The lack of (and critical need for) brand ideas with legs.

For a long time, I’ve noticed a definite lack of sustaining, extended campaign ideas for brands, most notably in the US.

I see amazing ideas with legs aplenty, opportunities for social, experiential tactics that could be fresh and disrupt for years, but almost never do I see a Round Two, let alone a campaign that extends to – or beyond – one measly year.

Instead, I see a tactic here, a tactic there, all short-lived, and little if any meaningful connection between all those tactics. And if CMOs don’t believe in long-term, consistent campaigns and agencies don’t, then holy crap – what’s going on?

And since we hear that people don’t believe in or follow brands anymore, why aren’t we addressing the potential reasons why they don’t?

Okay. Then here are some of the many problems and insights for your consideration:

“Campaigns don’t work anymore because people get bored too fast.” Oh really. Are our attention spans really getting shorter? We’ve always been told how many thousands of ads we all see every day and how Facebook gives you only three seconds, and how young people have no patience and on and on....

but maybe read these two studies:

https://martechseries.com/sales-marketing/customer-experience-management/survey-finds-attention-spans-arent-shrinking-theyre-evolving/

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-38896790

Because I don’t think our supposed “short attention spans” are true, or, the problem at all.

Parents and teenagers and changing youth Speaking of attention spans, if you’re old enough to be a parent, or young enough to remember being a teenager, then consider this. When a teenager individuates/rebels against the parents and goes away emotionally or physically, the best thing for the parent to do is to stay right where you are, like a lighthouse. Because that child will be looking back at some point and the best thing you can be, is to be there when they do. You can change, develop and grow, but the point is to be and remain something they know, trust, respect and can count on. Again, like a lighthouse. It’s not easy and sometimes pays very little, but it’s the right thing to do. Former teenagers, feel free to chime in.

The moral: when the world changes faster than your brand does, stay where you are and build a deeper foundation of meaning. And please, make it something amazing and wonderful. For you, for your brand and most of all, for the people whose money you want to take.

Overwhelming change and lack of belief. It may well be that the race of technology and the fact that every social media platform trying to become its own TV network, has a few hundred thousand people in the advertising and marketing business world thoroughly confused, flummoxed and burnt out. And this creates ennui, depression and a deep lack of belief in anything that seems from “the good old days”. But what is human and true never changes, so anyone over the age of 50 want to comment?

So here’s how to build an idea, then a brand, then a business with sustaining, growth and scale:

1. Duh. Find out what your business means to this world.
2. Duh. Find out the truth of your internal culture.
3. Duh. Hopefully you hired someone brilliant at helping you figuring out Number 1 and 2. And helping you harmonize your Number 1 and 2.
4. Work your ass off to find the best, most creative, audacious idea (based on Number 1 and 2) and before you proceed, look ahead as far as you can into the future and figure out how long this idea can last, in how many rippling extensions and in how many platforms and medias. If your chosen idea doesn’t have these endless legs, start over at Number 1.

No offense, but this is what I know and this is why I’m here on this earth. Because all the insights I share and ideas I create have these kinds of endless legs for every client, large and small.

So in summation, maybe it’s time for us all to admit to ourselves, that in late 2018, none of us really know what’s going on out there. But please, trust me, knowing what’s going on inside each of us as human beings is always worth knowing. And worth extending.

I’d love to hear from you – are there any brands with legs that you’d care to share?

Yours in curly quotes,