentiated characteristics of the product, and brand truth accumulates long-term assets through consistent communication. For example, Dove soap contains 1/4 moisturizer - this is product truth; Johnson & Johnson's long-term association with gentle characteristics - this is brand truth.

From Passive Engagement to Active Engagement

The creative execution must be an expression of the brand concept and must be the embodiment of the brand soul in its entirety.

The modern business environment is super competitive and evolving, so marketing content must be very interesting. The creative execution must be persuasive and the message must be carefully crafted, but we are currently focusing on the success of deep engagement communication.

The longer people use, play with and spread the concept, the deeper their engagement with the brand. For example, the "Sexy Alarm" launched by Axe deodorant in Japan is a daily reminder call. Sent on a smartphone by a different pretty girl every day, the ringtone reminds young people to use Axe to maximize their "sexiness score potential".

The engagement concept must be clear so that it can become a more objective and larger medium than individual promotional channels. The concept should be communicated uniformly, covering all carriers from TV to mobile phones, social media platforms, apps, video games, and even in-store shelf signs.

The foundation of brand building has not changed fundamentally, but the essence of engagement has changed fundamentally. We are still guided by carefully crafted strategies and executions that follow the basic standards of brand building. As brand pioneers, we must be brave enough to explore the shallows in the new digital ocean. However, we must not be stranded because of anxiety and hesitation. Eternal ideas can also be given new luster. (Tom Doctoroff is the CEO of JWT Asia and the author of Twitter Is Not a Strategy: Rediscovering the Art of Brand Marketing, which compares and explains traditional marketing and digital marketing, and puts brand ideas at the core of people's attention.