Martin's entry about people who would consider getting a tattoo of their favorite brand got me thinking. That's the extreme case of brand loyalty and passion. The middle ground is far more common, highly visible and pain-free: a bumper sticker, baseball cap, T-shirt, or coffee mug featuring a company logo. These may not be as permanent or shocking as a Harley-Davidson or Google tattoo, but they represent the same leap, from mere customer to voluntary marketer. (Unless, of course, you're wearing that trucker cap that says Wal-Mart to be ironic.) At some point it's not enough to simply buy and use a company's product. You want a deeper association with the brand. Which brands are you willing to be an everyday advertiser for and why? What about brands you buy all the time but don't sport the logo -- why not?
Related Stories: | Topics:Management, sales + marketing, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Harley-Davidson Inc., Google Inc., Motorcycles, Advertising |
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Recent Comments | 3 Total
March 23, 2005 at 12:38pm by Steve Portigal
I think it's more than simply sporting the logo - products that have iconic form factors (the obvious example is the iPod earphones, but I'm sure there are tons of others) are displayed deliberately. Yeah, if you use the product you have to display the flag of that product, but the opportunity to display that flag (have your motorcycle sound like a Harley sounds when you drive by, have the white cables around your neck, etc.) is part of what the appeal of the brand/product is in the first place.
Is there a meaningful difference between the Nike swoosh on your shoes, socks, t-shirt, or keychain?
March 23, 2005 at 3:44pm by Frank McClung
If you haven't read Scott Bedbury's book, A New Brand World, I highly recommend it. He's the guy who took the Nike and Starbuck's brand to where it is today. He talks about what creates a bond between brands and people: belonging, longing, rugged individuality and freedom. I think all good brands start and continue open conversations with people. They try to connect with people in a real way beyond marketingese, product speak and corporate brochure ware. Smart companies are now realizing that their customers can create much more authentic advertising then all the big Madison Ave advertising firms. Why? Because customers have a human voice that we all recognize. That human voice tells us about the good and bad of a product or service in a what that is creative and not phony. Take two recent examples of consumer started and driven conversations with products they love: Converse shoes video commercials produced by wearers and the Apple Mini-IPod short video made by a high school teacher. We're entering a new-old age where markets are once again conversations and the only thing that matters will be voices that touch the heart (Read the mind changing book, The Cluetrain Manifesto). Check out the blog B L A N K, that is exploring how design can touch the heart and start conversations in today's market.
March 24, 2005 at 12:15pm by nader
Brandinfection had a similar article with a quite funny picture of a rocker guy who branded himself with a Google Tattoo!
I personally think that's a bit too much.