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People-fying Brands

Companies talk endlessly about how "human" their brands are.

But what if brands actually were people, what would they be like? Young or old? Male or female? Straight? Gay? Liberal? Conservative? Would they have a quirky sense of humour or would they bore you to death if you sat next to them at a dinner party?

What ever type of person they'd would be, it's certain that brand personalities have evolved far beyond just creating a perception or a desired image - brands now have to live up to their reality, across every experience, every action, every touchpoint, every single day. A list of 'brand values' in an annual report simply won't cut it anymore.

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once said,

"Personality is only ripe when a man has made the truth his own"

Just like us, if brands try to be something they’re not, we can instantly see straight through them. We live in an age of real-time interpretation - being trustworthy and real are the two most important qualities any organization should aspire to.

Consumers are smarter than brands, if you don’t align what you say with what you do, they'll find you out soon enough.

Match, Set, Brand.

The 125th Wimbledon Tennis Championships kick off this week, so as ever, it’s not just the sporting activities I’ll be playing close attention to, but also the brands getting in on the act. Who's likely to waste our time distracting us from some decent tennis and who will get stuck right in and make the most of this great British event?

Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren's fifth year at the helm of all things fashion-related at Wimbledon. With a navy blue jacket, polo shirt and shorts adorned with '125th’ on the collar and the 125th logo on the arm, the ballboys and ballgirls look suitably spiffing.
Ralph Lauren

Sony

Sony’s first year as “Official 3D Partner” means the 2011 Wimbledon finals will become the first Grand Slam tennis to be broadcast in 3D. Sony have also created a Wimbledon version of their legendary bouncy ball ad for the Bravia using, you guessed it, tennis balls. Although it's a slight shame they've used CGI, but perhaps the residents of leafy SW19 may have had a few things to say about 1,000 tennis balls flying down their streets. Let's hope the 3D broadcast makes up for it.
Bounc3d.com

Evian

If last year's Evian branded VIP suite is anything to go by, there will be T4 presenters galore and plenty of free lobster, but nothing for tennis fans or mere mortals.

Pass the champagne and strawberries and let's begin!

Range Anxiety.

With the news that Nissan's much-hyped all-electric Leaf isn't meeting its sales targets, can we admit the green bubble is finally bursting?

We know "green" technology (or rather "green" marketing) is big business for car manufacturers but the reality is becoming ever more disappointing. Consumers want to lessen their carbon footprint. Governments provide tax breaks and incentives for electric cars. Great, until your realise these cars are paid for, er, by the tax payer, or you as you're also know as.

In London, local councils are squandering thousands of pounds on rows of plug-in parking spaces which could otherwise be used for the thousands of existing cars on the road.

In the US, why did Nissan think selling an electric car with a 100 mile range would be appeal to anyone beyond the Hollywood Champagne Socialists? It makes no sense when you consider how many Americans have to contend with a daily 100 mile+ return commute. Sitting at the side of the 405 out of juice really isn't a pleasant prospect.

Governments need to stop chasing the electric dream and better support companies like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Peugeot in their efforts to create Diesel Hybrid technology - better MPG than a Prius, better performance than a regular Diesel, and cars that aren't styled like a slug in a hair shirt.

It's safe to say the internal combustion engine isn't dead just yet folks.