A Story of Telling Stories | Brand Manage Camp 2015

How many people can say they’ve had the opportunity to spend two fully interactive days with some of the world’s top thinkers in brand management? I am one Blue Sky-er who is thankful to say I did.

In our fast-paced world of technology and social media, we are now finding that consumers are smarter and more empowered than ever before, creating and sharing their opinions at rapid speeds. So what does that mean for brands and how do we as marketers transition to a model of advertising that appeals to these changing landscapes?

This is the question we all hoped to have answered when we touched down in Las Vegas for the 2015 Brand ManageCamp, a two-day conference focused on a 360 degree view of advertising, strategy, innovation, insights, customer behavior and more. The conference held true to its slogan “Fresh Thinking Starts Here” by allowing us to flush our brains of the day-to-day routines and jumpstart our strategies with innovative and forward thinking.

Take a look at some of the top takeaways and messages below:

The Brand Story + Who Should Be Telling It

It’s no secret we are moving away from the stale, formulated advertisements of the past and watching brands create a world where the consumer can tell their own story and be their hero. Instead of dictating to consumers why a certain product or service will make them better, marketing should guide consumers on their own journey to success by tapping into their values and talking about things they care about. 

Take a look at Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign for example, where they are shattering the illusion of what beauty is and placing it back in the hands of women. Or Nike’s slogan “Everything You Need is Already Inside” implying that their products are just assistants on a customer’s personal journey.

Then because consumers are so empowered, brands also need to engage and listen to what they’re being told by their audiences. Social media is a platform just waiting for brand interaction as consumers share their stories (whether negative or positive) and wait for the reply. This is morphing into a new model of customer service that allows marketers to create even stronger ties the people who care about them the most.

Life Profit + How to Save the Day

Did you know recent data shows that most adults only have three memorable days each month? Some would say it’s a scary statistic, but it’s also an incredible branding opportunity according to Dustin Garvis who explained the concept of Life Profit – enriching every day life experiences.

He believes that brands can step in and save the day for their customers by asking “Do you know why your customers aren’t having a memorable day? Can you change it?” Finding the answer to this question, opens endless doors for a brand to reach and connect with its audience. 

Wonderful examples of this Life Profit strategy can be seen through companies like Expedia with their #tripaday Campaign or McDonalds’ Pay with Lovin Campaign. They are stepping in and answering to their customers’ needs by leaving an everlasting impression. 

Be The Data Company + Digital Revolutionaries

Finally, no great branding or campaign can truly be deemed successful without hard data and digital technology to back it up. Today’s top marketers are calling for companies to turn themselves into their own data machines, by taking advantage of the next technology and even creating their own. 

By doing so, we can learn more about our customers while creating a convenient world for them to live in. A few examples of this are Amazon’s Dash Button and Neiman Marcus’ interactive mirror Memomi. 

In the end it’s clear, brands need to live their personality and tell a story, then the positive data we all know and love will come streaming in. 

This may be the one case, where what happened in Vegas certainly didn’t stay there. We just wouldn’t feel right about keeping all of the new knowledge to ourselves and we look forward to rolling these strategies for our clients in 2016!

For more information on this incredible learning experience, visit their website.