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Tag: Brand Relevance

Stop Worrying About Getting Attention and Start Paying Attention

Posted on by Chris Ames

The most valuable currency in the world is the fact you’re reading this right now. Your attention is like a scarce mineral and companies will blast mountains with dynamite for the tiniest trace element of it.

It’s safe to say we live in the attention economy. In exchange for everything being “free,” we have transitioned from being customers to the product. The phrase “time is money” has always rung true, but never before has it been so monetized or measured.

As a result, naturally, brands desperately want to know one thing above all else: how do we get attention? How do we differentiate, go viral, get the most number of eyes on us? While you can’t fault brands for thinking this way, it’s entirely the wrong approach. In fact, it only contributes to a negative feedback loop.


The truth is, if you think you deserve a piece of people’s valuable time, you need to stop worrying about getting attention and start paying attention. The answer is not jam-packing a podcast with as many ads as possible like an overstuffed doll. It is not those creepy targeted ads that follow you from page to page like a stalker. The answer is and always has been about paying close attention to what people want, need, desire, or lack—and solving those problems in ways that are quick, easy, delightful, or unexpected.

There are many ways to pay attention. Some brands take an inward look, examining the nuances of their industry to innovate within their space. Others look outward, examining the world around them and thoughtfully responding to what they observe. Either way, the following examples demonstrate that the best way to grow is keeping your gaze off the follower count and on the big picture.

Brands That Capture Attention by Looking Inward

Trader Joe’s is a $10 billion supermarket chain that’s biggest form of advertising is a thin newspaper that looks like something you might wrap fish with. Yet, they have built a devoted cult of fans through a unique line of constantly updated products, relentlessly friendly staff, and an unrivaled customer-service ethos. It positions itself as a “neighborhood grocery store” and as such, pays incredibly close attention to what people are interested in. You don’t come to Trader Joe’s to get everything on your list, you come to get your favorites and discover new obsessions. If they were aiming to get the most attention possible, they would carry trash bags, Ziploc bags, and fifteen kinds of toilet paper. Instead, they eschew trying to be everything to everyone and pick their spots carefully.

Spotify is a music streaming service, but like all companies in 2019, they really are a data company. They have an amazing track record of paying close attention to that data, drawing hyper-specific insights and doing incredible things with them. Spotify Wrapped curates all your favorite music into a year-end compilation with stats about your unique listening habits. Their billboards are famous for their humor and exactitude. For example, the “Listen Like You Used To” campaign contrasts the way today’s 40s-50s crowd enjoyed music back in their youth versus the comfortably bland realities of today. Research shows that people’s musical tastes as teenagers largely set their preferences into adulthood. Meaning, if you enjoyed that Spice Girls CD in 1996, you’re probably still going to find it’s a banger in 2019. Spotify listens to its customers so they can listen to what they love.

As a food and entertainment magazine, Bon Appetit has basically been doing the same thing since its first publication in 1956. They come up with recipes, offer recommendations, and write reviews. They haven’t changed their formula, but by paying attention to the exact format people want that content in, they have gone from a food magazine to a digital content empire. Their videos generated 1.3 billion views across all social media platforms last year, and with the addition of a new streaming video service, that number is only expected to grow. It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about honing your craft and discovering the perfect conditions for that wheel to gain the most traction.

Brands That Capture Attention by Looking Outward

“The President stole your land,” declared Patagonia, in response to Trump’s reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” said Nike, in response to the suspension of Colin Kaepernick and the larger issue of police brutality.

“Is this the best a man can get?” posed Gillette, in response to the #MeToo movement and toxic masculinity.

“If someone asked you to describe yourself, what would you say?” asked Dove, in response to negative self-talk and unattainable beauty standards.

These brands (and many others) are experts at tapping into the national conversation by paying attention to the things that keep us up at night. They take risks, not just because they have the guts, but because they know taking a stand on social issues pays off. According to the 2018 Edelman Earned Brand report, 64% of consumers worldwide are “belief-driven buyers.” That controversial Nike campaign? It just won an Emmy. From Everlane’s radical price transparency to Lush’s sustainability ethics, there are infinite ways for your brand to authentically enter a larger discourse.

What high-level questions can your brand start asking? Where can you genuinely put a stake in the ground? How can you use your product as a vehicle for meaningful change?

Thank You for Your Attention

We need to start treating attention as the precious resource that it is. Whether by looking inward or outward, the best brands are those that make us feel the time we invest is time well spent. Because the hard truth is: we’re never getting that time back.

Emotive Brand is a brand strategy and design agency in Oakland, California.

Maintaining Brand Relevance in a Fast-Paced World

Posted on by Tracy Lloyd

Brand Relevance Amidst New Expectations

In a time of constant change and heightened customer expectations, the greatest danger facing most brands today is loss of brand relevance. People are ultra-connected. Markets constantly shift. New trends emerge. Competitors enter and shake things up. And customers expect more from the brands they buy from. As a result, many businesses struggle to stay relevant —trying to get ahead of competition, adapt fast enough, and maintain their position in the market.

In order to survive, brands need to evolve in a way that differentiates them from their competitors, and at the same time meets the needs of the customers who matter to their business. Oftentimes faced with an issue of relevance, brands struggle between two ends—wanting to gain parity with competitors and adapt to market needs, while feeling worried about losing established brand credibility or diluting their brand image.

As a result, maintaining brand relevance comes down to two courses of action:

  1. Adapting to the current needs of customers in the market, or
  2. Disrupting what people want to buy. Many businesses do this by creating new categories or subcategories altogether – altering the way customers approach a purchase, and making their brand a pioneer in a new category

Sometimes in these situations, brands have to reposition all together. This is why brands that maintain long-term relevance are often bold, strong brands—constantly moving forward, innovating, adapting, and disrupting, while making sure they stay true to the core of their brand. So how do you know what direction to take? How do you make sure your brand maintains value in a competitive marketplace?

Here are some rules of brand relevance.

Be customer-centric. Everything your brand invests in, builds, and brings to market should be designed to meet the needs of your target markets. This includes needs that customers themselves might not yet be aware of. It’s about working to see what others don’t. These kinds of insights can allow you to create brand relevance in ways that your competitors are not. So get in your customers heads. Analyze their purchase patterns. Examine the ways they live their daily lives, and build a brand that integrates seamlessly into the lives of the people who matter to your success.

Focus on experience. Focusing on your customers means focusing on how people experience your brand. As a result, every touchpoint counts, and relevancy can only be maintained if your brand interacts and engages in relevant ways. It’s not only about a single product. Or a new website. Your brand has to create a holistic experience that is relevant to your target audiences at every point.

Don’t forget what makes you different. Jumping on a bandwagon may be a short-term fix, but it’s not going to help build long-term brand relevance. You have to adapt in ways that still play to your brand strengths and emphasize why your brand is different. You don’t want to lose your brand’s differentiating factors in an attempt to stay relevant.

Create, innovate, and engage. Be open, take chances, and don’t be afraid to push your limits, engage in fresh ways, and find unique ways of meeting your customers’ needs. Don’t put your brand or business in a box. If you do, you will lose any chance of staying relevant in a competitive market. So as leaders, make sure you strive to build a workplace that encourages creativity and innovation. And don’t fear doing something new.

Align decisions with your purpose. Make sure you’re making authentic brand decisions. Trying to stay relevant but not doing it authentically never works. So look to where you want your brand to head. What are your long-term goals and aspirations? How can your maintain relevance while moving towards those goals?

Relevant Brands are Successful Brands 

Brand relevance is never a sure thing. Anything can change at any moment. As a result, smart brands understand the rules of relevance, and earn and re-earn their position in the market place each and every day. Think of all the brands and even entire categories of brands that have fallen off the map, many of which used to hold immense value for groups of customer. How? Loss of relevance is probably to blame.

Maintaining brand relevance means maintaining the trust and loyalty of your customers. Brands that commit to being relevant brands are focused on and oftentimes ahead of what their customers might expect and need, willing to rise to the top, take a risk and redefine what they do and/or how they do it, all while staying true to who they are as a brand.

So take time to consider how you can build a more relevant brand. Maintaining brand relevance is the key to remaining valuable to the people who matter to your business and where it’s headed.

Emotive Brand is a brand strategy and design agency in Oakland, California.

Brand Relevance Is The New Differentiation

Posted on by Tracy Lloyd

We believe brands need to stand out, not just by being different, but by being both personally relevant and emotionally important to people.

We came across this statement by Elliot Schreiber, Ph.D on his blog “Brand and Reputation” that sums up the key difference between “differentiation” and “relevance”:

Relevance is More Important than Differentiation: Business strategists, Marketers and brand managers have been fixated on differentiation. Customers, however, are drawn to relevance – the things that “connect with them emotionally”. As I explain to my students, differentiation is all the people you date; relevance is the one you marry because you cannot live without them. It is emotional and irrational, but the bond is strong. Consider all of the competitors who worked on their versions of the iPad that would be different, faster, etc. Regardless of what was introduced, the customer preferred the iPad. It was the most relevant product on the market.

When a brand seeks a meaningful position through personal relevance and emotional importance, it starts by discovering what makes it potentially relevant and then focuses on evoking the emotions that will support, extend and highlight that relevance.

That’s the role of the emotive branding process: why + emotions = meaning.

For more information on our brand strategy methodology take a peak at our methodology.

Emotive Brand is a brand strategy and design consultancy.

TV Wars: Linear vs. Digital, A Brand Relevancy Battle

Posted on by Paige Lansing Valle

A Brand Relevancy Battle

It’s a big week for TV broadcast networks as they unveil their new lineup and advertisers strategize where to invest valuable dollars. With all the buzz around the hot shows on air, we’re captivated by the parallel conversations around how linear TV is fighting to keep up with digital TV. Because on-demand television has taken over as the norm, the quest for traditional networks to maintain brand relevancy is paramount.

In just a few years, the ritual of sitting down to watch your favorite program at its scheduled time has all but disappeared from American culture. With the shift toward digital platforms, the big players of days past (ABC, NBC, CBS) are losing brand loyalty to today’s digital TV companies: HBO, Netflix, and Amazon. As it stands, traditional networks that rely on linear TV as their bread and butter are having a hard enough time competing with digital TV to produce top-rated shows. In the 2015 Emmys, HBO (which streams shows off of HBO Go and HBO Now) won 14 awards. Comedy Central came in second with four awards. The gap gets even larger with ABC at two awards and CBS and NBC each with one.

If everyone is streaming TV when they want it, on the device they want it, and wherever they want it, and it’s clear they are, how can scheduled programming (and the ad dollars tied to it) hold onto viewers? The latest TV trends show off a few strategies including one I recently wrote about: capitalizing on the emotions of nostalgia by creating or reintroducing shows set in the past. It’s familiar, it’s safe, it’s predictable. It’s a campaign, not a brand turnaround. And while viewers enjoy taking a walk down memory lane every once in awhile, this strategy doesn’t have enough lasting power to really change the tide for traditional TV networks.

As these networks look to maintain relevance with consumers who no longer have tolerance for commercials, another increasingly popular strategy has arisen: embedding advertising into programming, much like digital TV embeds ads into their platforms. Subliminal advertising reduces the amount of 30 second spots needed to pay the bills, but in exchange may raise questions of quality or authenticity. It’s not like this is a new strategy – sponsored content has always been embedded into television – but as it becomes increasingly common, it’s hard to imagine that the industry can sustain this practice and create quality programs.

In order for networks to re-establish brand relevance, the best bet is to continue doing what they do best. In an age of infinite modes of connectivity, networks should capitalize on one thing digital streaming devices don’t offer: be the ONLY place to watch a show or newscast at the ONLY time it’s broadcasted. People are desperate for a sense of community and connection. Linear TV is one of the few modes of media where it’s possible that you, your neighbor, your grandma across the country, and the President of the United States can all see the same thing at the same time. It’s uplifting to know that there were 26.7 million of us watching the women beat Japan in last year’s World Cup, one of the most watched sports broadcasts of 2015. And who doesn’t remember the season finale of Seinfeld? Well, OK, maybe the millennials. But they’ve been keeping American Idol alive for way longer than it should be. With the presidential elections heating up with more drama than politics, America will be watching everything unfold live from now through November. That’s a captive audience that streaming just can’t replicate.

The key to building TV network brand relevance is to hone in on the needs of viewers: people want to feel more connected to each other, not our devices. By positioning traditional TV brands as the only place to watch the summer Olympics, the Presidential debates, the Academy Awards, or the season finale of the Big Bang Theory at the only time, you can guarantee your mom, your neighbor, and your boss are watching too. TV networks can cultivate the sense of community that we crave and re-engage people with media that’s worth discussing. In turn, TV networks can justify the advertising spend that they depend on. By offering something that unites us – a place to sit down and watch TV at a designated time on a designated channel – linear TV stands apart as a true connector of people, something that digital TV can’t compete with.

Who do you think will win the brand relevancy battle?

Emotive Brand is a San Francisco branding agency.