Every year I look out for Interbrand’s Annual Report on The Best Global Brands. This year was no different, and it is no surprise, that amongst the sector overviews, the interviews and articles, methodologies and applications, the overriding message is this – The Future Is Human.
My clients and partners have heard me use this phrase a lot over the last four years, because I have always believed, even before this massive technology revolution we are now experiencing, that brands have needed to come down from their soapboxes, and get level with their customers. That time is now, and brands that refuse to adapt from an old world mindset are beginning to struggle and die.
Industrial Age thinking has taught business to focus on process and financial capital; at the time, this WAS evolution. We’re now in a post-industrial phase of business, where everything appears to be up for grabs, the little guy can topple the multi-national, and the consumer has never been savvier, or had more say. This is of course, down to multiple factors, but in the main, technology.
So how do you not only survive, but thrive in this new world, just like these global brands on the Interbrand Top 100 List?
You need to change, and more than that, you need to want to change. Yes, financial capital still matters, but what about emotional capital? What is it that your brand stands for? Is your business operating as a multi-dimensional entity, or are you operating as a one-dimensional machine?
As Jez Hampton from Interbrand says:
“Today’s best brands are in touch with their own humanity and the humanity of others. They listen to consumers, employees, and investors alike and respond to the messages they receive. They want to know how people really feel about their company, they gather input and use it to drive innovation, and they realize that there is a lot to be learned from the wisdom of crowds. The challenge for brands is to respond quickly and with sincerity, or they risk compromising the relationship.
After all, brands evoke emotion. They are personal. They fulfill and delight us. They are reliable, familiar, exciting, surprising, and ever in the backdrop of our lives. They are woven into our memories, fantasies, and dreams. They have the power to touch and change us precisely because they are human creations, invented in response to both our deepest and most practical needs and desires.”
I guess it doesn’t really matter where you are on the ladder of change here, but being on it is vital.