Most brands want to be seen as “authentic” in the eyes of their target consumer. Many aren’t.
But to become so, marketers need to stop assuming they know what their customers want and rely more on data and behavioural science, according to a recently released report from the CMO Council.
“Marketers must accurately situate their brand within a cultural, consumer and competitive context,” says the report titled Building Brands That Attract and Engage Fans.
Culture shifts over time, and the report acknowledges that it can be hard for a results-focused, quick-return organization to dive into research of this nature. But “by adopting a brand strategy framework that directly integrates cultural forces and tensions as a brand strategy input, there is a very tangible way to make this data highly relevant in planning all parts of the marketing mix.”
That takeaway is particularly important right now as brands struggle to figure out how to market to millennials — a generation with growing spending power and influence. How millennials choose and consume products differs from generations past, driven in part by their technology-shaped culture.
The report points to brands such as PepsiCo, Visa and Overwaitea Food Group as companies in the process of becoming more culturally connected through research.
Liz Miller, vice-president of marketing at the CMO Council, says Pepsico is a good example; the brand has positioned its soft drinks as a treat instead of an everyday beverage, given society’s concern around high amounts of sugar in colas.
“It’s that interesting point where science – that understanding of whether it’s anthropology or sociology, those societal norms — is meeting the art of marketing. That is what’s resonating the most with customers,” Miller says.
Brand building is critical at B.C.-based supermarket chain Overwaitea Food Group, says Dan Howe, the company’s vice-president of marketing, loyalty and communications. In the report, Howe says that extensive data is used to refine his company’s understanding of customers and their needs. Customers will always want products and services that improve their lives, Howe says, but “if you ask a consumer what they want, they will base [their answer] on what they know versus if you show them a picture of the future. that’s the best way to understand and determine what they will want.
“As marketers, we have to figure out what those products and services are, as well as the most optimal way to communicate the attributes and benefits to them so that they will continue using them.”
The CMO Council report was released in tandem with Reincarnation: The Death and Rebirth of Marketing, a book written by John McGarr that picks up on several of the report’s themes in detail.
McGarr, president of Toronto’s Fresh Squeezed Ideas, says successful brands build strong bonds with consumers by developing a deep understanding of what they want through a combination of cultural awareness and behavioural psychology.
“If you really understand those things, it’s easy to be of service because you can be relevant and can execute in a way that allows them to opt in, instead of jamming your message,” McGarr told Marketing.
The Takeaways
Miller of the CMO Council has three takeaways for marketers looking to become more culturally connected to consumers.
Authentic isn’t created or crafted in a lab
Don’t go to an agency and say “make me authentic.” It’s hard work. You have to dive into the data and understand how customers want to buy, to be approached and to engage.
Look beyond just data
Looks at societal trends and shifts in cultural norms. “We need to find those trends, understand what’s happening and then understand what about our brands speaks to those groups and then action quickly.”
Fail fast. Succeed faster.
If you’ve tried a campaign and it didn’t work, move on quickly. “We can’t afford six-month campaigns with inauthentic conversations.”
