Forget mature brands, start acting like a teenager « Musings from an Independent Marketing Provocateur Musings from an Independent Marketing Provocateur

Regular readers know I’m a father of two young daughters. You’ll also know how much I’m dreading the inevitable moment when they become teenagers. Boys, curfews, angst, allowances et al.

Saturday night, just as I was shuddering at the thought of teenage daughters, I found myself thinking about all the incredibly positive attitudes teenagers have. It struck me how, as marketers, we’ve long put so-called mature brands like Coca-Cola, IBM and Procter on a pedestal because of their longevity, discipline, rigor.

What if we celebrated brands who acted as teenagers instead? Instead of revering mature brands, what if we created brands that emulated how teenagers look at the world.

Joyful idealism: Nothing is quite so challenging as the political awakenings of a young adult and their righteous indignation at all that is wrong with the world. Oh vey. For astute brands, it is that idealism that provides an incredible platform for real change and a distinct voice. Ben & Jerry’s has never been shy of using an idealism platform as their launch of Apple-y Ever After in support of gay marriage highlights. Just the latest in a history of politically-inspired (and wonderfully tasty) proclamations about their values.

Cliques and Tribes: Few environments are more clique-y than a high school playground. Bieber Haters. Lady GagGa Wannabes. All these mini tribes circling, posturing and diss-ing each other. But those same tribes provide powerfully tight communities with enormous potential. Potential that brands like Harley-Davidson has turned into these incredibly loyal brand advocacy groups. Their HOGS (Harley Owners Groups) communities have the type of die-hard loyalties any brand managers would kill to have.

Up the establishment: Nothing highlights how staid your worldview is like a discussion about hemline length and hair colours. Similarly, disrupting that staid worldview of mature brands is what many upstarts delight in. I lose count of the category-disruptions that online retailer Zappos delights in. Free shipping, free 365 Returns, 24/7 Customer Service, basing their Customer Service in Las Vegas versus Mumbai. Any one of those would be incredible let alone the combination. Why weren’t mature brands like Foot Locker, SportsChek or JD Sports able to emulate this? Why was it the upstart who lead the disruption?

Energetic Experimentation: Teenagers are serial experimenters searching to define their own distinct personality and culture. Behind a dizzying array of discarded fads lies an energy and desire to push boundaries which is something many brands could learn from. Virgin personifies this attitude for me. Unwilling to be defined by category, this brand effortlessly experiments with trains, banking, weddings, international and space travel and music, all with equal energy and enthusiasm.

Shock value: Piercings, tattoos, unsavoury boyfriends all classic teenage territory. Whether it is a cry for attention or desire to be the center of the spotlight, the shock tactics definitely get them undivided attention. Few brands can carry it off with the aplomb of Benetton. Time and again, the fashion brand uses shock value to catapult itself on to the front page. Personally I’m not sure the wisdom of an Italian brand annoying the Vatican just as I’m not sure the benefit of shocking your parents while asking for an increase in your allowance.

The lesson?

Rather than always looking to the staid and mature brands in your category, consider the messy, tangled, experimentive teenagers in the group. Chances are they’re the ones forging new and different ways to be the leaders of tomorrow. Whatever you do, just don’t try to ground them.

Two disclaimers need to accompany this post.

1) Close readers will notice similarities between this post and Adam Morgan’s excellent thinking on Challenger Brands. This is deliberate as I remain a firm fan of Challenger Brand thinking.

2) M & S – if you’re reading this, you can ignore everything Dad has said about teenagers being given more latitude to experiment and play. I was speaking about all other teenagers.

Tags: Adam Morgan, Challenger Brands, Relationships, Strategy

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520156274 facebook-520156274

awesome post Mr B. Only one theme to add; cultural reinvention. We talk a lot now always about the importance of interaction between brands and cultural trends for products and brand marks to be authentic…
interacter

Hilton

Great thinking, as always. I certainly can’t argue with the need for energetic, creative disruption offered by upstarts, as opposed to the heavy-footed characteristics of the more mature brand.

I believe that some businesses – especially in the UK with the impact of the recession biting harder each day – are worried about the idea of being a teenager/challenger brand. Teenagers “waste” a lot of energy creating themselves, when what they end up with is an amalgam of a few select sources. (Of course, this isn’t waste at all, it’s a necessary part of the creative process.)
Businesses with little time and little cash aren’t willing to invest in trying something cool to see if it works – they would rather attempt to drag-and-drop the tactics/strategic positioning case studies offered by the mature brands.
The leaders of tomorrow need to survive today – and that’s where I see most businesses being at the moment.

The global turmoil has vampired the life out of many companies, and, to some extent, the creative industry as well. Tried and tested is winning out over tried-failed-tweaked-tried-again which is a real pity.

Of course, this approach diminishes differentiation as well – perhaps some businesses see this as a good thing? Maybe they think that if they run with the herd, they can adapt in that microcosm as other herd members start to falter?

Upstarts are the perfect place for energetic disruption – they have the least to lose and the most to gain. At it often takes a new player in the category to reinvigorate all players.

I’m firmly with you here. Let’s encourage and celebrate the upstart. The question, however, is how do we do this at a macro level but, more importantly, how do we instill this into government seed funding and development programs? How can we get teh leaders, regulatory bodies etc on board with something that might just change the world, even if it’s covered in zits and calling itself an Emo?

Neil
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=520156274 facebook-520156274

…but lets not forget that the majority buy boring and safe. Though that is where commoditization and low margins sit. I think those people live in a place called Real America and use something called coupons. Eeeek.
Hilton

Neil,

Thanks for the comments. You’re right that turbulent times (like now) tend to bring out a naturally conservatism in people. By the same token, for the brave hearted, they tend to create huge opportunity. Why I love challengers is they look at the status quo and poke holes in it. Sometimes failing magnificently but often they create moments of genuine disruption. More power to them!
Julie Petroski

Nice one, Hilton. I’d also add that during this turbulent time in the global economy, we’d all be wise to think more like teenagers, and that includes our personal brands. Time to have a good look at how we do business and what we represent as individuals since clearly the status quo isn’t working like we all hoped it would.

PS: you’re going to have your hands full as M & S turn into ‘tweens if they’re half as curious and disruptive as dear old dad…
Hilton

Great point Julie. Especially the one about personal brands. The traditional definition of success has changed drastically yet many of us cling to out-dated models of climbing ladders and illusions of employer loyalty. Thanks for commenting.

Forget mature brands, start acting like a teenager

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