The spirit of branding

Late 2002, Nissan, the phoenix that rose from near bankruptcy some years back, delivered a change of their advertising tagline from 'driven' to 'SHIFT_'. If you haven't yet seen the US version, or the Far East version, you may wonder what 'SHIFT_' means. After all, 'driven' is obvious on many fronts as an English word, especially in the context of 'being provided the momentum toward the successful operation of functioning of something.' But 'SHIFT_'? As in shifting gears?
The US version by TBWA/Chiat/Day uses 'SHIFT_expectations', while the Far East version, first used in Japan, and now used in countries such as China and Singapore, stresses 'SHIFT_the future'. According to The Wall Street Journal, Nissan USA spent between US$700 to US$750 million on the new 'SHIFT_' campaign, to rejuvenate the brand and mindshare in customers.
What's so special about the 'SHIFT_' campaign, and what can we learn about establishing a 'spirit' in your branding strategy?
Emotive appealWhen you look at the US version of 'SHIFT_' advertisement, two of the segments stood out - one where a double amputee lady did mountain or rock climbing, and a group of speech-challenged people communicating effectively with one another through sign language. In the Far East version, one segment stood out - where a amputee lady stood on a surfboard, and surfed the waves with a smile that clearly emanated from the inside. Both advertisements are compelling, simple, high energy, and yet warm and moving. The advertisements ask the everyday person, consumers and stakeholders alike, to shift something in their lives, akin to shifting gears or mindsets.
The key message in this branding campaign is really about removing stereotypes of people, and allowing the average person to see beyond their own perceived limitations, clouded judgments, myopic self image, among other things. It allows the ordinary person to see into the advertisement as a reflecting mirror that echoes some of the deeper emotive desires and wants that up to then have been unfulfilled, perhaps hampered by social pressure or personal choices.
And yet, the advertisement did not step into the irresponsible, or the insane. It provided a clear, simple, desired mindset that plainly asks the average person to challenge his or her own mindsets and perceptions. In short, a very powerful branding exercise that steps into the spiritual.
Do you have the spirit?When you examine such an advertisement for branding, one thing comes to mind। In many of today's sales target-driven advertisements where the vendors stick price labels on TV, radio and print advertisements, and simply solicited direct sales from consumers, the message is clear, yes, but clearly lack spirit as well। It is a simple case of a trade, nothing more।
Conversely, the long-term effect of having a spirited branding strategy and campaign is one where consumers can identify with the brand, and perhaps rekindle some lost feelings and perceptions about the brand, and strengthen the relationship, or create new ones if none existed before.
The spirit in branding is something that's hard to define on paper, but surely something you can identify immediately when you see it. It is akin to finding very hard to describe an elderly grandparent whom you have not met for a long time, but the feelings come flooding back when you see him or her again. The connection is spiritual, and the effect very real.
How to create spirited campaignsThe net effect, returns and expectations of creating spirit in branding campaigns are obvious now. But how do we create a campaign that can reach out to the masses without failing on fudge candy pretensions?
Simple. If you believe in your brand, your branding strategy should clearly and simply state its deepest, most fundamental, emotive feeling as you see it. Perhaps it is easier to bring that out if you are the CEO or founder running the company. And if you are not, perhaps you should engage the CEO or founder at that level to bring out that fundamental spirit within this brand, especially if you are an external agency. You should not use a cosmetic or external approach in trying to create an emotive sell, because it will fail as a pretender, and consumers will run a hundred miles the opposite direction from then on, for any product you may have down the road.
The message should be time and people-tested. If you have a focus group, especially a cynical and hard-nosed group, reach out to them through your spirited approach, and see if the campaign will stick. If it does work, perhaps you are on to something. But do not launch a campaign without trying out on more than a single focus group, over an extended period of time, say three months or more. If the campaign message still feels spirited, you are getting close to your target.
Got spirit yet?
In this age where there are lesser and lesser segregation between one brand and the next, how can you possibly stand out without sounding like another 'me too' product? And at a time where advertising and marketing campaigns have virtually tried every trick in the book to entice consumers to spend their hard-earned money amidst crumbling economies and shrinking pockets (and even lost jobs), how can your branding stand out against the competition?
The answer is spirit, or soul