Why Brands need to be daring and remain meaningful -

The Guardian website has recently mentioned in an article regarding the fear in advertising and brand campaigns; the fear to be different, the fear to fail and the fear to push away or lose customers and clients by thinking outside of a brands usual box.

We think; surely by staying safe, brands are not exploring new avenues? Without pushing media boundaries are we not discovering new areas of improvement and aren’t gaining new interest? Fear only slows down overall progression of brands.

In this modern and digital age, media and communication rules are being bent and redefined daily. Is it riskier to sit back and play it safe, potentially getting lost in the crowd or is it better to take the risks now and be noticed? It’s important now; more than ever that businesses stand up and get themselves noticed and stand out from all the competition.

The most effective way of doing this is to focus on reaching the consumer on a personal and meaningful level. Connect with them by using something that affects their everyday lives.

Image source: http://asia.mslgroup.com/dove-real-beauty-sketches-peoples-insights-volume-2-issue-29/

A brilliant example of this is Dove’s real beauty campaign. With their range of natural products they found a way of reaching women emotionally. They found the common female fear and encouraged them to embrace it. They took the time to understand their consumers and created a product and a campaign that was not only beneficial to them but tailored completely for them. By taking this angle and view they stood out from the stereotypical model beauty advertised in magazines and television adverts. They relieved the pressure off of women and encouraged them to be comfortable in their own skin, telling them exactly what they wanted to hear.

“If you look at the Grand Prix Cannes winners this year, at the heart of each idea is something that meaningfully connects to consumers bravely and innovatively. That could be meaningful in a way that speaks to personal motivations and desires, or something that is of great value to a wider collective. The winners spanned this spectrum, but the single thing that resonated with me was that they all had relevant innovation at the core.”- http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2013/sep/05/creativity-brave-meaningful-brand-campaigns

Another example is by DELA (a funeral insurance company); they chose to brave within a very tricky and sensitive subject and did it very well. Instead of focusing on what they do or the services they provide they chose to go straight to the heart of every audience, their main aim was to advise people to say every loving and positive thing they have to say to people every day whilst they still had the opportunity to do so.

Their angle of improving people’s lives, connecting with them to help them connect with others was clever. DELA is now one of most known brands within their industry, not bad considering they were previously unheard of.

What lessons can be learnt from the likes of Dove, DELA and so many other Super brands?

1) Connect, Communicate and relate to your target audience with a very 'real' topic.

2) Ensure that the audience doesn't forget how the campaign made them 'feel' and channel those emotions to associate them directly with the company or product being promoted.

3) Leave a positive footprint on consumers, this is extremely beneficial to the growth and success of your company.

4) If the emotional angle is the one you are trying, you need to make sure you get it right!

The information and inspiration for this article was sourced from: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2013/sep/05/creativity-brave-meaningful-brand-campaigns