Brands change lives

A new study of consumer engagement has found that companies that aren’t making a difference—to the world and to consumers—aren’t going to be around much longer. Instead of just making their product incrementally better than their competitors, companies need to create impact. A brand must change lives.

From the moment we wake up, we’re bombarded with messages about brands and products, both online and offline; each designed to make our lives easier, better and more beautiful. Unfortunately much of the information we receive gets lost. Not only because of the amount of information we receive, but because most people don’t really care about brands. According to global communications agency Havas, just 7% of consumers think brands positively or meaningfully contribute to their lives.

 

What’s your purpose?
How can we create meaningful brands that have impact? ‘’Focus on outcome, not output’’, says Umar Haque, writer of the book ‘Betterness: Economics for Humans’. According to Haque, people ask themselves questions that touch the essentials of their existence.  “Did this brand contribute to a better community? What is the effect on the environment? Does the brand make me fitter, wiser, smarter? Does it help to improve my personal outcomes? Does this brand actually impact my life in a tangible, lasting, and positive way?”

Your company’s purpose, ‘the WHY of your brand’ is becoming more important. Be authentic and do things that really improve people’s lives. Nike+ is an inspirational example. Nike+ enables you to get the best from yourself as an athlete. The online community has 36 million members from 190 different countries.

 

Humo Ludens
Brands can really be meaningful if they educate individuals or groups of people in a playful manner.  Play has always been part of human nature, just like storytelling. We are all ‘humo ludens’: we play before we can read. Through games and innovations, playing and learning have become increasingly connected and integrated. For several years this trend has been seen in the museum world, in which digital and interactive innovations bring museum collections to life. For example, in an app that NorthernLight developed for the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, visitors’ smartphones turn into storytellers, magic wands and time machines.

Brands have to consider how they can stimulate these forms of informal learning in an inspiring, innovative and authentic way. This is what NorthernLight does in close cooperation with its customers on daily basis. What would it be like if BMW educated children on technology and Philips helped lonely people to make friends in a social setting?

 

There are many ways that companies can be transformative and contribute to social innovations.

Stimulating innovation in education
The relationship between schools and universities on the one hand and companies on the other is getting more intense in the Netherlands. In 2012 the Jean School was founded and a three-year programme emerged from a partnership between ROC Amsterdam and House of Denim. Another example is Eneco, for which NorthernLight created a mobile wind lab that travelled to 180 schools in order to educate children about wind energy.

Transform each event into an augmented experience
The shift from push to pull makes it more challenging for brands to reach the consumer. That’s why the number of events organised to emphasize the authenticity of a brand is growing. The Shell Ecomarathon is a good example of this. Brands that are able to integrate online and offline experiences and make use of innovative technologies like iBeacons and interactive games are most successful.

Let people learn whilst they wait
Companies have the ability to offer informal learning experiences in public locations like hospitals, airports and various other places where people come together. There is a real need for better education and information on a variety of subjects and public settings are ideal places to offer meaningful experiences.

Learn whilst shopping
How do you seduce people to leave their couch to visit your shop? In Bergen they found an innovative way to attract more local people like families, teenagers and school groups to the main shopping mall, the Sotra Kystby Sartor Senter. In May this year the newly built science centre, Sotra Vitensenter AS, for which planning, design and development was executed by NorthernLight and Bruns, opened its doors. This initiative is a great example of an innovative way to increase the attraction value of shopping malls, increase revenue and emphasize the social character of the local space. Through fun, exploration and experimentation, visitors can explore the past, present and future of Sotra Kystby. Story telling, authenticity and interaction have been creatively interwoven in this project.

 

Opportunities for brands
People will always look for new insights and meaningful experiences. We want to play, learn and discover new things, on our own or with the help of others. More than ever brands have the opportunity to contribute to this positively and to change the lives of individuals and groups of people in our society.

P.S. This article was published in the Dutch magazine Marketing Tribune. The Dutch version of the article can be found here.