I’ve constantly wondered why brands like Apple manage to maintain a rebellious and anti-establishment image when they’ve actually become very much a part of the mainstream. More importantly, I’ve wondered why loyal fans of these brands continue to support them, even though they (the brands) end up standing for everything their fan’s opposed in the first place. Then, it hit me (well after a many hours of reading and researching)! Rebel culture is a key driver of consumerism (the very thing it starts out opposing). Its the need to stand out in a crowd, the need to be different that drives the rebellious consumer and this creates new trends, new products and new markets. The end result – yet another mass product/service. As I continue to read on these issues, I get more and more convinced.
The more you rebel, the more you succeed – especially true in today’s environment. Marketers notice.
If you’ve thought about what I just said, you can now watch this musical on consumerism and see it in a completely different light.
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I recently saw a documentary called H2Oil at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto. At the end of the documentary, people seemed so agigated and involved in the message being conveyed in the movie that I began to think – do these people really care about these issues or have we as a society (given today’s conditions) returned to the old model where anything rebellious and anti-mainstream culture is considered cool? I’m tempted to choose the latter, unfortunately. But there is a brighter side to this observation – as long as your product/service has a strong counter-cultural significance (and is authentic), you have a better chance of making that emotional connection with your audience.
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Lets look at some key events that have changed our world over the past couple years -
1. The United States has faced continued backlash over its war in Iraq and Afghanistan – especially over issues pertaining to the violation of human rights and excessive military expenditure.
2. The credit crisis has left the world in a state of despair, leaving angry consumers and dying industries.
3. The first black president of the united states (and the leader of the free world) was elected.
4. The web 2.0 sphere has exploded, sparking tremendous innovation and taking the DIY revolution a step further.
These represent only a fraction of the drastic social, economic and political changes that our world has witnessed over the past couple years. The net result is that consumers have changed their habits, the way they interact with their surroundings, with each other and the way they interpret symbols around them.
In this environment, you (as a marketer) are probably more inclined to get attention if you emphasize on utilitarian rather than hedonic characteristics of products (anyone from the music biz listening?). For example, many entrepreneurs have found a way to use social media to drive social change (sites such as socialactions.com, bettertheworld.com etc) and people are listening.
In essence, consumers’ cultural condition has shifted and entrepreneurs and marketers need to take notice.
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Sep 09
23
Passion Marketing
I’ve been talking and brainstorming about this with friends and colleagues over the past several months and here are my conclusions.
If you market with a cause, a passion, meant for the betterment of society - you’ll massively improve your chances of success. However, when I refer to marketing with a cause, I’m not talking about the traditional “Cause Marketing” . Let me explain.
Figure out what you believe in as a company and ensure that that opinion proliferates through your brand. e.g. If you’re an “off the beaten path” architect looking to provide great value, do so…but do it with a passion for saving the world. Remember, I’m not saying lie! All I’m saying is that figure out what cause you are backing through your product’s and company’s values and market it with a passion.
The key is to romance the ideal that you and your product stand for. Given the current cultural conditioning of consumers, I would say this is the right way to go!
Posted in Marketing Commentary by Ujwal Arkalgud. 1 Comment