Twenty years of brand management, what has changed?
That brand management has changed enormously since the start of this millennium will surprise no one. Digitization, the number of channels, but also changing consumer preferences are causing increasing complexity. In this blog, Sebastiaan de Ruiter looks back and talks about how to still keep it manageable.
Consumer preferences many times more diverse
Of course, our grandfathers and grandmothers were not all the same either, but believe me, consumer preferences have become many times more diverse over the years. There really has been an explosion of varieties at the product level. Years ago, when we saw an American supermarket on TV, the ohs and ahs were unbelievable. How on earth was it possible that one shelf contained a hundred different varieties of peas? It's not that bad at our place yet, but it is heading more and more in that direction. Anyone - like us at home - who eats tortillas from time to time knows that in a well-stocked supermarket you will find at least ten varieties of tortillas. And just walk into Holland & Barrett's for a box of ginger tea. You won't know what to look for.
Everything is about data
Since the majority of brand communication is done digitally, you have to make that shift with your brand management as well. If you constantly have to translate from paper to digital, you won't make it. In this regard, today everything revolves around data. Twenty years ago, the average marketer might occasionally glance at website statistics, but that was it. Now everything is about data data data data. Data is the new gold, the new oil, the new gas... With all this digitization, the human sometimes seems to fade into the background. Just look at the development of AI, since a few months we can even have whole texts written by ChatGPT.
Sincere and reliable brand experience
At the same time, therein lies the contradiction. Digitalization rages on, but more than ever we are looking for authenticity. Products are bulging the shelf but we want a brand to be genuine and transparent. That explains the success of programs like Keuringsdienst van Waarde. Ten years ago we were not so worried about a marketing lie, now it is absolutely not done. If you sell truffle oil, make sure it contains a reasonable percentage of truffle. Knorr flaunted "a healthy Poké Bowl with yummy vegetables" and was immediately put in its place by food watchdog Foodwatch. And the Chupa Chups with pulp from 2004? Daphne Deckers really wouldn't get away with that in 2023. Moreover, your brand story must be consistent across all channels and convey the same message. In short, as brand managers, you not only have to be frenziedly efficient, you also have to be busy with genuine and reliable brand experience.
Back to basics
So it hasn't exactly gotten any easier: your story needs to be authentic and consistent, but at the same time we let data drive us. How do you tackle that? I already wrote it in a previous blog: go back to basics first, that way you'll make your life a lot easier. Start with your target group. Where is it located, on which channels? Combine that with your goals and the content that goes with them. If you are creating brand awareness, that requires different content than if you are focusing on sales. Are you at the top of that inverted pyramid of the See, Think, Do, Care model or at the bottom? Next, make those goals measurable. Then just start experimenting for a while so you get data. Only then can you measure your results and adjust your goals. Only then will you find out if the focus is with the right audience, and if your content/message is the right one for stage in the customer journey your potential customer is in.
Inspired?
Are you struggling with keeping your brand story consistent across all channels? Digital Asset Management can help. Curious? Then request a no-obligation demo of our Brand Management solutions. Would you like to talk further about the benefits of marketing automation for your organization? That's always possible too! Give a call to (0)20 820 83 82 or mail to info@comrads.nl. We would love to get to know you.