A question on Twitter prompted me to write about why I call myself a full stack marketer on LinkedIn. While one reason is the audience I connect to on LinkedIn and their familiarity with the phrase, the more important part is the experience and expertise that qualifies one for the usage. This is my version.
The pressure test being carried out thanks to a virus induced lockdown has resulted not just in shifts in consumer behaviour, but a trend among brands to espouse social causes. In an earlier post I had commented on the challenges of brands becoming “woke”, but what is the long term impact on consumption and brand building?
Across the world, brands are waking up to the need to be part of larger cultural narratives. But being ‘woke’ brings its own challenges.
A bunch of factors – ranging from an explosion of interfaces to the expectation from brands to take a stance on societal issues – made me reflect on the idea of brand. Is being consistent the way forward, or does retaining the brand essence in vastly different contexts warrant a different approach?
Brands not using the local language has long been a pet-peeve for many consumers and marketing practitioners as well. It is true that sometimes the reasons offered are callous, but there are chances that there has been some thought put into it. This is an attempt to bring out a few of these possibilities.
When Nike took a stand last year, I saw it as an excellent brand play. While that hasn’t changed, recent developments based on LeBron James and the protests in Hong Kong are proving to be a test of character for the brand, because billions of dollars of revenue from China are at stake. Despite the high stakes, this could prove to be an invaluable lesson for the brand on how to shape its personality to navigate the storms that lie ahead. The die is cast, and Nike now needs to fill its own big shoes.
Is efficient scaling an oxymoron in a dynamic business environment? Or an arms race in a zero sum game? If it is, is there an alternative? How can a scalable organisation and business be built around this alternative approach?
One of my favourite business frames in the recent past has been Jeremy Liew’s “When a consumer market is new, distribution wins. As consumers become educated, product wins. When […]
On a brand building journey, should the brand be driven by self image or self actualisation? One is driven by ego, the other by evolution. Is there a middle path, and if yes, how can that be traversed?
My take on the importance of a world view in brand building. With the ever-reducing shelf lives of brand and marketing play books, a “skin in the game” approach is a strategic imperative. What is that, how does one arrive at it – my perspectives using Nike as an example.
