The branding crisis and opportunity ultimately arose from the change in media. The key to this change is That the subject of media has shifted from brand to consumer-centeredThat’s it.
So the branding has also changed. In the past, it was about accurately conveying our message through the media, but now it can be said that branding is about forming and managing this brand ecosystem.
In other words, our goal is to allow consumers to create and interact with content related to our brand (exactly, ’empathy value’).
How to create a brand ecosystem?
The first step in creating a brand ecosystem is to find ‘consensus values’ between brands and consumers. And to build that empathy value into an ecosystem, ‘frame’, ‘storytelling’ and ‘community’ are used.
In this article, I will focus on the execution elements rather than repeating the same content.
Creating Empathy Value
Common value is not about ‘product’ or ‘quality’. About this, I summoned a video of Steve Jobs several times and talked about it. Nike does not sell shoes, but pays homage to sports players, and Apple also arouses the passion to live ‘sports’ and ‘creative’ in a way that pays homage to great creators.
Lululemon has the value of ‘sweet life’, and Oroly has the value of ‘happiness’. Creating empathic value is a step in clearly establishing what values ’we’ pursue together, not between brands and consumers.
Provide elements of consumer engagement
If empathy values have been created, elements that consumers can participate in must be created. In this process, consumers create content, and a sense of solidarity is formed between participating consumers.
Participation elements include:
- Content: programs or guides that can be participated at all times (homet, etc.)
- Community: A meeting where we can connect with our consumers online or offline (Trebari Reading Group, etc.)
- Participation events: Programs related to consumer interest (and brand value), such as lectures and performances (yoga classes, etc.)
- Product idea: Consumers directly participate in the product development process
You don’t have to have all of these engagement elements. As we proceed one by one, we should focus on the value we are aiming for and the one that best fits the consumer’s propensity.
Ambassador Utilization
Ambassadors play an important role in shaping the direction of the community. It is not simply the role of an influencer or brand muse. In the case of Glossier, the brand is exposed naturally in the form of collaborations with beauty creators or celebrities.
In the case of ‘Dakku TV’ mentioned earlier, it is also a content created through collaboration. In the beginning, you can increase interest by conducting such collaborations, but gradually, you can actively utilize internal power users to form your own brand culture.
Provide membership benefits
What are the benefits that can be given to members who actively participate? These benefits are not just financial rewards, they can give you a sense of identity as a part of this brand.
In addition to discounts, you can motivate continued participation by offering the opportunity to be the first to try a product, custom services, or invitations to a launch party.
This article is intended as a rough guide for non-branding companies. This is because we wanted to minimize trial and error when carrying out actual branding along with our own confidence to companies whose purpose itself is unclear: Why do we do branding?
These few articles may not be the answer, but I hope it helps a little to gain confidence that the answer is not far away.
The original text of this article can be found here.
