By Meghan Tetwiler, Brand Planner @ NYCA
How should a brand connect with today’s sophisticated consumers?
Over the course of a few short decades, the playing field for brands has changed dramatically. Believe me, Hollywood’s depiction of Mad Men martini lunches and chain-smoking brainstorming sessions is no longer an advertiser’s reality. With their fingertips on the Internet and mobile phones, today’s consumers have access to quickly retrieved information, are in control of when/where/how they receive content, and are more discerning about the information they consume. This increase in consumer sophistication demands that brands evolve their approach and build lasting relationships.
Static media messaging touting a pithy catch phrase may have been the way for brands to win attention in the past, but today it isn’t enough. In order for brands to meet consumers’ demands, they now must work harder to go beyond screaming, “buy me” and deliver What’s (really) In It For Consumers. Creating experiences that bring a brand’s ingenuity to life and opportunities for people to personally experience the benefits of a brand’s products and services are now necessary to impact purchasing behavior.
In theory, brand marketers can easily agree the era of marketing plans built solely on one-way communications are no longer sufficient. They nod their heads when there is opportunity to incorporate experiential branding into their marketing mix. What is difficult for them to stomach is when it comes time to reallocate traditional print/TV budgets to interactive online, retail or event-based experiences. I see even my progressive clients struggle to embrace experiential branding. It’s tough. Gone are the days when marketing plans can be recycled year after year.
One common first step made by companies integrating experiential branding is that each brand must discover how to connect with its consumers through a shared passion. This allows not only the tried and true one-way consumer interceptions but also more interactive consumer/brand engagements.
Check out the entertaining, educational and interactive experiences the brands below have created in effort to strengthen consumer bonds.
These are just a handful of 21st century brands that have successfully made the leap into experiential branding. I’d argue the experiences these brands are creating, from Apple’s Genius Bar to Nike’s Running Club, are personalizing their brand offerings and, in turn, successfully contributing to winning over their consumers’ hearts and pocketbooks.
As this year winds down, its time to start thinking about the future. I look forward to dreaming up interactive experiences to deepen each of my client’s relationships with their consumers.
Posted by NYCAgrow 
strings is typically different than the guy who has to use the product, and those guys are different from the guy who performs the side-by-side evaluation of the options. Sometimes none of these guys knows each other particularly well, nor do they work together. There are more “no” opportunities in this sales cycle than “yes” ones.
The Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue was here in my hands and my mind was wandering to the economic stimulus package.
Being there means your brand cares.
March 23, 2010By Michael Mark, Creative Director/CEO @ NYCA
A client looked me in the eyes this week and told me, “Michael, it’s better to be fast and wrong than slow and right.”
I think it was directional in nature. Still, it was quite a statement. It’s conceding that the speed needed to move at in today’s business environment is reaching a pace of acceptable recklessness.
Woody Allen said something like, “99 percent of success in life is showing up.” Not sure if it’s exactly how he said it, but you get the point: you don’t have to be perfect, just raise your hand and be counted all the time. That’s harder these days as there are so many places to be.
Reminds me of how my mother forced me to go to kindergarten even when I was absolutely dying from excruciating, intolerable, at-the-doors-of-death-pain with a tummy-ache. I didn’t do much schoolwork that day but the important part (to my mom and teacher – you can say, my customers) was that I was marked present. And being there, even physically wounded, counted more than being fully mentally present.
Today’s marketing environment is a great deal about brands being here and there. And these days, with the proliferation of .coms, social sites, applications, and meet-ups, there are so many more parties where one needs to be seen that you could well show up underdressed. What’s a brand to do?
The perfectionist’s motto, “measure twice, cut once,” has become: “cut, oops, cut better, oops, cut, repeat constantly, just keep cutting.”
Why such a rush? Is it worth it? Our successful customer is saying “Yes.” Because consumers have a seemingly all day and night hunger for content and they demand to be served promptly and frequently with constant feedback and the occasional coupon.
Like any close and good relationship, brands and consumers don’t get caught up in the small stuff. Mistakes are overlooked and, because we do move so fast, they are forgotten in a matter of several tweets.
Are we saying that quality isn’t as important as quantity? This makes me queasy but I think so. Quantity is taking precedence because touching all those touch points means you’re there for me in all these places, all the time, and the sum is: you care.
Now, of course, some mistakes are more grievous than others. Be sensible as you speed along, but keep that speedometer pressing on the red as we head to another party at which to be seen.
When he protested that Macintosh wasn’t ready yet to launch, Guy Kawasaki was assured by Steve Jobs, “Don’t worry, be crappy.” They launched and they made it better on the run. Quite a run it’s been.
So here’s the dress code: even if slightly untucked here and there, make sure your brand shows up. Often.
In other words, “Get your business out of bed and get out there right this instant or else!”
Just like momma said.