A look at Reforming The Attention Economy
In todays’ world of brand building, going from zero to sixty in half the time is the goal. As technology creeps ever so deep into our worlds, how do we tap into our humanity? We are at a very interesting intersection; a nexus between push-button creativity and the desire to feel the earth in our toes. So, how do we tap into brand building in a way that taps into our current social cultures?
I remember when the “Mad Men” of my time wore clothes like Ron Burgundy in “Anchorman.” A time where people had a place in their fields of work. Today, individuals don’t like titles — they view these as a set up for a pecking order. They grew up in a world where everyone got a participation award. Now, these new entrepreneurs tend to rest the success of their entire business on their own marketing abilities. Yes, entrepreneurs have great ideas, plenty of determination and talent, but branding is a whole other world.
For instance, social media messaging, which is a big part of branding, works best when kept super simple. Know your message and get to the root of it quickly. How many clicks does it take to get to the center of a call-to-action?
It’s likely that a Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter blast, designed to create a stir, plus support materials in various media would drive audiences toward their database or website. Branding a company or organization should not be about money and more about eyeballs… you need to attract.
What’s so funny now, is that companies, large and small, are all in the same boat, facing the same tech battles. Just so you know, tech goes both ways… it makes production easier but also takes work away from professionals who understand branding. Apps are cool but they can’t do it all. Truth is, success is more about strategy then ego. Take for instance a company like “Starbucks” — creating a few quick animated social media blasts directing fans to special deals will go a long way. It is nice to create a look and style that can help carry on the personality of the company within the art itself. With in an App universe you might only have a choice between 4 or 5 options. Folks out there on the internet quickly become collectors of social media art. Why not have your product placement be that collectible?
A theory of branding and marketing talks about push and pull as two separate approaches… we now live in the tech world which means, you need to expand your concept of marketing to include both. Although the goal is to increase sales, you really need to change that into increasing engagement. You need to create brand that attracts an audience or at least makes them smile. Here is a very simple social media sample featuring “Cuties.” We kept it real and fun with personality for the company and product.
Here is another sample of a social media blitz for Chipotle. The idea is to think more about the energy you would like your audience to think about your product or company and create around that. The internet has grouped all social groups into one gigantic pool. Making things go viral means letting your concept be understood quickly, so these little blasts need to be quick and to the point. They may actually only be part of a campaign; think of them as the ringer. Only remember, this is not about pushing your audience to engage, rather creating content that encourages them to pull themselves through and… click. If you want to go beyond one click, you need to keep them interested. This is where emotion comes in… let them be interested and they’ll find you interesting.
So, the next time you think about creating market awareness, think about more than just what an App can do, and more about who you are and who you want to attract. Your brand starts with your materials and a $2 App will not give you the individual identity that your company or product needs. Think about how important your property is and begin the social blasts with that in mind. Like they say, you get out what you are willing to put in. Branding can sometimes be the most powerful tool in development or resurrection.
The CyberCowboy