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The 7 Habits of Highly Digital Brands
The 7 Habits of Highly Digital Brands
January 2013
Executive Summary
Digital has fundamentally changed the way brands behave, as well as the way they organize and optimize their marketing efforts. To be successful in connecting with people in the digital age, brands must adopt new habits and, in some cases, behave more like people themselves. While the personalities of individual brands are varied and unique, there are commonalities among strong digital brands that can be identified as critical to success in the new marketing landscape. We looked at some of the most successful digital brands and identified seven shared traits across the board. They are:
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Being a Skilled Conversationalist: Strong digital brands dont just know how to talk they know how to converse, building relationships through their messaging and content. Being Authentic: Authentic brands are able to find a universal truth for their brand and create content that inspires those ideals among consumers. Being Data-Driven: The challenge for brands is less about collecting data and more about how to leverage it to optimize current programs and inspire future efforts. Being Discoverable: Successful brands today align their digital footprints with the consumer journey and meet people where they are online. Being Relevant: Brands that achieve relevancy in todays digital environment are those able to effectively navigate the ever-changing currents of conversation. Being a Content Creator: Todays landscape forces marketers to constantly re-think the creation, organization and distribution of content in order to better connect with consumers. Being Constant: By being always-on, marketers can tap into how people live every day and respond to their audiences wants, needs and values in a way that is true to their brands story and their objectives as a marketer.
The following report outlines each habit in detail and provides insight into how marketers can embody and act upon these traits in their own efforts.
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to raise their standards. Today, marketers must play at a new level where content is ultra-relevant and timely or, in other words, conversational.
viewable. On social platforms, nobody wants to be friends with someone who only ever posts about their work and the same holds true for brands -- companies who post promotion after promotion find their fan base dwindling. The key is to find something universal and true beneath a brands product base or tagline and create content that inspires those ideals. This type of content will more successfully connect with and engage audiences and, ultimately, sell products. For example, Red Bull sells consumers a belief in the extreme. With a focus on inspiring its audience with the essence of the brand rather than pushing the product, Red Bull creates authentic connections with its consumers. Consumers identify with the brands image and share the brands passion turning customers into loyal fans and an energy drink into a symbol of their fans energetic lifestyles.
The most iconic example of this philosophy is the Red Bull Stratos stunt, in which a professional daredevil attempted a 128,000-foot free fall to Earth from space. More than 8 million people tuned in live, and to date more than 30 million people have viewed the YouTube video.
The challenge for brands is less about how to access or collect data and more about how to leverage it.
Kraft Foods, a 360i client, is one example of a brand that has enhanced discovery by engaging consumers where they live online. As Pinterest first began to emerge as the number one digital destination for visual inspiration, we knew Kraft Foods target would be increasingly utilizing the site for recipe inspiration. To meet our audience there, the brand launched a Pinterest community from which it could share content with everyday consumers and influencers alike. Today, Pinterest is the highest third-party referral source to KraftFoods.com, a hub that sees millions of unique visitors each month.
relevance, situational relevance, emotional relevance or practical relevance, a message must read as current and meaningful to its receiver if there is to be any hope for retention amidst the flood of constant communication. Relevance can be found at many levels. For marketers, being relevant means being aware of and responsive to the current cultural climate in a manner that hones in on consumer points of passion and interest and expresses your brands unique point of view on them.
The series enhanced the essence of Oreos brand image which exudes a company that is completely integrated into the fun moments that make up a happy life. Fans rallied around their favorite cookie liking, commenting on and sharing Oreos Daily Twists.
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Find a point of commonality and seize it. Instead of merely jumping into the fray of a meme or trend, first consider how your brand can provide further value perhaps in the form of information or entertainment. Adding a layer of value to the conversation and putting your own stamp on the dialogue is critical to staying relevant.
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Get in at the right moment. Timing is everything. If you jump on a trend too soon, youll disconnect from too many consumers who havent discovered it yet. However, if youre too late to the game you risk looking dated and slow. Conversely, get out while theyre still smiling. Dont ride the wave too long. Remember, the life of digital conversations even heavily trending ones is short.
Moreover, since consumers have become a distribution model themselves as sharers of content to their network, it has become increasingly important that brands provide opportunities for co-creation. Happiness Is, Coca-Colas Tumblr community is a great example of this concept in action, as the brand often elevates community content as part of its overall content mix on the platform.
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The new reality forces brands to constantly react to an ever-shifting landscape of trends, memes, information and entertainment.
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About 360i
360i is an award-winning digital marketing agency that drives results for Fortune 500 marketers through insights, ideas and technologies. 360i helps its clients think differently about their online presence and evolve their strategies to take advantage of the new world of marketing communications one where brands and consumers engage in interactive and multi-directional conversations. 360i was named iMedias 2012 Agency of the Year and Best Agency for Social. Ad Age also named 360i the "#1 Standout Shop" in its 2012 A-List issue and named it one of the "Best Places to Work" in Marketing & Media for two years running. Current clients include Oreo, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Bravo and Diageo, among others. For more information, please visit blog.360i.com or follow us on Twitter @360i.
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