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CULTURAL STRATEGY Breakout creative always wins. APR, 2015 — Eric Shutt
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Transcript of Cultural Strategy Battle School - iStrategyLabs
CULTURAL STRATEGY Breakout creative always wins.
APR, 2015 — Eric Shutt
What we’ll cover. What is Cultural Strategy?
Cultural Branding in Practice
How to Apply Cultural Strategy at ISL
TOO MUCH STUFF. With so many options to choose from, people are looking for an emotional differentiator. Walker Buying In, p.7
PARADOX OF CHOICE
BREAKOUT CREATIVE ALWAYS WINS
CULTURAL STRATEGY
“LAGOON”, 1999.
CULTURAL BRAND: CORONA
Cultural Value: Hard work vs. leisure break Cultural Tension: Work / life balance Populist World: Mexican beach, spring break Social disruption: Forget work, relax! Brand Myth: “Miles away from ordinary”
Sociocultural model for market(ing) innovation.
Cultural Brand Strategy is the link between strategy and creative. It follows strategic principles that positions brands to perform cultural ‘myths’, resolve social anxieties, and guide brands towards becoming cultural icons.
ISL is best positioned w/in Agency world to deliver on this. It’s what people come to us for already, they just don’t know it :)
WHAT IS CULTURAL STRATEGY?
Forget benefits and costs. Cultural Strategy side-steps conventional value propositions, functional / category benefits, and mind-share marketing.
Cultural Branding is based on self expression and powerful shared ‘myths’ that drive self identity and resolve cultural contradictions.
“Viewing Strategy as a set of [demographic and value] abstractions leads managers to focus attention on matters that will only trivially affect the Brand, while leaving the most important strategic questions to fate and hunches…
Cultural branding requires strategic direction that pushes commercial artists toward creating the right kind of story for the brand and rules out inappropriate stories - Holt, HBBI, P.64
HOW IT’S DIFFERENT
Cultural Brand Strategy isn’t just academic theory.
To test the theory, the authors created Amalgamated — a marketing agency dedicated to applying Cultural Branding principles in practice.
AMALGAMATED AGENCY
CULTURAL BRANDING
OFTEN “SNUCK IN” BY CREATIVES. Not explicitly outlined in any existing brand positioning statement or conventional marketing vision.
Many of the examples we’ll look at today we’re created to be powerful messages, but without the explicit Brand guidance to perform that exact myth -- they were stumbled upon successfully by ‘rogue’ creatives.
Cultural Strategy gives us a framework to intentionally identify and create powerful Brand stories and myths that purposefully target a specific audience and message -- and continue to extend and adapt stories to shift with relevant social trends while staying true to the core Brand story.
Today we’ll look at: -- How to map myth markets -- Identify and navigate cultural and social disruptions to evolve a Brand story. -- Understand insider and core audience targeting -- and who to ignore. -- How to compose a Cultural Strategy and advance Brand Myths.
HOW WE CREATE IT
Identify the cultural contradiction & myth. Embody the Brand’s role in our culture.
Speak from the Populist World. Exercise populist authority with populist authenticity, charismatic aesthetic, cultural credibility, literacy, and fidelity.
Target and resolve the cultural contradiction. Position the Brand to resolve collective anxieties. Target Insiders and Followers from within the Populist World Myth.
Link Strategy to Creative. Employ a ‘charismatic esthetic’ with a distinctive, competing style of the populist world.
THE CULTURAL BRIEF
Create + advance iconic myth.
CULTURAL BRANDING
ICONS DOMINATE OUR WORLD.
CULTURAL ICONS
We attach individual and collective meaning to different icons.
SYMBOLS AND IDEAS.
CULTURAL VALUES
What society deems most important at a specific time.
THE POWER OF STORY AND IDEOLOGY.
Iconic Brands become a symbol of self-expression in a ‘populist world’. The American Dream (Nike) [Michael Jordan, Title IX girls sports] ‘Frontier Rebellion & Masculinity’ (Jack Daniels, Marlboro) ‘Morning in America’ (Ronald Reagan) Driving is fun (Volkswagen)
CULTURAL & IDENTITY MYTH
A SIMPLE STORY THAT RESOLVES CULTURAL CONTRADICTIONS; NECESSARY FOR ICONIC STATUS.
IDENTITY MYTH
MORNING IN AMERICA, 1984
Cultural Value: Global strength, power. Cultural Tension: Cold war, global economic competition. Populist World: New frontier & Mainstreet USA. Social disruption: Overcome collective challenges. Brand Myth: “It’s morning in America”
CULTURAL & IDENTITY MYTH
PLACES WHERE ACTIONS ARE DRIVEN BY INTRINSIC VALUES, WHICH SERVE AS THE CULTURAL RAW MATERIAL FROM WHICH IDENTITY MYTHS ARE CONSTRUCTED.
POPULIST WORLD
SYMBOLS ACQUIRE MEANING. AUTHENTICITY / INDIVIDUALITY + BELONGING / COLLECTIVISM WALKER, BUYING IN
THE DESIRE CODE
DISRUPT AND RESOLVE A CULTURAL CONFLICT TO SPARK ACTION. “Iconic Brands are valued because customers look to the Brand to perform myths that resolve acute anxieties in their lives.”
CULTURAL OPPORTUNITY & ACTIVISM
WHAT CULTURAL MYTH IS RIPE TO REDEFINE?Iconic Brands are ‘Cultural Activists’
SOCIAL DISRUPTION
WHAT CENTRAL TENSION DOES THE BRAND MYTH PROVOKE?
WHAT ANSWER DOES THE IDEOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDE?
WHAT CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS RESOLVE THE CONFLICT?
IDEOLOGY FLASHPOINTS
THE CENTRAL STORY OF A BRAND.
BRAND MYTH
CULTURAL BRAND: AMERICAN APPAREL
Cultural Value: Underground mystique, worker benefits. Cultural Tension: Status through consumption Populist World: LA warehouse scene Social disruption: Cultural boundaries Brand Myth: Insider, personal narrative
COAUTHORING THE MYTH.
Cultural Literacy: Ability to authentically, legitimately read and interpret cultural cues and codes.
Cultural Fidelity: Willingness to reject a broad social group group or category in favor of taking a principled stand for your in-group.
CULTURAL LITERACY & FIDELITY
Cultural Authority: A brand asset based on the nation’s collective expectations that the brand can and should author a particular kind of story.
Political Authority: Timeless associations positioned around a central concept, regardless of context.
CULTURAL & POLITICAL AUTHORITY
HOW DOES THE BRAND PUSH CULTURAL BOUNDARIES?
CULTURAL LEADERSHIP
WHAT ONE WORD DOES THE BRAND OWN?Cadillacs were once so highly thought of that the phrase "the Cadillac of X" was coined, meaning that a particular brand was better than everything else in its category.The Cadillac of lawn mowers. The Cadillac of strollers. The Cadillac of dish washers. The Cadillac of Christmas trees. .... Compared to Cadillac's 47% decline since 1984, Mercedes is up 350% and BMW is up 379%. And both brands outsell Cadillac by a wide margin.
Al Reis, AdAge.com, 2/16/15
BRAND WORD
CULTURAL BRANDS
“HILLTOP” - 1971
Cultural Value: Peace, understanding, equality. Cultural Tension: Vietnam, civil rights. Populist World: Agrarian utopiaSocial disruption: Transcend social boundaries.Brand Myth: “Buy the world a coke, and keep it company.”
CULTURAL BRAND: COKE
DEEP DIVE: VOLKSWAGEN
“AUTO SHOW” 1949
Cultural Value: Consistent improvement. Cultural Tension: Showy Populist World: Show room Social disruption: Engineering Brand Myth: “Because that’s what we do”
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
Cultural Value: Individuality Cultural Tension: ‘Good life’ conformist. Populist World: Bohemian art world. Social disruption: Smart & creative. Brand Myth: “Be unique”
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
CAPPUCCINO GIRL - 1994
Cultural Value: Independence & Entrepreneurship Cultural Tension: Yuppy creatives settling for boring jobs in new work utopia. Populist World: Free agent frontier. Social disruption: Choose your own path. Brand Myth: “Pleasure of driving” escape
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
MILKY WAY, 1999
Cultural Value: Independence & Entrepreneurship Cultural Tension: Yuppy creatives settling for boring jobs in new work utopia. Populist World: Free agent frontier. Social disruption: Choose your own path. Brand Myth: “Pleasure of driving” escape.
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
SPEED RACER, 1996
Cultural Value: DIY / Tinkering Cultural Tension: Uniformity Populist World: Speed Racer / Track Social disruption: Build your own car Brand Myth: “Underdog can win’
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
TREE, 2000
Cultural Value: Go big or go home. Cultural Tension: Too much hype. Populist World: Suburbs Social disruption: Don’t buy in. Brand Myth: “Ignore the hype”
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
CULTURAL BRAND: VOLKSWAGEN
MORE RECENTLY …
CULTURAL BRAND: GAME
CO-AUTHORING THE MYTH WITH EXTREME SPORTS ‘INSIDERS’ OF ALL KINDS.
Cultural Value: Limits, Strength. Cultural Tension: Individual limits. Populist World: Obscure extreme sports. Social disruption: Achieve your potential. Brand Myth: “Gives you wings”
CULTURAL BRAND: RED BULL
CULTURAL BRAND: RED BULL
Execute cultural brand strategy.
HOW TO DO IT
NATIONAL IDEOLOGY, CULTURAL CONTRADICTION, AND POPULIST WORLD.
Brands need to both: 1) Target the right social contradiction. 2) Perform the right myth, in the right way.
3 COMPONENTS
CREATE A CULTURAL STRATEGY
Holt: How Brands Become Icons, p. 140 -- Fig 6-1
1 . Map the category’s cultural orthodoxy.
2 . Identify the social disruption
3. Find the ideological opportunity
4. Collect appropriate source material
5. Apply cultural tactics
6. Craft Cultural Strategy
INFLUENCERS VS. BROADER TARGET GROUPS.Subculture >> Mainstream Culture: “The Identity Magnet” “Brand loyalty is the product of the social network”
KEY & CORE AUDIENCES
Holt: How Brands Become Icons, p. 140 -- Fig 6-1
HOW DO I FIT IN?
FRAMING AND ‘UNCONSCIOUS PRIMING’ HAVE AN IMPACT.
SELF IDENTITY
— Walker, Buying In
INAUTHENTIC MYTH APPROPRIATIONS FAIL.Can’t chase trends. Need to co-author cultural myths.
CAN’T CHASE TRENDS
COMMERCIAL ARTISTS CREATE BRAND MYTHS THAT RESONATE IN THE RIGHT WAYS WITHIN CULTURE.
CULTURAL PRODUCERS
AGENCY STAFFING FOR CULTURAL STRATEGYBrand teams immersed in Client’s Populist Worlds are set up to succeed.
AGENCY TEAMS
BE A CULTURAL ACTIVIST!
CULTURAL ACTIVISM
TARGET MYTH-MAKERS.
INFLUENCERS
CULTURAL BRAND MANAGEMENT
Document cultural and political authority.
Identify emerging cultural contradictions.
Immerse Brand team in populist world(s).
Develop empathetic understanding of followers’ identity projects.
Select cultural contradiction.
Compose Cultural Brief • Myth Treatment • Populist Authenticity • Charismatic aesthetic
Insider Follower Brief Brief
Cultural Knowledge Cultural Strategy
1.DEVELOP PLOT AND CHARACTERS.
2.ADAPT TO CHANGING CULTURAL VALUE. (WITHOUT COMPROMISING CULTURAL FIDELITY OR POLITICAL AUTHORITY).
3.SAMPLE NEW POPULAR CULTURE.
4.SPEAK FROM NEW POPULIST WORLDS.
5.PUSH THE MYTH’S BOUNDARIES.
ADVANCE THE MYTH
TEXT / TEXT
READ
SOURCES
Cultural Strategy - Holt & Cameron
Using Innovative Ideologies to Build Breakthrough Brands Douglas Holt & Douglas Cameron
How Brands Become Icons - Holt
The Principles of Cultural Branding Douglas Holt
Buying In - Walker
The Secret Dialog Between What We Buy and Who We Are Rob Walker
Examples / Info
APPENDIX
Brand Genealogy: Historical method for understanding how Brands create identity value.
Cultural Branding: Strategic principles that guide building brands into cultural icons.
Cultural Icon: Any symbol (person, place, thing) considered representative of a concept or ideal.
Iconic Brand: An identity Brand that approaches the identity value of a Cultural Icon.
Identity Myth: A simple story that resolves cultural contradictions; necessary for iconic status.
Identity Value: The aspect of a Brand’s value that comes from the Brand’s contribution to self-expression.
Identity Brand: A Brand whose value to customers (and thus, Brand equity), derives primarily from Identity Value (as opposed to functional benefits).
Populist Worlds: Places where actions are driven by intrinsic values, which serve as the cultural raw material from which identity myths are constructed.
Cultural Literacy: Ability to authentically, legitimately read and interpret cultural cues and codes.
Cultural Fidelity: Willingness to reject a broad social group group or category in favor of taking a principled stand for your in-group.
Ritual Actions: The process by which consumers of an icon experience the icon’s identity myth.
Cultural Authority: A brand asset based on the nation’s collective expectations that the brand can and should author a particular kind of story.
Political Authority: Timeless associations positioned around a central concept, regardless of context.
GLOSSARY
HARLEY DAVIDSON
CULTURAL BRAND: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Outlaw biker myth (west coast biker gangs post WWII).
CULTURAL BRAND: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Reactionary gunfighter myth (lower-class white males)). Cultural tension between law & order, freedom & discipline.
CULTURAL BRAND: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Man of Action myth. New American cultural and economic challenges (1980s).
CULTURAL BRAND: HARLEY DAVIDSON
Changing target from 45-60 y/o blue collar to “alternative” bike messenger culture. “The Protest Brand”
Cultural Value: Counterculture Cultural Tension: Conformity Populist World: Blue collar working class. Social disruption: ‘Consumption as protest’ Brand Myth: The Protest Brand
CULTURAL BRAND: PBR
Back-to-the-land agrarian utopia.
Cultural Value: Quality Cultural Tension: Mass production Populist World: Farmland Social disruption: Artisan production Brand Myth: Community
CULTURAL BRAND: BEN & JERRYS
Cultural Value: Counterculture Cultural Tension: Everything’s the same. Populist World: DIY Social disruption: Be yourself Brand Myth: Symbol of individuality.
CULTURAL BRAND: CONVERSE
Re-appropriating consumer culture.
Cultural Value: Individuality & consumption protest. Cultural Tension: Brands are iconic. Populist World: Anarchist black-block within popular consumer culture. Social disruption: Protest logos. Brand Myth: Destroy capitalism.
CULTURAL BRAND: AD BUSTERS
