I came across these “sins” at Brand Week from Gareth Kay, Modernista and Mark Lewis, DDB San Francisco from an account planning conference in San Diego. Number #4 is particularly apropos for all those companies trying to jump on the “green” wagon without anything to back it up.
- Living by the old assumptions, especially focusing on specific brand definitions instead of letting consumers define brands their own way.
- Caring about the wrong objectives – particularly focusing on keeping a brand consistent and not on brand energy, which thrives on constant innovation.
- Focusing on linearity and order instead of newness and complexity, the consumer’s addictive dopamine.
- Thinking brand communication is what matters, when it’s a company’s actions and cultural/social point of view that counts. Good examples: Dove and Ikea.
- Spending time modeling brands instead of building brands organically.
- Thinking big things matter and forgetting small things can trigger big impact.
- Operating by a “learn then do” process instead of “try, learn, then try again.”
