Ogilvy on Ogilvy - Marketing Wisdom (6)

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Defining the "360-degree Brand Steward" in the "Post-Internet Era" breaks the long-held misconception that brand building can be achieved overnight with substantial advertising budgets. Creating brand awareness does not equal building a brand. Brand building has its own discipline and complexity, and it cannot be easily concealed. We define a brand as the relationship between a product and its users. Like all relationships, it is complex, multifaceted, and formed through countless experiences and touchpoints. At Ogilvy, we focus on understanding the relationship between brands and consumers, which is the core of the "360-degree Brand Steward." Based on our consistent corporate philosophy, the "560-degree Brand Steward" drives an in-depth and intensive practical operation model. This model is the key to delivering great results. We strive to understand how the relationship between consumers and brands manifests itself. What are the potential touchpoints—so-called "critical moments"—that etch a brand's value into consumers' minds and emotions? Only based on this can we move from facts to insights and inspiration, then craft a compelling brand proposition. Only under a "big idea" can a brand fully unleash its potential. Our ultimate challenge is to execute this high-value brand proposition perfectly and connect with customers to build the brand. Today, it is fascinating that "creative execution" has an incredible variety of forms. It is within this diversity that we find the opportunity for 560-degree branding. We have repeatedly seen how various media can work together to build a brand. This is vastly different from—and even the opposite of—simply plastering slogans everywhere. Each medium plays a unique role, carries a specific message, and connects with consumers in a distinctive way. Mass media advertising can lay the foundation. It is the most effective in establishing the brand proposition and enticing consumers to desire a deeper relationship. Our definition of media extends beyond TV or print ads to include unexpected touchpoints. For example, branded popcorn boxes in movie theaters in New York, posters at construction sites in London, bus body ads in San Francisco, murals in Rio, floor art creations in grocery stores in Bogotá, and brand communication through fruit in Singapore. Brands can convey messages through various public channels: from sponsoring events to lobby spaces, from retail stores to sports arenas, from a rock concert in Central Park, New York (where American Express launched the "Blue Card"), to distributing free samples by wells in rural India (our rural marketing for Unilever, reaching millions of new consumers). Brands can also communicate in highly personalized and special ways, delivering messages to consumers via computers, mobile phones, or a combination of both. These touchpoints accumulate in consumers' minds, determining the fate of the brand. Our job is to master such combinations.