It’s an interesting perspective, and one that I think could be easily compared with other historical movements in music. The rapid growth in hip-hop and rap went from an underground club movement to making mainstream headlines, almost overnight. Now, fans of indie rock bands seem to be experiencing a similar situation as the bands that were once unknown outside of their small group of friends, have started to seep into mainstream television shows like The OC and Grey’s Anatomy.
So what’s the problem with this transformation? As Engage’s video notes, the passion and participation that surrounded these music movements tended to get watered down in order to be sold to a wider audience.
Actually, I find it hard to criticize any musician or band that “sells out” to hit it big. I mean really, who wants to ride around in a stinky van for the rest of their lives when there is a massive tour bus within their reach? But when it comes to social media, watering down the passion that got us here won’t help us reach a wider audience. I’d argue it will only lose you the community you’ve worked hard to grow and lead to social media becoming just another media channel for consumers to ignore.
So what’s the answer?
Engage suggests listening and responding are the keys. I do believe that is a part of it, but there’s more to it than that. Assigning an intern a Google Alert and the login information to a list of social networks won’t cut it.
It’s about being providing value, engaging and empowering people, and most of all, being human.
Otherwise, what makes social media any different than any traditional form of media?
Your Brand Day, a now vintage meme that was started by Dear Jane Sample. It made the rounds last year, but has had a recent resurgence when two very popular technology and internet culture blogs Boing Boing and Kottke are jumped on the bandwagon.
Alan Wolk over at The Toad Stool, pointed to this meme resurrection, as he was one of the first to participate last year. Since I didn’t participate, I wanted to give it a go this time around.
Here’s my brand timeline.
Isn’t it fascinating how many things you can learn about a person just by knowing what brands they use. You can probably look at my timeline and make some accurate guesstimations as to what my typical day looks like.
Now it’s your turn.
Create your own brand timeline and share it in the comments. The William Burk Agency has created a web application to make the process a lot easier. Click the start button below to get going.
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(A side note: It’s interesting to see how some things on the internet come and go in waves, a lot like fashion trends that come back around every few generations.)
That’s a frightening statistic that Martin Lindstrom spit out in a ClickZ post on co-branding in March of 2002. My guess would be that this hasn’t changed much in seven years.
Most brand alliances are formed with the best of intentions but by the time they are put into action appear forced and contrived. To put it more bluntly, they just don’t fit.
Recently, I spotted a co-branding effort that I couldn’t help but take a shine to. TOMS Shoes, the shoe company built on a model of conscious capitalism, has teamed up with Element, a skateboard and clothing company known for it’s ethical approach to business and direction.
Their collaboration bonds the brands together through their core beliefs in community outreach. They have created a One for One skateboard program that is modeled after TOMS One for One program with shoes. It’s a perfect extension for Element, which through their non-profit organization, Elemental Awareness, regularly hosts after school skate programs that work with kids from local communities. This partnership provides Element a chance to take their mission to the kids of Durban, South Africa.
This is the description of the collaboration from the Element website:
When TOMS Shoes and Element joined forces to create a better tomorrow, the concept of a One for One skateboard was born. For every TOMS + Element skateboard purchased, Element gives a skateboard to a child outside of Durban, South Africa to provide refuge from the dangerous areas in which they live. As part of this collaboration, TOMS + Element created a limited edition collection of TOMS Shoes.
TOMS and Element are hosting a contest, giving participants a chance to win the trip of a lifetime, to be a part of the shoe and board drop in South Africa. They are accepting entries in the form of videos and essays now.
So why does this brand alliance seem to be having so much success, while 90 percent of other co-branding efforts fail?
Martin Lindstrom lists three ground rules that both brands must abide by in order to form a successful alliance. TOMS and Element are dead on with each of these rules.
Equal Value for All Parties
There has to be clear equal value for both parties. Martin says that, “No relationship in which one of the two parties has a better deal has survived.”
Brand Value Match
The brands must share the same values from the inside out. If they don’t align at any level, this is a warning sign.
Easy to Understand
The relationship must be easily understood by both the brands and their customers. If you can’t explain the value then forget it.
If either brand can’t deliver on any of these three criteria, it’s time to rethink your co-branding alliance.
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Do you have any examples of co-branding disasters?
For the past two decades Harley-Davidson has been seen as a free-spirited, rebellious brand. Drawing on images from classic movies like “Easy Rider” and “Wild One” the company struck a chord with well-to-do baby boomers, who needed to feel like they are breaking the rules and every once and a while. For Harley owners, riding is a way to escape everyday life and feel like an outlaw without actually breaking any laws (except maybe changing lanes without proper signal).
It’s this bond with boomers that has gained Harley some of the most loyal customers you will ever see. Harley has shown that they know what their brand stands for, and until recent months has remained true to those beliefs, even during tough times.
Tough Times
Harley, like a majority of manufacturers, have in fact been facing hard times. Harley reported a 37% drop in first-quarter profits because of sluggish sales and plans to eliminate up to 400 more blue-collar jobs over the next two years.
On the surface this looks like the sluggish economy is having it’s way with another American business. That is certainly true, but I speculate that there might be some deeper signs of trouble for Harley that are being overshadowed by the recession.
Take for example the fact that Harley’s biggest demographic, the baby boomers, will soon be reaching ages where riding a motorcycle will become less and less of a priority and in some cases physically impossible. And with baby boomers on their way out as Harley customers, there are not nearly enough numbers in Gen X to fill their shoes. That leaves Gen Y, a generation that has never heard of “Easy Rider” and has grown up on movies like “Fast and the Furious” where speedier, more nimble sport bikes take the screen, and there are no heavy-motor bikes like Harley anywhere in sight.
Searching for Relevance with Gen Y
Some small steps have been taken to gain loyalty from Gen Y, like the acquisition of Buell Motorcycles in 1998, and the introduction of the V-Rod in 2001, which was the first completely new bike the company has produced in 50 years. The V-Rod incorporated a more aerodynamic design like that of sport bikes, and is noticeably quieter than the typical Harley.
But these moves have done little to gain the interest of the younger generations, and have looked more like a company that has one foot in the boat and one on the shore, as they struggle to find relevancy with Gen Y without losing their most loyal and profitable boomer customers.
More recently, Harley has taken, what I’d consider a bold new direction with the hiring of former GM executive, Dino Bernacchi as director of advertising, promotions and entertainment. He’s the guy that was responsible for trying to thinking he could buy a bit of pop culture by matching up megastars like Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z and Tiger Woods with automobile from the GM line.
Bernacchi seems to have a bit of an addiction to Hollywood and was once quoted saying,
Everybody wants to be youthful and feel good and live vicariously through these celebrities. Sure, everybody criticizes it, but then we can’t get our eyes off of it.
Taking a page out of his old playbook at GM, Bernacchi seems think he can instill some youth into the Harley brand by throwing it into the spotlights of Hollywood.
So far there have been tie-ins with the HBO series True Blood, placements on FX’s Sons of Anarchy (one of my favs), and recently Harley teamed up with some famous gals (Jillian Michaels, Jewel, Tricia Helfer and Deborah DiMiceli) for the June issue of Vanity Fair.
I may just be me on this one, but I find the glitz and glam of Hollywood to be a big departure for the Harley brand. Even with their desperate need to find relevance with Gen Y, is Hollywood too far? Or maybe a little stardom is exactly what Harley needs.
What do you think? Is Harley turning it’s back on it’s brand?
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