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Function: A Technique Of Authenticity And Impression

Purpose: A strategy of authenticity and impact

Consumers are quick to judge brands that don't do the right thing. In protest of President Trump's travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, New York taxi drivers stopped picking up passengers at JFK Airport for an hour. But hail-fighting company Uber broke the strike by continuing to operate the airport and enforcing its price hikes during the strike. Within a few minutes, the hashtag #DeleteUber started trending. The following day, competitor Lyft announced a donation of $ 1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union in defense of the American Constitution. On Monday the following week, Lyft became the fourth most downloaded app, ahead of Uber the thirteenth.

In 2016, foreign actors used Facebook and other social media platforms to spread false information for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, data consultancy Cambridge Analytica was using some data it had improperly received from Facebook to create and maintain voter profiles. This caused outrage among users worldwide. Among other things, Facebook responded by setting up a “war room” to combat disinformation before the 2018 mid-term elections. Facebook's “Civic Engagement Team” recognizes and discourages actors trying to disseminate falsified information and de-legitimize an election. Dashboards monitor unusual spikes in activity and other indicators of an increase in incorrect information.

Consumers increasingly expect brands to take sides. Edelman's 2018 Earned Brand study shows that 67 percent of consumers will buy or boycott a brand based on their position on an issue. 85 percent of respondents won't buy a brand if they remain silent about an issue they expect the brand to do. And brands feel the pressure: The 4As carried out a study on value-based marketing; 67 percent of the participating advertising agencies stated that their advertisers are more interested in value-based marketing and corporate responsibility due to changing American values.

Nike: A case study

Nike In September 2018, Nike hired former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who arguably lost his NFL career by kneeling for the national anthem in protest against the brutality of the police. Nike's campaign, released during the NFL season opener, features Kaepernick's voice and the tagline “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything” in reference to his protest. The campaign caused a lot of political excitement. Some set fire to their Nike sneakers while others wore their Nike outfit as a token of loyalty. We could argue that by taking a political stance against President Trump, Nike closed the door to a 150 million strong potential market, or half of the US population. But Nike has been asking consumers to believe in themselves for 30 years. So this campaign is just the latest provocative iteration. A risky move would you say? The reality is that Nike was already a politically polarized brand. So does the New York Times, Starbucks and CNN on the left and the Trump Hotels, Fox News and Papa Johns on the right. In the end, Nike's stance strengthened the purpose of the brand, increased awareness through extensive press coverage and increased awareness.

A word of caution in implementing the brand purpose

Purpose is not one size fits all for all branding strategies. It only works for certain categories and companies that have the authenticity to back it up. Some brands, like National Geographic, were built with a strong purpose in mind. The purpose of NatGeo is true because it is based on the fundamental belief that science, storytelling, and exploration can change the world. Other brands can have a credible and credible purpose. Walgreens is one of the largest pharmacies in the country. It supports its local communities through supplier diversity, environmental responsibility, community service and public relations. The last category consists of brands that cannot credibly assume a purpose and / or are hypocritical. "Marketing doesn't get you back to a mission and values," said Alex Weller, European Marketing Director for Patagonia. "The organizations struggling with this are likely the ones that think about marketing first."

Contribution to the brand strategy Insider By: Dr. Emmanuel Probst. For more brand building techniques, see his book Brand Hacks: How To Build Your Brand By Fulfilling Human Search For Meaning.

The Blake Project can help you define and develop your branding purpose.

Brand Strategy Insider is a service from The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in brand research, brand strategy, brand licensing and branding

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