Tag Archives: Brand Utility
At the beginning of the year, I featured a write-up by Paul Worthington, from Wolff Olins, regarding the evolution of branding. Since then, I feel the increasing adoption of smartphones and other mobile technologies has influenced the continued evolution of branding.
The initial three phases of branding, begin with the introduction of TV advertising and its ability to communicate to mass audiences in a visual manner. This was the ‘product age’ were brands differentiated on a unique product feature – creating the unique selling proposition.
However, product features can be easily duplicated by the competition, eliminating long-term differentiation. So, with the introduction of the PC computer and consumer research, we saw the introduction of the emotional selling proposition. This phase aimed to establish an emotional connection with customers by featuring how the product/service would meet their needs and wants.
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Recently, I read an Accenture report on post-recession consumer behavior, called The Road to Recovery. Overall, the report found consumers to be unsatisfied, with low brand loyalty, demanding brands to meet steep expectations for less.
Delivering on your brand promise couldn’t be more important than it is today!
Consumers are more mindful of their spending & are allocating dollars to items with the most perceived value – items they feel are special to them. For instance, I will save on toothpaste, and spend money on a good camera because capturing memories is essential to me OR I will buy a mac, which may cost more, over a PC because I trust the brand and want to be associated with it.
Today, brands need to create, reconfirm or prove their value to consumers to maintain demand. In addition, they must be consistent & transparent with their actions, when proving value, to earn or maintain loyalty.
An interesting trend that is emerging, mostly from the explosion of mobile app popularity, is the idea of Brand Utility – meaning a brand is providing additional experiences/touch points to aid consumers in a time of need that is relevant to the brand’s skills and purpose.
Take for example ING, who created a mobile app last January that helps customers find the closest ING ATM. This uses something called augmented reality, where it uses your camera phone and GPS to show you where you are, and where you need to go to find an ATM. Very helpful when travelling and need to find a bank. Similarly, last year, we developed an Ale finder to help Budweiser fans find its latest beer: Budweiser American Ale.
