6 Things the World Needs from Brands Today

Turn the clock back 25 years. It’s 7:30 PM on a lovely winter evening in 1992.

Depending on how old you were then, you are either (a) a 7-year old playing with a pull-back car that’s lost one wheel, but is still as fascinating to you (b) a 35-year old father, sipping a cup of hot tea after a long day at work (c) a 60-year old grandfather lounging on a rocking chair. No matter who you are and what you are doing, there’s one thing that’s striking – it’s just so quiet. So quiet, in fact, that you can hear a steel tumbler drop on the floor in the house next door, the grainy sound of a timeless melody playing on a transistor, the sound of a bicycle that just whizzed past your gate, and the chatter of three friends walking down the street, talking animatedly about that evening’s game.

Let alone the lack of any actual noise, there are almost no other stimuli to disturb you and diminish the purity of what you’re experiencing – no pings and notifications on your phone, no news anchors screaming their lungs out, no fuel-guzzlers rushing past your gate leaving poisonous fumes behind…nothing.

25 years ago, the term ‘advertorial’ didn’t exist. We tuned in to Ameen Sayani, without the knowledge that one day, RJs would be ‘creatively integrating’ brand names into messages. We shared good news with friends and family, without worrying how many of them would ‘like’ it. We watched news that didn’t play wardrobe malfunctions, gory murders & foul-mouthed politicians on a loop. We got to work in 20 minutes – and when we did, we worked without the constant fear of automation taking our jobs away.

Yes, life was a lot simpler then. The future was more or less predictable. It wasn’t media that was social; it was us. We had much lesser, but it felt like so much. We could choose what we saw and heard (and as a result, what we thought and felt). We were in control.

But not today.

Today, we are less trusting and more anxious. We laugh out loud far lesser than before – and when we do, we look around hoping that no one saw us. We’re ‘connected’ 24x7, but we meet far fewer people each day. We’re confounded by new tech and innovation, worried if we’ll get left behind by the pace of ‘progress’.

In a VUCA world, brands need to ask themselves:

• As people and markets mature, how do their expectations from brands change?
• With brands becoming omnipresent, what is people’s perception of – and response to – the multitude of commercial messages they receive each day?
• With everyday life getting more complex and demanding, what role can brands play to make things better?

Here, then, are the 6 things the world needs from brands today.

2 Hs, 2 Ts & 2 Cs

Hope: You just can’t miss it. From industry events to office cafeterias, board rooms to social networks, all we hear about is how AI / Automation / VR / AR / Robotics / IoT / 3D Printing / Big Data (take your pick) is going to impact our industry / function (and put precisely OUR job at risk). How does it make us feel? Energized? Or anxious?

In the personal realm, parents are far more anxious about how to prepare their children for an increasingly uncertain future; college students are anxious about their course material being out-of-tune with the times; senior citizens are anxious about their earning opportunities drying up.

Fears about one’s perceived inability to cope with a world that is changing too fast, are driving everything – from cases of substance abuse to depression to suicides – upwards.

Over the next few years, brands that help people overcome their anxieties – about themselves, and the world they live in – will win big. This infusion of hope could take different forms – upskilling people (for e.g., MOOCs from brands such as Coursera / Udemy / Simplilearn), creating progressive alternatives (for e.g., affordable electric cars by Tesla), or even a promise to change a broken system (on which the campaigns of Narendra Modi and Donald Trump were built).

Happiness: What makes you happy? Family time, pursuing a hobby, exercise? No matter what it is, there is no questioning the fact that we are far too busy these days to be as happy as we’d like. Sure, work itself is a source of great joy to many, but most of us will agree that we have far lesser time to indulge in things that give us joy. Moreover, the increasing materialism, negativity and sensationalism thrown at us by social and mass media, make it even tougher for us to be happy on a sustained basis.

So, where’s the opportunity for brands? Brands that are focused on creating authentic and practical solutions to enhance happiness in everyday life (making moments matter), will find more takers than ever.

Examples of such brands include Byju’s (infusing joy into learning), Maggi (infusing joy into snacking, with communication such as this, this and this) and The Art of Living (infusing joy into life itself).

Trust: It is no secret that people’s trust in brands (and in each other) has declined significantly over the last decade due to a multitude of factors – the 2008 recession, corporate and government scams, Ponzi schemes, fake news, paid news, clickbait, terrorism and the immigrant crisis, perceived lack of transparency from tech majors in the face of data privacy concerns…the list goes on. Many of these are phenomena that people have experienced for the first time in their lives, and it’s no surprise that they find it tough to accept things at face value any more.

Brands will do well to accept that people are basically sick of being sold to, overtly and covertly (mostly the latter these days – think influencer marketing & native advertising). Brands that stand the greatest chance of success in this environment, are those that (a) operate with a higher sense of purpose (b) build a narrative that connects all business decisions and initiatives back to the stated purpose, and (c) offer a consistently positive brand experience in line with the stated purpose and values.

The legendary Tata Group has consistently prioritized social upliftment and good corporate governance over business interests for a mind-boggling 150 years – earning them invaluable goodwill that helps them tide through challenging times. Newer brands attempting to take this route include Duck Duck Go, Brandless and Big Basket (one brand that has consistently prioritized quality and customer service over the easier route of paying obscene amounts to acquire customers).

Togetherness: The last decade can unquestionably be termed as the decade of social media – and clearly, social media is here to stay. But, there seems to be a kind of ‘cooling off’ that’s taking place. Whatsapp groups are being muted, Friend lists are being trimmed, people are taking social media sabbaticals, and some are swearing off social media entirely. Perhaps this stems from a growing feeling that while social media has helped us widen our networks, it hasn’t really helped us deepen our relationships.

People are increasingly reverting to what used to be – face-to-face conversations, quieter moments, and fewer but genuine relationships. Brands that enable us to spend time with those we love / care for / wish to interact with, in a disruption-free environment, will gain traction.

Coca-Cola did a great job of tapping this insight with this ad, as did this lovely ad from Pakistan. The success of initiatives such as the Human Library Project is yet another symbol of people’s increasing need for deeper and more meaningful relationships. Even Amazon – the flag-bearer of delivering delight – acknowledged with this ad that even their wide range of over 10 crore products is no substitute for being with your loved ones on special occasions.

Calm: What’s behind the rise of yoga, organic food, green tea, mindfulness apps and secluded retreats in the hills? A growing need for calm in our increasingly busy urban lives. As people begin to experience the pitfalls of a 24x7 life, they are taking a step back to assess the situation objectively, becoming aware of their limitations and accepting that they just cannot run a marathon at the speed of a 100mtr dash.

As we move ahead, we will see a lot more instances of people re-calibrating their goals, adjusting their pace and seeking alternative lifestyles – and that’s exactly the shift that brands should look to capitalize on.

Aman Resorts, for instance, has been consistent in its focus on providing rejuvenating, quiet getaways for the urban jetsetter. 24 Mantra has taken the long, hard route to introducing branded organic food to Indian consumers, and is reaping the benefits after 25 years of investments. Corporates encouraging employees to take sabbaticals, a fast-growing self-help section in online bookstores, and, people choosing to stay in green environs (even it means a longer drive to and back from work) are all symbols of an increasing need for greater calm and quiet in our lives.

Convenience: Uber recently launched the #ApniHiGaadi campaign, playing not on the value-for-money aspect, but on convenience. While the campaign’s efficacy is yet to be established, the insight is obvious – that in most large cities, driving takes away a good 3+ hours a day from a person’s life (let alone adding to one’s weariness and irritability). ‘Simply call for an Uber, and reach home relaxed’, seems to be the message.

Several other brands in the app space (Swiggy, Flipkart, Urbanclap, BookMyShow) that launched with the value-for-money/offers/discounts positioning, have gradually shifted to the convenience/quality assurance/value-adds positioning.

In a period where time is the greatest currency, brands will do well to either create or rejig their offerings to help free up time for their target audience. The increasing popularity of productivity tools (Hootsuite, Evernote, Unroll.me) and motivational audiobooks (that can be listened to, during the long commute to work) are further examples of the growing need for convenience.

In summary

Those, then, were the 6 Things the World Needs from Brands Today - Hope, Happiness, Trust, Togetherness, Calm & Convenience.

Going forward, marketers will need to find ways to address immediate business needs, while recognizing that the old ways of marketing just don’t work anymore. Across markets and audiences (rural / urban, seniors / millennials, B2B / B2C), needs have changed. People are far more aware of what they want – and confident enough to reject even the biggest brands, if those brands don’t fulfill their specific needs.

Both established majors and start-ups need to invest serious thought into looking / re-looking at their offerings from the customer’s viewpoint. The time for staid approaches, inside-out thinking and quick-fix solutions is over.

Here’s to an exciting new era in marketing – customer-focused, purpose-driven and authentic.

------------------------------

So, what did you think about this article? If there's something you'd like to add, do post your comments. If the article resonated with you, share it with your connections. Let's create greater shared awareness about the power of brands to bring about positive change - and, in return, benefit from it.