Seth Godin wrote on his blog today about what it means to be a lifelong fan -- whether it be of a sports team, a car company, a political party, or, in his words, "anything where affiliation drives our sense of self and community."
There's a powerful sentence in the middle of his post and it's this one here:
"People like us do things like this."
We often make decisions about products, brands, and even where to live based on a narrative that we craft for ourselves. We tell ourselves that I am the kind of person who lives in this neighborhood and drives this car. People like us do things like this.
There's an innate, emotional, and sometimes nonsensical desire to be part of what Seth calls our chosen "tribe." And tribe does really feel like the right word. We all want to be a part of something. It helps to create meaning.
Seth Godin wrote on his blog today about what it means to be a lifelong fan -- whether it be of a sports team, a car company, a political party, or, in his words, "anything where affiliation drives our sense of self and community."
There's a powerful sentence in the middle of his post and it's this one here:
"People like us do things like this."
We often make decisions about products, brands, and even where to live based on a narrative that we craft for ourselves. We tell ourselves that I am the kind of person who lives in this neighborhood and drives this car. People like us do things like this.
There's an innate, emotional, and sometimes nonsensical desire to be part of what Seth calls our chosen "tribe." And tribe does really feel like the right word. We all want to be a part of something. It helps to create meaning.
At the beginning of this month, Interbrand released its annual ranking of the world’s best global brands. This year’s 2018 report marks the 19th year of the study. If you’d like to download a free copy of the report, you can do that here. But below is a snapshot of the first 24 brands:
Apple and Google are in top position for the 6th year in a row. And Amazon is on a hockey stick trajectory with its brand value jumping by 56%. More than half of the list is comprised of the following five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Luxury is currently the fastest growing sector.
At the beginning of this month, Interbrand released its annual ranking of the world’s best global brands. This year’s 2018 report marks the 19th year of the study. If you’d like to download a free copy of the report, you can do that here. But below is a snapshot of the first 24 brands:
Apple and Google are in top position for the 6th year in a row. And Amazon is on a hockey stick trajectory with its brand value jumping by 56%. More than half of the list is comprised of the following five sectors: Automotive (16), Technology (13), Financial Services (12), Luxury (9), and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (9). Luxury is currently the fastest growing sector.
The product matters. How big is the screen on this smartphone? How many horses does this all-wheel drive car have? And how high are the ceilings in this condo? (Some architects get grumpy with me when I call buildings a “product.” It’s so much more than that, right?)
The example he gives is that of Pepsi. While damn near identical to Coke in terms of its chemical composition, Pepsi was struggling until it decided to try something new. They stopped focusing on the product itself and instead starting selling the type of person you would become, if you drank Pepsi.
These people, and this campaign, became known as the Pepsi Generation.
We have talked about this idea before on the blog and this approach to selling is now quite commonplace. But I like how Nethercutt distills it down: Desire translates into consumption. And I want to buy a better version of myself.
I also buy his add-on argument that social media has amplified our awareness and desires around self, because today we are so often externalizing it to the world and being instantaneously judged on it. Like. No like.
Am I the kind of person who eats here, stays there, and consumes this?
In their report, they outline five themes that have emerged and that are helping these brands outperform. They are:
Positive utility - not enough to just make people feel good through storytelling; you need to create real value and a positive impact in the world
Subscription mindset - there’s an increasing amount of brand value in subscription-based businesses (29% in 2018 compared to 18% in 2009); you need to offer your products and services with the least amount of friction as possible
Customer-centricity - bring the voice of your customer into every aspect of your business; be nimble enough to respond quickly
Learning from luxury - the top performing category in this year’s ranking; about exclusivity and authenticity
Role of brand - make your brand part of the decision-making process; build brand equity and trust
I’ll stop there and let you all dig into the rest of the report if you’re interested.
But one thing I found particularly interesting about the study is that they used – insert buzzwords here – “AI-powered social listening” to try and measure the emotion and sentiment floating around on the internet around specific brands. The goal was to pin down the perceived trustworthiness of specific brands.
The product matters. How big is the screen on this smartphone? How many horses does this all-wheel drive car have? And how high are the ceilings in this condo? (Some architects get grumpy with me when I call buildings a “product.” It’s so much more than that, right?)
The example he gives is that of Pepsi. While damn near identical to Coke in terms of its chemical composition, Pepsi was struggling until it decided to try something new. They stopped focusing on the product itself and instead starting selling the type of person you would become, if you drank Pepsi.
These people, and this campaign, became known as the Pepsi Generation.
We have talked about this idea before on the blog and this approach to selling is now quite commonplace. But I like how Nethercutt distills it down: Desire translates into consumption. And I want to buy a better version of myself.
I also buy his add-on argument that social media has amplified our awareness and desires around self, because today we are so often externalizing it to the world and being instantaneously judged on it. Like. No like.
Am I the kind of person who eats here, stays there, and consumes this?
In their report, they outline five themes that have emerged and that are helping these brands outperform. They are:
Positive utility - not enough to just make people feel good through storytelling; you need to create real value and a positive impact in the world
Subscription mindset - there’s an increasing amount of brand value in subscription-based businesses (29% in 2018 compared to 18% in 2009); you need to offer your products and services with the least amount of friction as possible
Customer-centricity - bring the voice of your customer into every aspect of your business; be nimble enough to respond quickly
Learning from luxury - the top performing category in this year’s ranking; about exclusivity and authenticity
Role of brand - make your brand part of the decision-making process; build brand equity and trust
I’ll stop there and let you all dig into the rest of the report if you’re interested.
But one thing I found particularly interesting about the study is that they used – insert buzzwords here – “AI-powered social listening” to try and measure the emotion and sentiment floating around on the internet around specific brands. The goal was to pin down the perceived trustworthiness of specific brands.
