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Key takeaways
- Brand bravery is a topic we discuss a lot at A Little Bird, as companies struggle to feel confident in embracing a “larger purpose” when it comes to their brand DNA. But, these fears should be eased as brands like Nike, Patagonia, and others benefit from standing for their beliefs.
- While Facebook leads in user numbers, Instagram’s use is up, and according to a study, its success is coming at Facebook’s loss.
- Maintaining your intimate corporate culture in an office of 20 is one thing. Scaling that same environment while your company grows is another. But there are ways to help your brand hold on to its identity, even when the organization experiences big change.
Controversial marketing campaigns that paid off
With increased market saturation and lower barriers to entry, having a strong brand DNA has never been more critical. With almost 120 million products on Amazon alone, consumers are looking to the who, rather than the what, to guide their choices. According to research, “Nearly two-thirds (63%) of surveyed global consumers prefer to purchase products and services from companies that stand for a purpose that reflects their own values and beliefs, and will avoid companies that don’t.”
But when you reflect one person’s values and beliefs, you are potentially doing the opposite for someone else. This fear of controversy scares many brands and, in some situations, causes them to assume a one-toned persona that, in the end, inspires no one. The truth is, it takes bravery to discover your brand’s true purpose and beliefs, and it takes bravery to action them. But for those who are mired in trepidation, there is hope. There are many cases in which those brands that took a risk were amply rewarded. Entrepreneur lists 8 of them here.
People are spending more time on Instagram, at the expense of Facebook and Snapchat
With more than 2.3 billion monthly active users worldwide, Facebook’s reach is staggering. For years, the popularity of the social network has been second to none when considering the sheer numbers of people who are posting, liking, and live streaming. But as we know in marketing, a single set of numbers rarely tells the entire story. While Facebook user numbers are up, data shows that when it comes to captivating user’s time, there might be reason to worry. And that reason is Instagram.
What may also come as no surprise to marketers is that Instagram is on a roll when it comes to claiming user “time share.” Who among us has not considered Instagram when designing, producing, or executing a brand activation? Staggering visuals and “never-seen-before” (or so we wish) back drops are on the minds of event marketing teams everywhere, as brands vie to see themselves in all the right Insta feeds. And all that time on Instagram, ,according to Adweek, doesn’t come without a cost to the biggest platform of them all.
How to create a tight knit company culture that can scale with your business
Company culture has become a critical focus for many companies, some even taking an inside-out approach to how they develop their marketing strategy. The thought is that by developing products, competencies, and people over messaging and positioning, the company will prevail. The goal of a strong company culture is to create an environment in which talents are maximized, the team is collaborative, and people are fulfilled. The company becomes better and, in turn, enjoys a group of brand evangelists who are invested in its success.
But, as Jenn Lim, Co-founder and CEO of Delivering Happiness discusses in an article for Inc, for brands who have invested and succeeded in fostering a tight knit, positive company culture, maintaining it through growth can be a challenge. Here are her tips on how your company can have its culture and keep it too.
What do millennials actually want from brand experiences?
There is no doubt that millennials are the demographic de jour. From wine to tech, companies see this group as an ideal target. They are old enough that they are financially established, but young enough that they still set trends. They are old enough to buy now, but young enough that, with the right engagement, can be a long-term customer. But the most significant characteristic of this group is not their buying habits, but the way in which they consume advertising.
This group tends to reject traditional advertising, which is why brands have increased their investment in live brand experiences and face-to-face engagement. But, because this group is full of “rule breakers,” we also know that experiential for its own sake won’t work either. Brands need to design brand experiences that have meaning and value. As such, they continually seek to discover what elements within experiential will move millennials to action. Here, BizBash uncovers the results of a study that sought to find an answer.