It is no simple matter activating a brand in a social space. I don’t mean setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook fan page – I mean bringing the brand to life by tapping into the subtle (and not so subtle) brand values that lend themselves to expression. On the “social web”, however, we aren’t just looking for (or expecting) your mission statement, your campaign aims or your branded entertainment. In the words of the Cluetrain Manifesto:
If you want us to talk to you, tell us something. Make it something interesting for a change.
Russell Davies and crowdsourced teams from around the world took this notion of “interestingness” to a new level with the Interesting conferences. (I was involved with the first two here in Australia – and they were fascinating!) But it is one thing to be interesting and quite another to push that interestingness to something that seems to live and breathe – and take on a life of its own. It draws on the art of storytelling – but goes a step further – there – into the unknown space where we might just get to learn a little about each other.
I have written about Marcus Brown before – his characters, storylines, commitment and energy. But there is plenty to learn in the way that he imagines, designs, inhabits and performs the characters that he creates. And this presentation is his own personal homage to the creative process – representing four years of “after work work”.
Building a social brand takes time. Time takes care of establishing “share of mind” or that thing that people associate to your brand. You are very true. I think branding is all about values. Something that should be truly inline with your customer’s values as well.