Categories: Articles

Connecting

People. Brand people. They’re asking for the death of the brand. They’re tired. They’re tired by how badly beaten up the word has become. Even Kevin Roberts (Worldwide CEO of Saatchi + Saatchi) titled his last book, Lovemarks – The Future Beyond Brands. Roberts ain’t just looking for “what’s next” for the sake of creating some kind of consumer Blue Ocean Strategy.
The new word is “experiential.” One of our people thought that someone on another marketing agencies’ website had mis-spelled the word – they could not figure out what “experiential marketing” was. I was challenged to answer that question.
So what’s it about? Are marketing people selling a lot of hot air that is, for the most part, a logo – no matter how hot the brand identity book is?
Traditional branding. Are we heading back to the start? I’m starting to believe (no, I know!) that we, as Marketers, are simply trying to help people connect. Connect with products and services. Connect with each other. Connect with themselves.
Why are Blogs and Podcasting so popular now? They help people connect. I call those technologies “instant personal publishing.” Whenever Twist Image takes on a client or a project our first question is: how do we help this person connect with the many people they interact with? You see, at the end of it all, the end-game is a community. It’s a group of people with a similar attitude, altitude and aptitude who want a similar and successful outcome. Sounds simple enough.
Aren’t the simplest things the most complex? Branding is complex because at its core you’re trying to find the simplest way for people to love and connect with what you do. You’re looking for them to create emotion and dedication based off of how they connect with your images, words and products or services.
Connecting. How are you connecting with people at every touchpoint – with everyone who deals with you? That’s the true power of your brand. Whether you like the word or not.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.