Design & Innovation

Ever since our trip to Neutron, I’ve been trying to find a way to connect their brand strategy to design thinking to my own business. I recently stumbled upon a book/web site that connects much of what we’ve been learning. It is called, Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People. The jist of the concept is that companies in developing their branding strategy need to stray away from the product and utilize the consumer. He’s also about to launch a think tank to study how branding and communications affect emotions. I’m interested in seeing how the web site is setup and how users will contribute. I’m also still struggling with a measurement tool to study the success of this type of initiative, but I think the more the topic comes to fruition the closer we are to a wholistic approach.

Here are the 10 commandments as laid on by author Marc Golbe:

1. from consumers to people
Consumers buy, people live.
2. from product to experience
Products fulfill needs, experiences fulfill desires.
3. from honesty to trust
Honesty is expected. Trust is engaging and intimate.
4. from quality to preference
Quality for the right price is a given today. Preference creates the sale.
5. from notoriety to aspiration
Being known does not mean that you are also loved!
6. from identity to personality
Identity is recognition. Personality is about character and charisma.
7. from function to feel
The functionality of a product is about practical or superficial qualities only.
Sensorial design is about experiences.
8. from ubiquity to presence
Ubiquity is seen. Emotional presence is felt.
9. from communication to dialogue
Communication is telling. Dialogue is sharing.
10. from service to relationship
Service is selling. Relationship is acknowledgment.

The articile “Culture and Context: What Japanese gambling and American bike messengers can tell us about the future of brands.” on Frog Design’s blog site discusses fixed gear bikes and the future of branding. The article uses the current hipster trend of fixed gear bicycles to exemplify the move towards niche and individualized market segments. The fixed gear bicycle predated the geared bicycles we know of today. A fixed gear bicycle is one where the pedals are locked solid to the chain and wheel. This means if the bike is moving the pedals are also moving, there is no coasting or gears. This type of bicycle results in fewer parts to break and a closer connection to the road by the cycler. The hipsters’ adoption of the fixed gear bicycle shows the trend towards individualized experiences not based on brand. The article also mentions that the increased number of customized forms of media results in consumers having the ability to choose their experiences rather than accept the established brands. This interests me for two reasons, one, the implications on mega companies that attempt to speak to large diverse market segments and second, the rise in choices and available information is pushing individuals to take a “design” perspective on life choices.

The implication of this rise in the ability of individuals to make their own choices and define themselves through multiple brands means companies need to focus more on the specific consumer and learn to become flexible. The article mentions using ethnography and qualitative research to understand the latent needs of niche groups and to define the context that influences their choices.

The magnitude of choices we have today means navigating our realities has become a much more complex ordeal. A “design approach” to our own experiences could lead to more personal realities and ways to present ourselves.

Link to Article