The year is still relatively young, so I think it’s reasonable to talk about where branding is going to go over the next few, fast-moving months. Geoffrey Colon of Branding Strategy Insider and the author of “Disruptive Marketing” asked the question in a late-2016 post and came up with five interesting prognostications.
First, he says, we’d better think audio. That seems contrarian in a world where so many people are glued to their phones and tablets. A world in which we’re exhorted to make our communications as visual as possible because that’s the best way to grab our audience’s attention. But think about it – and I had, actually, before reading Mr. Colon’s post all the way through – in work spaces where so many people are working out in the open, headsets make sense, and it makes even more sense that brands will use them to pitch their products.
Then there’s content marketing. Mr. Colon says it will focus more on asking consumers questions than telling them what to do. (Go out to the store and buy my product.) He says, “… many pieces of content in 2017 should have brands asking more questions about what people do and why they do it … In the 21st century, the Socratic Method will roar back and help all of us answer our own queries. Brands will simply be the catalyst.” Maybe I’m missing something here, but it seems to me that suggesting that your audience take action is still legitimate. Or is Mr. Colon saying that the brand is the answer to the questions marketing content asks?
Conversation bots – chat bots are here, like it or not. And, as Mr. Colon puts it, why not use a chat bot to spread misinformation about a competitor’s product rather than “influencers who are real people that I need to pay?” Why, indeed? Why not indulge in competitive character assassination cost-efficiently? Look out, you legacy brands, says Mr. Colon. Yuck, I say. Still, this is an important example of why not to stick your head in the sand.
The CMO will disappear. And why is that? According to Mr. Colon, “… most of them drink the brand Kool-Aid and simply act as advocates who act vindictively on behalf of the brand instead of on behalf of the customer.” At first, I was inclined to pooh-pooh this thought. Now, after thinking it over, not so much. Here’s a recent example from my own experience. I’m a former board member of a public institution. One burning question professionals serving this sector all ask is: “How can we be more relevant?” A couple of colleagues decided to put together a blue-ribbon panel to discuss the topic. When I suggested that it might be a peachy idea to include a couple of members of the public, I was met with looks of horror. “Oh no,” replied my colleagues. “These people don’t really know what they want.” Really? I don’t think CMOs will disappear. But I agree with Mr. Colon: We can retitle them “Chief Experience Officer,” or something equally grandiose, but they better be tuned into delivering what customers want, not what they want to give them.
No brand is too big to fail. Human beings can read and spread fake news that can destroy a brand. That’s scary, and it’s important for marketers to have a plan in readiness.
I believe that these five trends will affect marketing, and some of them sound a bit scary. On the other hand, marketing has always required that practitioners stay in touch with what’s going in their market segment and with customers, no matter how rapidly change barrels toward them. Those who do are the most likely to succeed.
jabkitticha / 123RF Stock Photo
Geoffrey Colon says
Susan I love this! This ties into the fact ideas are built off other ideas which are built off other ideas and take on new points of view. Thanks for writing this based on my crazy views of the world. Hope we meet sometime in person this year!
Susan Monroe says
Geoff, I’m glad you appreciated my post. There was so much food for thought in your original post that it stimulated me to come up with some of my own ideas. I don’t think your ideas are crazy at all!