From Brand to Bland (and How to Reconnect to your Audience)

Intense over-curating has led to a dull and sterile marketplace. Refined beyond recognition. Revised beyond relatability. Edited out of existence.

Think about a giant oak tree. It has long branches stretching toward the sky from a sturdy thick trunk. Its years are evident in the scars, stubs and regrowth. In its entirety it is unquestioningly elegant and functional, complete with unseen roots that travel deep into the earth.

Now think about how we might market this tree through a modern digital lens. We might filter out its fraying bark and browned leaves and romanticize the bright green of its fledging new growth until the color lacks any texture. It becomes a caricature of itself. No roots, no age, no wisdom.

Whether it’s the personal brand of an information marketer or the digital identity of a company, intense over-curating has led to a rather dull marketplace. In part, this is because most marketers mistake the value set of their audience.

A meticulously sterile feed is predicated on an assumed buyer value-set of beauty and order. And secondarily, that the buyer perceives beauty as perfection.

But while consistent aesthetics might encourage initial subscription or a few likes here and there, authenticity encourages brand trust, which is the key to engagement and sales.

Life is dynamic, messy and evolving. While a militantly curated Instagram feed (for example) may be lovely to look at in the beginning, user engagement wanes as the novelty turns to monotony. It’s not a reflection of real life. And while it may seem like everyone is happily inundated with a digital social life, the fatigue is palpable as consumers seek connection in handmade products (flaws and all!), doer/maker crafts, immersive experiences and relatable leaders.

Some things to consider when building your brand or trying to reconnect with your audience:

1. Humanity over Idolatry

The world has consistently loved and trusted Oprah and Tony Robbins for decades. Do these people have incredibly consistent, well-manicured brands? Yes. But their brand identity includes (and even celebrates) vulnerability and transparency. Oprah cries and asks honest questions. Tony publicly shows his wife compassion and relates his failings and vulnerabilities to the masses. Their public images are not of perfection, but of humanity.

2. Connection over Perfection

Today’s market demands integrity from end to end. How are you or your product, in real life, going to size up against the brand identity you’ve pushed ahead of you out into the world? If you’ve curated your brand into a flawless, unblemished, serene cure-all, one company error or personal misstep can backfire horribly. Just look at Hollywood or Washington.

But if you strive to relate to your market in an authentic and transparent way you have the opportunity to cultivate true loyalty and forgiveness when things go awry. People are seeking connection today. They want to relate and feel like they belong. The sterilization of your brand’s identity leaves people feeling cold and “less than.” This is not inspiring.

3. Distillation Over Curation

Instead, we want to see the full reality of what we’re buying – but in snapshots rather than essays. When developing curated content and brand assets, start from reality and strip away the excess to communicate the essence.

Don’t get me wrong, aspiration is incredibly important in marketing. People need to aspire to the story they are being told but they also need to be able to see themselves within that story. We may remove some flaws and wrinkles, but we should avoid botoxing the life out of our message.

4. Check Yourself

If this process seems daunting or counterintuitive, it’s time to reflect on the core values upon which you’ve built your brand or company. Getting “real” in the marketplace necessitates building authenticity back into the foundation of both your brand and the culture of your business.

It may depend on YOU making some fine-tunings to your personal value set. Do you want to be admired or do you want to be useful?

 

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