ABSTRACT
Connection – brand is meaning
While decoding different brands, consumers filter out those that are irrelevant or lack personal appeal. Branding is not what you do. It is what you stand for.
In a digital age where consumers have abundant choices, a brand cannot remain merely a concept. It must offer tangible values to the people it serves, or it will be easily replaced.
Communication – brand is dialogue
Pushing an ad by disrupting the audience’s consumption of some other content rarely works.
To meet the changing expectations of their audience, brand-owners must adopt a new discipline in storytelling based on the Five As of Advertising:
Authenticity – People identify themselves with characters and stories that are authentic.
Affinity – Brands must win the audience’s empathy by appealing to their emotions.
Attainability – Young consumers prefer to opt for instant gratification. A small reward that can be savored today is more palatable than a huge promise in the future.
Aspiration – Brands must strike a balance when creating their content to be neither too heavy nor substanceless.
Artistry – Brands must learn how to amuse the audience while staying on course and convince the audience that the brand is a worthy choice.
Contact – brand is experience
A brand is now created by experience by allowing the audience to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste the brand. The more tangible a brand is, the more people can involve and embrace it. The brand experience at every touchpoint can reinforce or diminish a brand promise.
