Evolution

Initial success in a campaign doesn’t mean you put your feet up. Brands are like human beings, and they constantly have to be evolved, refreshed and loved. You definitely must stay true to who you are, but it doesn’t hurt to buy a new jacket and cowboy boots and dance a little jig once in a while. It definitely will pay to have a sixth sense about what’s going on in the world around you and how the brand fits into the constantly evolving consumer. There should not be one vanilla description of the consumer. Your franchise is comprised of hundreds of segments that see and use your brand for a myriad of reasons. This is to keep the brand fresh. You have to stay close to the consumer. Certain companies, such as Pepsi, Coke, Nike, or BMW, are great marketing companies. They constantly try to evolve or have brand extensions, but they stay on solid ground for what their DNA was intended to be. They change based on consumer wants, needs or mores, and that is essential to garner continued success.

Reinvention, or evolution, has become much harder in recent times, because the world is becoming harder to live in. It’s much more global with constant information bursts and choices. Plus, life is not made easier with so many accountants involved in leading brands and creating advertising. They try to make a formula of it: “All right, you have seven hours to come up with an idea!” I believe most people who practice this craft understand you must make a profit on the bottom line, but you cannot put the value of a big idea into a spreadsheet. The craft we all try to practice has to be rejuvenated by taking a calculated risk here and there to keep everything moving forward. The economy is hurting not only here but in the United Kingdom and throughout the world, yet pressure from Wall Street demands 15-20 percent increases to hold your stock price. They’re putting marketing managers at odds, undermining what’s best for long-term brand performance, and most importantly pitting the consumer against the shareholder.

Because of terrorism, September 11, and the war in Iraq, we have increased devotion to, and renewed love of, family, friends and values. A little ethics can go a long way if practiced, not just discussed over cigars, and communications must understand this human essence. People want good songs, memorable, vibrant visuals, and relevant copy. We all have to keep living and moving forward, so communications must be strong and bold but aware of where the consumer is and for the world we live in.

Some would hope a brand could live forever. I believe a brand can keep going as long as there’s a need for it and as long as it’s fresh. Brands die when there’s no longer a use for them. The communication has become stilted, or has been untruthful, or the brand promise was fictitious. Consumers are a very smart group. They don’t love people or brands that annoy them or bring them false hope.