empathy

The Importance of Brand in an Era of Digital Darwinism

Part of an unpublished appendix for The End of Business as Usual…

Think of your favorite brand, and the first thing to come to mind is likely a logo, such as the Coca-Cola scripting, a tag-line, such as Nike’s “Just do it,” or a jingle – remember the Oscar Meyer Wiener song? These may be the aspects of a brand you remember, but they are no longer the most important aspects of branding today. Identity, persona, essence and promise, are the new kings and queens of the branding kingdom, thanks to technology and the deeper connections it opens up between brands and consumers.

Markets, consumer behavior and how businesses connect with customers are all directly impacted by technology. Looking at the rapid erosion of Blockbuster’s business model, it’s clear to see the impact that technology can have on consumer behavior. During Blockbuster’s initial bankruptcy filing, CNBC’s The Faber Report summarized it this way, “At the end of the day, this is one of those bankruptcies that’s not really about a financial situation as much as it’s about seminal changes in how people ultimately watch video.”

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Recalculating

Every once in a while, when we least expect it, life gives us a new turn, a twist and sometimes a shake. And we often don’t know what to do. Three weeks ago I was told something that would once again in the past 1 1/2years  change my life and my perceptions on how short and valuable life is. But what is most important, once I heard the news and got into my car to head home to soak it all in, my Garmin said something I had heard a million times before ( see I am geographically challenged and need my Garmin for directions) she said “recalculating.”

Normally this means, we are going in a different direction. Or, we are going to take a different route based on current input. But that day, “recalculating,” took on a whole new meaning. It meant, just that, Cd, we are still heading in new directions, you’re still learning to take a different route and most importantly based on input, whether it be health, finances, family or friends, you need to recalculate.

Recalculate > Rethink > Regroup > Look ahead > Yes it’s about you and what is happening now,  but use current circumstances (input) to rethink your goals,plans and dreams.

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Empathy: The first step in creating value

The first step in creating something valuable for your audience is to think and feel what your audience is feeling. Tom Asacker in A Little Less Conversation, p. 61

Empathy: getting really close to folks so you can almost see it from their eyes and feel it as they do

empathy

There’s never been a better time for small businesses and independents to leverage technology and excel! Asacker says you’ll need to “go deep” in your relationship with your marketplace. Deep enough, in fact, to be close enough to them during those precise times when they’re exposed to your types of products and services, evaluating options, receptive to messages, and making decisions, so that you can make informed predictions about how to stimulate their desire, have them care about and relate to you and your offering and, subsequently, make them happy (p. 61).

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