Simon Nicholls
Kube Media
simon@kubemedia.net
The Journal of the Medinge Group, vol. 3, no. 1, 2009
I would probably be correct in saying that few of us would have predicted the magnitude of the current crisis, we find our economy on its knees, we have lost all trust in the banking system and multi nationals, and we face global warming, conflicts and poverty. Globalisation and brands are not often referenced together in a positive way, and first to be blamed for the instabilities and disruption of our societies. We also find change on a global scale, giving rise to tensions between individuals and governments, and between globalization and cultural diversity.
So as brand leaders are we just one of many pawns in capitalism lead by self stated democratic countries (democracy created from economic growth), creating the ever-growing inequality between countries and reforming societies. Creating corporate reputations that are fundamentally just a source of competitive advantage. The sad truth is that integrity has become the exception rather than normal practice.
Corporate branding, advertising and mass media have contributed to the development and reproduction of an undemocratic social order by concentrating enormous economic and cultural power in the hands of a few corporations and individuals. This financial crisis has illustrated just how unprepared companies can be to deal with the important changes within societies and in the reputation environment. Can we play an influential role in shaping social values of the future, developing methodologies that brands would follow? Consumer trends that take hold of markets during recession are anything but slow moving, but will brands ever encourage us to consume less?
The bottom line, businesses and brands are important members of society – as the main driver of employment, investment and wealth, and the decisions they make effect the corners of society. In some ways individuals depend on consumer capitalism for meanings; a source of social information embedded in commodities that mediate interpersonal relations and personal identity.We place the responsibility on individuals to sustain the economy by shopping, the supply of which employs workers who get wages to spend on more goods. So business inflating people’s appetite for trends and where branding has become essential.
Currently businesses are becoming more sophisticated at addressing sustainability issues, most social and environmental initiatives are still being made on an impromptu basis due to the lack of tools that allow corporations to measure their economic return. So where the forces of globalisation and technological innovation are bringing massive change, its essential that the relationship between business and society grow stronger and sharing in the value that is created. So as we are asked to discuss with our clients what choices they need to make to compete and win in a challenging economy, can we also talk about strategies that are focused on human value, while other brands think money can we think happiness. While others prefer continuity can we embrace a period of enlightenment in socio-political uncertainty? Where customers continuously evaluate the virtues of what they are being offered and how their actions more than ever will have an adverse effect on business.
We are taught that brand purpose is consists in redefining its absolute necessity, so what is
the notion of the brand purpose? Jean Noel Kapferer described this as a creative and powerful influencer on a market sector. If there is power, there is energy. Naturally a brand draws it strength from a company’s financial and human means, but derives its energy from its specific niche, vision and ideals. By definition brands create communities, unite passion and show us that we share collective aspirations; they find commonalities where otherwise we see difference. Customer actions are changing, and not just at this time, but changing with global expectations that are uninspired by democratic values.
The importance of a brand to be relevant and appropriate, and deliver what the customer desires, we would all agree is essential, but can we go that step further if global brands conducted in the best interests of people, rather than global capital, focus on innovation and the share of a culture energy of positive dynamic and a vehicle for empowerment through creating and sharing value, such a methodology of globalisation would be beneficial to people – To a certain degree this is the point of a new movement of the idea of what is a brand?
The aim of this article is not an extension of Marxian theory, but to reflect upon the changes occurring that are questioning our culture. Increasingly, we see also see a role for brands to join different interested parties together, for example, consumers, organisations, employees etc., and the ability to empower these parties to think differently with a view to problem solving and innovative thinking, provide new channels of conversation and are the platform for working out the concerns of different stakeholders over bigger issues, harnessing the power of social networks and media, emerging ecosystems of technologies in a way never previously seen.
So are we on the edge of a new movement, emerging from collective dissent between governments and individuals, financial and social change, which requires brands to identify with growing social values. Brand leaders will play an important role in responding to rapidly changing consumer sentiment and encouraging new patterned systems of meaning, or do we sit back and enjoy brand creation from our safety zone. Creating a new modular of learning that will integrate into the fabric of social communications and prompting rapid innovation, which play such a complex set of roles within consumer societies, and a renewed focus on human development in the prevailing cultural archetype and new brand-building exercises.
I would suggest this would be an interesting debate, investigating possible new systems / pathways that play a key role for both businesses and individual society. Clarifying what kinds of human values might be made possible through such interactions and supporting social connectivity, creativity and togetherness through a value systems that will give pointers where we are going in the future.
“BRANDING FOR HUMAN VALUE”…
