Re-Branding For The “New Normal” After Coronavirus?
Almost overnight, the response to this pandemic has forced most people around the world into completely new behavioral patterns – e.g. lockdowns, isolation, social distancing, more frequently washing hands, online working and meetings, etc. Our traditional daily regimens have been thrown out the window. Fortunately our adapting to these adjustments seems to be working as we see new glimmers of hope every day. But what will be the impact long term from these new adaptations? In particular, will our values and behavior permanently change, and how? These are important questions for brand...
Read MoreA Re-Branding Challenge: Transforming Portland, ME Into A New Tech Hub
Maine’s largest city, Portland, has become “hot” in recent years. Unemployment is only 2.2%, the food scene is creative and trendy, population growth of its metropolitan area has been strong, and Zillow rates its real estate market “very hot”. Its location appeals to active Millennials, only two hours from Boston, with a stunning coast and nearby mountains offering adventurous skiing, camping and hiking. But questions linger on whether Portland can get beyond its basic lobster and tourism business. City leaders ask what will drive the economy in the future, and whether/ how to...
Read MoreWhy Trust For A Brand Is More Crucial Today
Our polarized, internet driven world today is filled with falsehoods, cyber attacks, misinformation and nasty accusations. All this has created an extraordinary crisis of TRUST, which is the indispensible value for successful branding. Nothing is more important to customers than a healthy sense of trust, – i.e. a reflection of the credibility, integrity, comfort, transparency, authenticity and emotional engagement with a brand. There are many types of trust-related risks for brands today but the most common are associated with social media, especially privacy and security. A...
Read MoreWhat Is NOT Good Value – The U.S. Healthcare System
Consumers question what is “good value” more than ever these days. This trend started in earnest in the Great Recession in 2008. In particular, Millennials with fewer job opportunities and lower income started to ask whether the promised benefits of brands were worth the price charged. In many cases, the benefit can be open to interpretation, especially for perceived gratification from high image products like fashion, cosmetics, fragrances, etc. But when the price for “standard benefits” is so out of line, then credibility and trust for that brand becomes a real issue. The concept of value...
Read MoreThe Dynamics Of Emotion And Lying To Sustain Brand Loyalty
The essence of good branding lies with trust and credibility. Yet we are unfortunately living in a partisanship world that is characterized by levels of mendacity that has never been witnessed before. How can world leaders like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi in India or Recep Erdogan from Turkey continue to lie so frequently and blatantly, and still sustain strong loyalty for their personal brand among their core base of supporters? Does this have noteworthy implications for other brands? This tendency to stretch the truth or simply express “alternative facts”...
Read MoreHow Millennial Skepticism Will Shape Brands In The Future
Millennials and Generation Z are becoming increasingly unsettled about their lives, their careers and the world around them. Their trust in traditional institutions (e.g. political, business, media and religious leaders) has never been lower, according to the recent Global 2019 Millennial Survey by Deloitte. Importantly their ambitions and values are very different from older generations. What will all this mean for our future? Will their pessimism deter economic growth, or instead encourage innovation and even create new opportunities for re-positioning brands and engaging employees? A...
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