Over the years, brands have evolved from logos and marketing messages into societal forces with the ... [+]
Over the years, brands have evolved from logos and marketing messages into societal forces with the ability to impact the world, especially when they are built like an operating system around a powerful core idea that leverages the connective nature of today’s consumer. Why think about a brand like an operating system? Because people are watching everything an organization does, and those that behave with integrity and purpose, inside and out, become brands built for tomorrow. In his new book Scratch: How to build a potent modern brand from the inside out, author Tim Galles redefines brands, and says the future belongs to those that apply creativity to every facet of the brand for the win.
I spoke with Galles on his prediction for how brands will evolve to meet the growing demands of today’s modern consumers as well as how whole brands consider the role of sustainability and purpose.
Jeff Fromm: How has the definition of brand changed compared to what it meant in the past, and what’s driving such an evolution?
Tim Galles: In the earliest days of mass marketing and advertising, name recognition and word-of-mouth alone drove sales and consumer loyalty, fueled mostly by the TV and marketing industrial complex. In the past few decades, brands have become more than advertising and logos, as experience became a competitive advantage. Today, while these elements are still vital, we are in the midst of an era that requires a new, holistic definition of brand—it’s essentially a memory created by the sum of every experience a person has with a company or organization. It’s an amalgam of expectations and experiences, of promises made to employees, consumers and the world. And it’s what comes to life in people’s minds, how they imagine and interpret the actions and ideas of an organization in the moments that matter most. Every brand is different for every person. For example, Nike to you is likely different than Nike to me.
How did we get here? Empowered consumers fueled by easy access to knowledge about brands is a big part of it. This has also created a stage for interesting brands to actually be a true part of culture and a part of people’s stories. People have so many ways to figure out what's actually happening behind the scenes of the brands they choose to engage with (or not). The potent brands are those that realize every action they take could be a reason someone chooses them, so everything is the brand, not just marketing.
Fromm: How does this new definition of brand impact how companies and organizations reach consumers?
Galles: It breaks down the wall between a brand’s story, its products, services, purpose and culture, and how it communicates that story in a way that connects with people. In the past these were very separate activities, like Church and State. Companies that do this well are what I call whole brands: Vans. Patagonia. Glossier.
Whole brands stand for something—they have a powerful idea at the core of everything they do that inspires every action they take, both inside their walls and out in the world. This is a game-changer in the modern market, where, research shows, consumers aren’t as interested in a brand’s story until it helps them tell their own.
Fromm: As you think about brands and the role they play, we live in an era where the word “government” and “collaboration” are rarely in the same sentence. What is your take on the role of brands and making the planet better in public policy?
Galles: As you know through all of your work on purpose, a growing number of brands are realizing they have the power to impact people and the planet by the choices they make, inside and out. Some are motivated because it’s the right thing to do. Others are motivated by the demand coming from their consumers who believe they have the obligation to provide better products, treat employees better, and protect the earth.
Done well, in an authentic way, a commitment to purpose can become a reason people choose a brand. Even Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, says their provocative actions are really just a different kind of marketing. But it is marketing. He’s very clear about that. Today’s consumers consider such actions not only regarding what to purchase, but also what kind of companies they want to work for. A brand’s belief system around purpose and sustainability can be a win-win for both consumers and employees alike. Ultimately, that is a whole brand at its best.
Fromm: Thank goodness for discerning consumers.
Galles: They really drive everything. They have the tools, channels and the forums to make demands of brands in unprecedented ways. The open market has always been a much better laboratory than the government. Some brands feel threatened by such high expectations, but most are just slow and see the definition of brand as a fragmented effort, sitting in the corner of the organization with limited powers. I see huge opportunity for brands that embrace this holistic definition of brand, especially in terms of what I call black box solutions: brands coming in as disruptors from outside of the category, solving problems in creative ways the competition historically couldn’t or didn’t. These brands are proving that walking in with a bigger purpose, with sustainability, with an inspired workforce and brand culture and using them as unfair advantages to innovate new ways of business, can move a market. It’s really creativity without borders, and the brands that adopt this behavior are the ones I’m betting on.
