The world is changing and brands must change with it.
In the face of technological innovation, easy reach to companies, mobile ease and online speed, companies cannot continue with the old way of communication and their ways of presenting themselves in front of an audience.
Why can’t we communicate like we used to?
Because the audience is more empowered and no longer believes in brands as they did 20 years ago. A more distrustful, lively and dynamic society. Where information runs at the speed of light. If a brand has a negative impact, that negativity spreads instantly through Social Media, in a matter of minutes. The capacity of viralization can be positive in some cases and not in others.
Then…
How should brands act today?
It all depends on the current situation in which a company finds itself.
The most important thing is to always be one step ahead of any possible scenario or situation and understand that a strategic action may have a negative impact on a certain niche audience. That is why brands must be very careful when speaking.
“Tell me about me, not about you” the customer.
Companies today must present themselves through their audience.
We must first know our audience very well and then share a common problem or solution. Customers are tired of brands presenting themselves as an “I am”. Users are looking for dialogue, closeness, feedback, action and commitment.
“We share the same ideology and we fight against it” the company.
More and more companies and brands understand the need to change the way of communicating, where the product to be sold is not the main protagonist, but where a concept, an ideology, a way of life, a personality or a fight for a common cause is communicated. Companies must know their audience well before communicating -a generally mass audience fighting for a common cause.
Nike, for example, has launched a campaign in favor of feminism and the women’s revolution and it has been a success. A commercial where a delicate issue in society, the struggle for equality, was presented. Nike managed to make an impact with an emotional and common message.
However, not all are success stories, and this is what happened with Pepsi and its controversial commercial with model Kendall Jenner. This commercial tried to connect with an activist, different, multicultural audience that fights for their rights; something very recurrent in today’s society.
The company did not think about the consequences. The commercial was brutally criticized for trivializing social movements, for being insensitive and for not understanding the millennial generation. An advertisement in which a lot of money was spent and where sales actually decreased due to being fatally criticized. The commercial lasted a day before it was removed from all platforms and Pepsi apologized. Therefore, you have to be careful when communicating a powerful message, as it may not always go well.
Conclusions
Before communicating in front of an audience, a company must know the audience well and understand that the communication is likely to affect third parties as well.
That is why we must be careful with what we communicate and not assume a position just for the sake of taking it. But to understand the background of an issue. The second step is to understand what the brand is like, who it is, who it speaks to and how it speaks. Taking the necessary precautions so as not to fall into a case of failure and to achieve loyalty between company and client, because winning back the audience today is more difficult than it was before and it is a risk not worth taking.
