Consistent Themes
Although technology is always changing, many common themes exist when one contemplates emerging media in Web 2.0. At every twist and turn on this information superhighway, we are constantly reminded of the importance of trust between a company and its customers; we routinely hear of the importance to deliver value, to empower the individual, of the desire for co-created content, and of authentic, two-way conversation in one’s voice and actions. As we suspect, branding in a Web 2.0 world using blogs and other digital tools should follow suit with these recommendations and those who implement branding initiatives using digital tools should also adhere to these best practices.
Branding on Web 2.0
It is fun to design branding initiatives in these times. There now exists a myriad of highly creative and innovative digital tools at the practitioner’s disposal. These days, anyone with a computer, access to social media, an idea and a plan can connect and communicate with consumers. When done well, effective branding strategies can offer a company a competitive advantage and the ensuing deeper relationships with and among stakeholders can buffer an organization against the influence of competition.
Branding initiatives offer opportunities to tell stories of various types … humorous, emotional, action packed, and these branding initiatives have the ability now to go viral when they are unexpected, allow for collaboration, and use people who can spread the word (Allocca, 2011). If we think back on the infamous Pepsi commercialswith Jeff Gordon and test drives gone haywire…well, enough said about humor, tastemakers and the unexpected.
Effective branding strategies enable companies to co-create content with users in strategic ways. Success in the Web 2.0 environment requires brands to come to a full understanding and acceptance that in this day and age, they are no longer in sole control of their brands or their reputation. Web 2.0, through technology advances, has handed an equity stake in the company to the customers. Given the power of social media, the company’s brand is now communally owned by its consumers…companies no longer hold the only keys to their brand. Companies who can effectively form communities of “fans” will thrive and survive.
This idea of the consumer owning an emotional equity stake in the business has been seen for decades within a sport management context. In this ecosystem, the concept is called fan identification, and it is commonly understood as the level of psychological connection that a fan feels toward their favorite sport organization. Teams who brand themselves well use many tools and means to give fans numerous points of contact in which they can connect with and experience the sport product. One only need go as far as the television set to see overt expressions of rabid fans who have taken the idea of being a brand spokesman to an entirely new level.
Sports is unlike many industries in that it attracts some interesting and unique customers who publicly display immense passion for their team, almost to the point of neurosis. It sounds odd to refer to sport fans as a customer, but at the base of this idea, these individuals are customers who consume a sport product and service. We don’t see such emotional expressions in other industries…if we did, we would most likely think that the individual has gone mad.
Professional sport marketers and sport managers have capitalized upon this passion fans have for sport as they create licensed merchandise and other opportunities to ignite their flames and access their wallets. Nowadays in Web 2.0, there exist many more tools branding professionals can use to create content and experiences, intangible assets and communication opportunities for fans to connect with the company and with each other…however this next example discusses how powerfully a brand worked to establish itself in a pre-internet world.
The Cleveland Browns and “The Move”
Photo by Rick Stewart
Prior to the mid 1990’s, the Cleveland Browns NFL team had one of the most passionate fan bases in the NFL. A member of the NFL since 1949, the Browns had almost a 50-year tenure in Cleveland. It was a loved team within the city. Then in a surprise move during 1995, under the cover of the night, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell took his team to Baltimore Maryland… permanently.
Season ticket holders, along with the City of Cleveland were in an uproar and took their anger to court. Due to the boisterous and intense fan identification of the Cleveland Browns season ticket holders, and as a result of their complaint, the Browns history, records and intellectual property (colors and logos) were required to be left behind. Modell was forced to relinquish all intellectual property and assets as part of his move. The relocated team was instead then deemed an expansion team by the NFL, and the Cleveland Browns were reactivated by the NFL a few years later. This was an extremely unusual situation in which the community had extracted its stake in the business, in the form of community support and season tickets, and they were not about to be denied their team.
Oh, to have such loyal consumers in everyday businesses…
Imagine trying to relocate your business to another town so that you could be more competitive, or perhaps to make more money, only to have your local customer base take you to court, take your logo, history and all your intellectual property due to their fanatical support of the organization?! Placed in this context, the idea does sound rather odd, but this is exactly what happened in the Browns situation. Effective branding in sport can do some crazy things to normal individuals’ psyche, that is for certain.
How does branding work?
In his seminal conceptual piece which articulates brand equity, Keller (1993) defines brand equity in the following manner: first, it involves brand knowledge, which is composed of brand recognition and brand recall. In this component of branding, not only is it important for people to recognize a brand when they see it, they must be able to remember the brand, such that when purchase decisions arise, the company is remembered as a possible choice. One might deem that a powerful image, logo and slogan would go a long way to make itself memorable and recognizable.
The second portion of brand equity according to Keller (1993) involves brand image, which is comprised of brand associations. Brand associations contain the meaning of the brand (Keller, 1993, p. 3), and are the individual elements which drill down into the specific parts of the branding efforts that are tied to content. They are the various attributes (product and non-product related), benefits (functional, experiential and symbolic) and attitudes (favorable or unfavorable) which surround a brand. According to Keller (1993), these brand associations that customers have must be favorable, perceived as valuable, and be unique. Consumers expect companies to use their brands to build associations which establish trust; convey values; and they expect deeper levels of communication and interaction. Web 2.0 companies now have social media tools, big data, and emerging media such as crowdsourcing and blogs to help move strategic initiatives forward in this regard.
Now because of the technology available to individuals and companies, branding must also touch each and every system and function of a company’s operation, from finding, hiring, and keeping a workforce, to finding and servicing customers. Companies must strategically and effectively communicate ideas which consistently and congruently reinforce the brand image, corporate values and corporate culture across all platforms and all modes of communications.
Branding techniques will attract or deter customers, employees, and when brand initiatives are authentic to the company’s mission, it more easily enables company’s true colors to be seen and appreciated by its base. When one factors in each and every potential touch point to a consumer, be it television, radio, newspaper, blogs, billboards, social media, forums, special events, signage and what ever else they can create in their mind, the potential for branding professionals is truly remarkable. # # # About the Author: Mary Beth is graduating this spring with a Ph.D. at Troy University in Sport Management, where her research interests involve organizational capacity in sport. She is the Sport Management Department Chair at Pfeiffer University, a liberal arts institution near Charlotte, NC. She has 15 years experience as a Marketing Director for an LPGA tourney, Marketing Director for a US Olympic National Governing Body, sponsorship sales executive for an NBA sports and entertainment property, VP of Marketing and Ticket Sales for a hockey team, and she aided press operations during the 1996 Olympic Games as an Interview Room Manager. Mary Beth enjoys thinking about new ideas and solving business problems. Follow her on Twitter @mb_chambers or LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/marybethchambersphd
References:
Allocca, K. (2011). Why videos go viral. TEDYouth 2011. Retrieved from: https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral
Keller, K.L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, (57), 1-22.
Schau, H.J., Muniz, Jr., A. & Arnould, E.J. (2009). How brand community practices create value. Journal of Marketing, (73), 30-51.