#1 The Oz Effect
In a scene from the 1939 film adaptation The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow (and her dog Toto) were directed to see the wizard in order to receive the specific thing that each of them sought. Once inside the massive castle, they were confronted by an angry giant menacing head with a booming voice and pyrotechnics. This scared them (including me when I was 8 years old) so bad they took off running in different directions. However, Toto kept pulling at a nearby curtain. Once he yanked it open, it revealed an old man, Mr. Oz, pulling levers to operate the giant head. Angry, the group confronted him and Dorothy calls him a very bad man. Oz’s response was “No, no, I am a very good man but I am a very bad wizard.” Oz was not able to keep Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow from seeing behind the curtain.
In our current era, neither can brands.
SproutSocial published a report titled #BrandsGetReal: Social media & the evolution of transparency Here are three stats worth your attention:
- 81% of people believe social media has increased accountability for businesses.
- 86% of Americans believe transparency from businesses is more important than ever before.
- 73% of consumers are willing to pay more for products that guarantee total transparency.
Brands found out 15 years ago that the best way to function on social media is to be transparent. After all, many people were using social media to post their immediate random thoughts. But once Facebook created the like button in 2009, suddenly revealing your dreams and aspirations became normative in order to chase likes. Call this a combo of performance art and therapy. This intensified a brand's desire to create a social media footprint that was perceived as authentic, honest and empathetic. Pre-internet, brand equity was attached to customer satisfaction discovered through monitoring purchases and conducting surveys. Now, customer interaction is also attached to brand equity. In this era of fake news, consumers want to see behind the curtain. Mr. Oz was able to redeem himself by using his wisdom and experience to redirect each sojourner away from what they perceived they desired to what they really needed.
Renee Vader, Wei Linn and Paul Martin of KMPG International, a global network of professional firms in 147 countries said this on the company's website:
The massive disruption wrought by COVID-19 has left an indelible mark on customers. Indeed, the customers you knew just three months ago are not the same people today. Normal preferences have shifted as customers exercise caution – about where, what and how they make their purchases. The impact on retailers and consumer goods companies will be tremendous.
The pandemic is forcing consumers to think about what really matters.
So, here is a question for you: If your brand believes in transparency, are you able to give your consumers an authentic experience based on their limited needs right now or are you still trying to sell them something they don't need?
Ron Tinsley is an award winning graphic designer, brand consultant and educator with 25+ years of experience in brand strategy and visual communications. He has a BFA in Graphic Design and a MA in Urban Studies. Ron has traveled the world as an ambassador and creative professional learning about visual culture and creative problemsolving strategies in other cultures in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe. He calls on these experiences when creating visual communications for nonprofits, businesses and social enterprises to engage diverse audiences. You can view his work and writings at https://www.prophetiksoul.com