Tuesday, 7 June 2011

3 essential steps to brand engagement

From time to time we see an ad on TV which we really connect with. We watch the ad, we link with the message, we desire the product and our respect for the brand grows. It’s a slam dunk. But behind that 30 seconds of delight will be a brand owner that has invested heavily in the process to ensure the perfect fit between brand and consumer.

I can think of a number of  iconic brands that get this right. What they all have in common is a direct connection between the message they deliver to you through the ad and their brand essence. The brand essence is the heart and soul of the brand, the central nature of what the brand represents to all those who come into contact with it.

For instance, Nike’s essence – “authentic athletic performance” – is translated to the following two slogans “Just do it!” and “I can”. Nike’s ads are created to harness the sentiment of both essence and slogan. 

BMW’s essence is ‘Joy’. It’s reflected in the long established BMW tagline “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” and, in recent ads, through the tagline “Sheer Driving Pleasure.”

Of its brand essence BMW says, “We don’t just build cars, we create emotions. We are guarantors of enthusiasm, fascination and goosebumps. We give you the keys to discover ever-growing and evolving Joy.” You can see how this plays out in their communications.

In (very) simple terms, there are three basic steps in developing effective brand communications. Of course,each of these steps involves a number of tasks, but if you follow the outline below and ensure you take the output of one step into the next you’ll be on the way to effective brand engagement.

Step 1 is the definition of  your brand framework – it’s personality, voice, values, unique attributes and, most importantly, its essence. These are the building blocks from which steps 2 and 3 should evolve. 

Step 2 is the development of your brand identity – its look and feel, visual language, use of imagery, colour palette and sometimes even a new or evolved  brand mark. Once you’ve completed step 1, there could be a number of directions the identity can take. Only one will be absolutely right for your brand.

Step 3 is the creation of a “go-to-market” plan – it defines who you will communicate with, when, where and what you will say. Make sure your communication platform, the idea or the slogan relates to your brand essence. Think online and offline communication channels, internal and external audiences.

At the heart of your marketing decisions should be how well you’ve connected steps 1,2 and 3. It’s the failure to do that properly which lets down so many brands. Don’t get carried away with a ‘big idea’ advertising concept if it has no relevance to your brand and its essence. That error is one of the main reasons ads fail.

At The DM Group we are committed to ensuring all our clients communications are built upon solid brand platforms. If you would like to discuss your brand or to see the work we have done then give us a call.

Malcolm Harvey – Client Services Director.

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Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Take one and call us in the morning…

When I was a kid, a tablet was something you took to take away a headache.  Now, a tablet is something that I use to read my son a bedtime story, play scrabble with my wife, catch up on work emails on the train and read the news I missed while all of that was happening. Do a Google search for tablet these days, and it’s not until page 4 that you’ll find any reference to medication. Yes, the year of the tablet is upon us – but you already know that.

You also know that the tablet computer is fast becoming a game changer, especially for traditional media. The business model for publishers who have for centuries had a monopoly on information, and charging for it, is currently trying to find its way and keep afloat in some fairly challenging times. After years of becoming accustomed to not having to pay for news and related content on the web, it’s safe to say we’ve offered some resistance to paying for it simply because it’s now on an iPad – Safari anyone?

Enter Apps, and a whole new way to monetise information. Today, Fairfax digital has announced thet it’s Age for iPad app will be providing a free six month subscription for download. So as an eager news consumer, you get your cake and are able to eat it for free. So what’s the catch? Enter Telstra and their sponsorship of the app. In a move that may signal how the app model will operate in the immediate future, Telstra will be footing the bill for the app – for you. Picking up on Adobe’s sponsorship of an iPad issue of Wired Magazine and Carpoint.com.au’s sponsorship of the AFL Footy Live app, app builders and marketers are finding new ways to get their message in the hands of a new, mobile and information hungry audience.

So given the fact that this new model may be a way to help the likes of Fairfax, News Limited and countless other publishers around the world again start to monetise their content, maybe the tablet of today can still cure a headache after all…

At clickDM, we’re also trying to cure business headaches, both with and without the use of tablets – if you want to talk to us about a way we can help bring your brand to life online, shoot me an email.

Craig Hockley – Digital Planning Director.

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Thursday, 26 May 2011

Inspiring or inciting advertising?

The decision last week by the Advertising Standards Board to ban the Thirsty Camel ‘Hump’ TVC on the grounds that it encourages vandalism and threatens public safety highlights the argument about the role advertising plays in reflecting and shaping societal behaviours.  The ads show two people in hoodies plastering stickers reading ‘hump’ over road and railway signs. The client’s advertising agency argued that the ads reflected a ‘street art’ feel which tapped into the spirit of irreverence of the target audience.

Last year the Hyundai campaign, Baby SUV’s, was taken off air by the ASB for similar reasons.  The Hyundai ad, featuring a toddler driving a car was deemed likely to induce copycat behaviour in young children. 

And, in 2009, an ad for a BMW Z4 convertible was also outlawed because driving stunts shown in the clip would break Australian road rule laws.  The ad sparked a backlash suggesting that the clip “would encourage car hoons to spin and burn their tyres”. BMW hit back, saying it was art, not hooning.  “We believe the audience can distinguish between fantasy and reality,” a statement from BMW to the board said.

So the question is whether these ads directly, or indirectly, teach, encourage or even incite people to practice negative behaviour. Some might argue that the ability to deliver an artistic and expressive proposition that resonates strongly with its target audience is being restricted.  Others may have the opinion (along with the ABS) that advertising should uphold ethical behaviour and ensure that content does not, in any way, exploit society standards.

Whatever your opinion, at THE DM GROUP, we love creating advertising that brings your brand to life, reflects your brand identity and gets publicity for the right reasons.  Call us if you want to talk exciting rather than inciting?

Carolyn Mead – Account Director

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Monday, 23 May 2011

Make ‘em laugh

That grand old man of advertising, David Ogilvy, used to say ‘People don’t buy from clowns’.

Now in all fairness, I’m tipping that he said that (actually, he was quoting an even earlier guru, Claude Hopkins) before Ronald McDonald did his stuff for world obesity.

Personally, I’m no fan of fright wigs and big shoes either, but there’s a fair bit of evidence that humour can do a lot for advertising. Make someone laugh and the reciprocity effect kicks in – giving them something creates a little sense of obligation to do something for you, even if it’s just listening to your sales spiel.

So why doesn’t everyone do funny ads? Well, it’s risky. Take a moment to think of a few ads you’ve seen recently whose attempts at humour are so leaden that it’s like getting cornered by the drunk relative from hell at a wedding. Loving those brands? Thought not. And I suspect that was Ogilvy’s point: clumsy humour drops a brick on your customer’s foot. Memorable, perhaps. But to what effect?

Even a great joke has to be pretty damn hilarious if you’re going to hear it dozens of times. But let’s say your joke is so good that it becomes a catchphrase. Unless it’s also tightly linked to your message and your brand, you run the risk that all people remember is the laugh at the end. Quick – without looking at it again, what was Bugger! trying to tell you?

Nor does humour allow you to get out of delivering on your promises. A joke might resonate with millions of us, but if your product can’t live up to the punchline, you might have just spent your money reminding people why they are annoyed with you and your competitors.

So hats off to ads that do hit that sweet spot of relevance and funniness. It’s harder than it looks, and I’m grateful every time I see one and smile. There goes that reciprocity again.

Beer

Brats

Boo-boos

Banners

At THE DM GROUP, we love creating advertising that gets a smile for all the right reasons. If you’d like to talk about what we can do for your brand, why not get in touch?

Prue Oxford Senior Copywriter

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Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Blows glass

It seems that recently the most popular thing for a car company to do is to make a TVC with a lot of glass. One that really has me in awe is the commercial by…hmmm I actually can’t remember, perhaps I’ll fast forward to the end…ah yes Toyota.  

The absolutely fascinating art of blowing glass and the soft music has me drawn in completely. The skill and precision to make these wonderful pieces, creating a whole human sculpture with internal organs is amazing! But is this a problem? Does creating such a visually appealing and interesting commercial take away from the focus of the commercial?  Well, I did spend 30 minutes trying to find the clip on youtube before asking around the office. Even that proved to be difficult.

Another glassy act was done by Skoda.

What a magnificent talent this guy has, playing a beautiful piece of music with just water and wine glasses. But again the problem lies with what it’s actually all about. I searched for the ‘musical glass tvc’ to find this clip, not Skoda Auto.

Perhaps they all got so wrapped up in the artistic nature of what seems like an independent film and forgot that they were suppose to talk about a car.

Here at THE DM GROUP, we can bring your brand personality to life through considered and insightful creative executions on and offline. If you’d like to discuss how we might help you make something memorable for your brand, why not give us a call.

John Brunckhorst – The American

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