Is Your Brand Ready for the Future?
A bold vision and a combative stance will now take you further than open-sourced blandness. In this week’s post, Paraiso is examining what are those new standards by which consumers are rating your brands.
THE AGE OF PROTEST
Everything became personal. We are experiencing the aspirations, hopes, frustrations and plights of others in direct and visceral ways.
SCANDAL SOCIETY
Given that brands have repeatedly shown that they are not to be trusted, consumers are forced to a path of righteousness. They stand poised to attack. But if brands are presenting change and thinking about clients themselves the clients will follow and embrace the change whether it’s connected to style, color or the fit.
REALITY CHECK
Brands are eager to portray visions of a perfect world in their advertising, but if you look at any newspaper you’ll see the reality of terror attacks, racial slurs and gender biases. Gloss over the growing pains of the majority.
RIGHTEOUS RETAIL
It has long been part of a retailer’s DNA to do exactly what the customer wants, but sometimes you have to show them what they need. Do something you've never done before.
For example, outdoors brand REI announced it would close all 143 of its stores on Black Friday and encouraged its employees and customers to #OptOutside and spend the day exploring the outdoors, rather than standing in queues. How wonderful was that, marketing + some employee love — all in one.
What can you do?
Be brave and choose to embrace negative by taking a stand and occasionally causing a stir. That being said brands are brave to release aggressive campaigns that stand with their believes.
CLOSED DOOR POLICY
Some fashion designers are going rogue – not against the consumer, but against the industry’s endless seasons, which are increasingly seen as untenable. They tend to produce clothing that is true to their identity which resonates with the client’s needs not Industry’s needs. Thats said even in Activewear industry everyone is moving towards the true identity of the brand…. Brands still produce garments that are desired by their customer but in limited numbers….No more mass dictated production is present.
REPLY AND DEMAND
The rise of online review culture often makes companies feel they have to tiptoe around consumers’ demands, but more retailers will decide to empower themselves and respond to negative reviews in kind. This brings the forever important communication in front of the customer’s backlash and it shapes the new age of trust between the brand and the customer. Customer like to be heard and brands are going in that direction in order to stay involved in their development.
GO BEYOND WHY
With more globally shared narratives, the ‘why’ risks becoming undifferentiated among brands and businesses. Don’t underestimate the importance of your internal operations, value chain and systems to add emotional value for consumers. It is important to keep the imagination momentum because customers are limited with only what they see, know or have on the plate today. They don’t know what the future is bringing so be brave and have strength to bring your imagination to the table. Customer will be there to hear, see and try to understand the new because we all know that future is always bringing the “NEW”.
SHARED COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY
Consumers increasingly seek innovative content across all forms of media that enables them to experience diverse and nuanced feelings, and connect with brands and each other on a deeper level.
Technology allows us to spread this energy in any direction we want it to go. It is on brands to create their world and present that world to their customer through social media, digital campaigns and other platforms. Customers are hungry for shared information, involvement and unity. It is very important to create your strong vision, pack it as you wish and engage with your customers because this communication is keeping their needs fulfilled and your development on the run.
Believe in your vision and stay true to yourself!
