Why I Yawned: The Importance of Brands (and Drivers)
I have been in Europe for awhile so as you might expect it has been mostly F1 coverage for me. NASCAR there is much like an alien being (think X-Files) to many, but not all, Europeans. We are an oddity -- racing yet not quite real racing.
But this post isn't really about Europeans, Americans, or any other group - it is about brands and consumers.
According to Kevin Roberts (Saatchi and Saatchi --- see krconnect.blogspot.com ), people want to know the following:
1. How can I buy stuff and feel good about it?
2. Why does choosing have to take up so much of my time and attention? The Economist tells us that two-thirds of consumers feel constantly bombarded. Bombardment is a twentieth century idea. Connectors will ignite growth in the twenty-first century.
3. What can you offer me beyond price? Wal-Mart’s shift in focus from “Always Low Prices” to “Saving people money so they can live better lives” is huge. It’s smart, forward-looking and brave.
4. What do you really know about me – and what do I know about you? The human thirst for authenticity is intense. It is pushing brands far beyond their comfort zones of smart market segmentation and savvy PR. People talking to people. That’s where we are headed.
5. What have we got to talk about? This is where it gets personal. A lot of brands have nothing interesting to say. They can talk about themselves and be the bores we all avoid, or they can work hard to become the relevant, fun, connected friends we want.
6. Can you keep up with me? This is where it gets tough, fast and tactical. Consumers are way ahead and they never stop pushing. Cool stores, new games, the latest mobile functions. If they can dream it, brands have to try to do it.
I learned that Budweiser and Dale Jr. will soon part ways and -- I yawned. So, did I just commit a NASCAR heresy? Maybe I was just tired from traveling or perhaps I am getting more cynical as I age, but in my opinion this is not a big deal.
Brands and drivers part ways on a more or less regular basis. As loyal as NASCAR fans are (and they are mighty loyal) I question whether a fan of Dale Jr. who also happens to enjoy Budweiser will stop liking either. Budweiser has such a powerful image that they can choose most any driver and retain/develop a fan base for that driver.
The larger problem lurking in the weeds isn't the parting of the ways between two popular 'brands' (yes,Dale Jr. is a 'brand') but rather a slow, yet steady, decline into the darkside of driver 'sameness'.
Just examine those six questions -- I think NASCAR probably has. When the day arrives that questions such as these cannot be answered to the satisfaction of the fans, NASCAR will have a real problem.
So now is the time to consider the future and I am betting it is far beyond issues such as the Car of Tomorrow.
That's the (somewhat hazy) view from here.
Michael