Why Brandhabits?
Hab-it; A recurrent, unconscious pattern of behavior that's acquired through frequent repetition.
Brandhabits highlights the good and bad habits that can affect a consumer - brand relationship.
Social media and its ambassadors Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have proven that they are not a fad and are well and truly entrenched in our personal and business lives. Plenty of us have a presence on all 3 at work and at home. They bring transparency and depth to our lives. They allow us to observe, inquire, engage and have a good nose around. That’s why social media is more important to your brand than perhaps you might realise.
Consumers are actively searching for more information about the brands they purchase. Bear with me on the analogy, but Charlie would have given anything to get a peek inside Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory or talk to Willy himself. In today’s day and age (and hopefully with a bit more cash than he had then) Charlie would seek out Willy’s Facebook page, Twitter account and would no doubt be able to book a visit to the magical kingdom of chocolate factories. Will he buy even more Wonka bars as a result? Absolutely!
The choices that consumers make are increasingly about reputation and relationship. This calls for brands to be more and more transparent, authentic and conversational. If your brand doesn’t develop these Brandhabits soon you may well be left behind. read more…
by Andy Wright
If you manage a brand, chances are someone, somewhere loves your brand. Unconditionally. They tell their friends, family and colleagues to buy it. They lend it to them or recommend that they use it. They preach about the benefits. They might even wear clothing with your brand’s emblem em-blazed upon it. They believe that it says something about them, who they are and what they stand for.
They’ve tried your competitors but they keep coming back to you. Your brand offers them exactly what they need and expect. They have a special interest or hobby that your brand participates in. You’re a part of their lives.
The difference between successful brands and those in 4th, 5th and 6th places in their markets is that they have more followers like the case above. They also know them and have a relationship with them.
By Andy Wright
A short post this week in the middle of the Xmas holidays. Driving out to the in-laws I passed a billboard ad for an iconic, Australian brand with some good Brandhabits - Aerogard. For those of you not in Australia, Aerogard is mosquito repellent and has been around in Australia for years. It first became famous during a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963 when after a day of swatting flies, she was given Aerogard to spray. The next day the journalists following the Queen noticed that the flies had miraculously disappeared. The rumours spread and word of mouth kicked into overdrive.
Aerogard ad
Then, in the 80’s (I think) the slogan of ‘Remember the Aerogard and Avagoodweekend‘ was coined. It became part of Aussie vocabulary and the brand was well known for being trusted, reliable and family friendly. The slogan isn’t perhaps quite as famous and iconic as ‘Not Happy Jan’ or ‘Happy Little Vegemites’ but it’s certainly in the top tier of Aussie brands.
That’s why I was surprised to see this ad. A TV campaign earlier in the year focused on family and friends in a boat on the river, spraying the Aerogard to keep the Mosquito’s away. It was quite a typical Australian friends / family setting. Spot on for the Aerogard brand.
by Andy Wright
I’ve been reading that with the increasing influence and freedom of social media you can’t control your brand anymore. In fact, you don’t even own it, your customers do. They decide what people think about it and what they should do with it. These are the new rules for brands. Apparently you have to ‘give away’ your brand.
I’m not sure I agree. Last time I checked, you (and I) were still in control of the strategy, the marketing plan, the packaging, the price (to an extent) and the investment into the brand.
So what’s changed? Social media has allowed everyone to talk about brands and product experiences. So you didn’t tell anyone if you’d had a good or bad experience before Facebook and Twitter came along? You didn’t hear about Nike’s sweat shops, Avis being better than Hertz because they try harder, which restaurant was better than another, or that a Lada or Skoda was about as reliable as a chocolate teapot?
Oh wait, you did. You (and I) still talked, reviews were written, news was reported, brands were advertised on TV. I’ll ask again. So what’s changed? read more…
The launch of Windows 7 has predictably been a very hot topic of conversation online and offline. Lots of PC vs Mac debates and pokes and prods at the flop that was Vista. Apple has responded with their high ground approach through the Mac vs PC ads.
Apple v Microsoft Cage Match
It got me thinking, is it good to go so blatantly head to head? And how do you win?
There are pro’s and con’s to starting a one on one war with a competitor brand. The risks are high and the effects potentially game changing in the long term.
First off, let’s look at the Apple vs Microsoft contest.
by Andy Wright
The most rewarding part about working with and writing about brands is when you happen upon experiences in everyday life. Recalling case studies about successful, globally renowned brands is certainly insightful and educational. But, when you encounter a great experience in everyday life it’s inspirational and motivational to know that smaller businesses and brands ‘get it’ as well.
Last week I had such an experience. For quite some time now I’ve driven past a burger bar, named ‘Lashings’. Each time saying to myself how I’ve got to go back and try it. Well now I have, and ‘Lashings’ has inspired me to share some great lessons for brands big and small. read more…
by Andy Wright
After reading the New York Times article on AOL’s revamped identity, I couldn’t help thinking we’ve been here before. Ailing brand goes shopping to buy a new outfit to make itself feel better. In this case it seems that AOL is getting over its divorce from Time Warner, by having a good old nip tuck. But is it enough to make lost customers think again about the former Internet behemoth?
CEO Tim Armstrong has acknowledged the issues with the brand, even recognising some calls that it’s too little, too late and the brand is dead. Consumers have moved on from their earlier ‘AOL helper’ and now find the brand less relevant.
Enter the brand identity experts, Wolff Olins, one of the biggest and best.
It’s almost 2 months since I started the Brandhabits blog. I’ve found some new friends to discuss brand, marketing, digital and design matters with from all over the world.
Twitter has been a great source for this. On a recent #blogchat on Twitter (highly recommend joining in next time it’s on) I met Andrew Swenson who runs the Wordpost.org blog. We discussed blogging, marketing and even shared a critique of each others work. During the email discussion that ensued Andrew asked me if I’d be interested in explaining more about Brandhabits for a guest post on his blog.
Source: wordpost.org
You can find the full post there. Please feel free to comment either on Andrew’s blog or below. I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts.
Here’s a summary to whet your appetite:
I recently tweeted a link to a post on Marketing Profs. The post shared research conducted to inform impulse buying strategies. Findings included the impulse buying habits of women vs men as well as the effect of coupons and in-store displays. I found it quite brief but interesting, hence the tweet. However, it stirred a couple of followers and ex-colleagues. A debate ensued regarding the issue of ‘hyperconsumption’ and corporations’ responsibility to manage impulse buying.
I thought this would be a good opportunity to post for and against impulse buying on the blog. In Part 1 @_MattMorris argues that brands should focus on increasing brand loyalty and frequency of purchase through the strength and merits of their brand instead of exploiting society’s weaknesses for a bargain.
I’ll follow up with Part 2 in a few days. Enjoy the guest post below and please add to the debate in the comments.
Brandhabits
