If you
missed the AMA Puget Sound October luncheon, you missed a thoughtful look at how
branding has changed and must continue to change in today’s digital age. You also missed a chance to learn how two
major NW brands, Alaska Air and Ben Bridge Jewelers, are updating their
respective brands to position themselves for future growth.
The
presentation began with a thought-provoking general review of how branding
needs have changed as new digital tools have changed how potential users gain
and process information.
Kass Sells,
President of WE Communications, reviewed the results of a major global study
among over 3,000 consumers in each of six different countries, on the new
realities brands face in today’s business environment. The conclusion of the Brands In Motions study is that all brands are in motion
relative to the geography that they operate in, the industry they are a part
of, and the stakeholders critical to their success. This is a result of many things, including the
disruption and dislocation within a brand’s environment, as explained by this
quote below.
“Disruption is what happens when someone does
something clever that makes your company look obsolete.Dislocation is when the whole environment is being altered so quickly that everyone starts to feel like they can’t keep up.”
- Craig Mundie, Former Chief Research
and Strategy Officer at Microsoft
What this
means for your brand is that disruption & dislocation plus changing consumer
expectations have created a new environment where consumers want it all and
your brand story must focus on the entire media ecosystem if your brand is to
build and maintain a relevant position in your potential customers mind.After this initial general review on branding, Jessica Leonard from Alaska Air offered details on how that iconic brand had responded to a major new addition – Virgin Air, and how their advertising addressed the potential disconnect between two brands with existing brand images that were very different from each other. She then shared how Alaska Air was approaching this new branding environment with some thoughts on the future goals and strategies for positioning the brand.
Jessica talked about the need to provide their audience with something beyond service. Alaska Air terms this new approach as hospitality that is personal, enjoyable and generous + a personality that reflects a West Coast vibe that is thoughtful, vibrant and unconventional. The goal is for Alaska Air is to always “Be Remarkable” in everything they do for their customers.
Then, Marc
Bridge from Ben Bridge Jewelers shared how this 100+-year old brand was
updating its marketing and advertising approach, through a review of the
competitive environment and the need to stand out in a “sea of sameness”.
Marc talked
about how the goal of their marketing was to transcend the perception of
jewelry as an occasional, special moment experience, and the true value of jewelry
is revealed over time as it becomes part of someone’s lifestyle and life. Their new advertising campaign, For Life,
addresses this belief as well as positions Ben Bridge Jewelers to be your ”Jeweler For Life”.
This
thoughtful, and thought-providing, luncheon presentation was capped off by a
lively Q and A session among the presenters. All
of the presenter’s charts can be found on the AMA Puget Sound website www.amapugetsound.org , and we encourage you to take a look to see how this knowledge can
impact and improve your own branding programs.
-
Don
Morgan
Don Morgan is Head Rainmaker at Raindance Consulting, and a past
president of AMA Puget Sound. He can be
reached at dmorgan@raindanceconsulting.com.
