I think a lot about what brands that have failed to find their way in the world are missing and 9 in 10 times one critical mistake marketers are making is neglecting to find their antagonist, their ultimate enemy, and the thing they stand against. While it’s fine to say your brand is made of natural ingredients, family owned and passionate about giving back, as wholesome as these sound they are not nearly as compelling as building your brand story around a villain.
Didi: Wait…why must I always go first? Terver: Aren’t you the older one in this dynamic? I’m respecting my elders. Didi: I can use some disrespect, okay? Terver: Lemaooooo, invite me to your home and don’t give me food. You’ll see the real me then. Didi: Oh! I’m part Swed on my great grandmother’s side….
Over the years, we’ve seen brands celebrate International Women’s Day in a variety of ways and this year is no exception.
In this banter post, we review some of the most impactful brand campaigns from special women’s day discounts to inspirational films, brands celebrating exceptional female talent to launching new initiatives and donating to charities. We share lessons along the way on what brands should and should not do.
As kids, we’re obsessed with fitting in. Our deepest fears are centred around being left out and we make behavioural, fashion and even lifestyle choices to gain the approval of our peers. This continues well into our teenage years no matter how many times we hear the words “just because your friends are doing it, does not mean you should too.”
And then as we approach adulthood, almost overnight, the script flips and the most backhanded compliment you can give an adult is implying that they’re not special.
I like to think that brands are like people. At inception brands are happy just for the chance to play in the category, fulfilling the same needs that the competition does. However, as they reach maturity, in an ideal world the best brands shed their “me-too” skins in pursuit of unique brand personas.
But a quick look across industries will show you that far too many brands are failing to grow out of “me-too” marketing. Colloquially termed ‘copycat’ marketing, the “me too” strategy is as big a problem for green horn brands as it is for even the most established brand names.
In my early days as a strategist, I was obsessed with interrogating celebrity worship culture. Particularly celebrity worship culture fueled by controversy. It seemed asinine to me that the more problematic a public figure behaved, the more likely people were to tattoo their faces to visible body parts, scream uncontrollably and have complete meltdowns at the sight of them.
Can controversy be a tool for business growth?