Brand Stimulus Package

I've been thinking about the last comment in my previous blog entry, "Who knows, maybe good communication design is what we need to stimulate the economy... " Sure, it is a little stretch, but maybe there is something to it. It was only last year that a well-executed brand campaign for Barack Obama changed political history, so why can't a well-designed branding program stimulate economic growth?

Consider these three points to why a re-branding or a new communication strategy is profitable in a down economy:

1) A good brand establishes trust.
The problem in our financial and political arena right now is that no one trusts anyone... But they could trust brands. John Quelch in, How Better Marketing Elected Barack Obama, writes, "Like any great brand, Obama has built up a bond of trust with the American people" (the article is pretty good, read it's entirety at http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/quelch/2008/11/how_better_marketing_elected_b.html).
If you want your brand to appear trust-worthy, start with good positioning, understand who your target is and focus on them, not you. Design your communication to let them know you are a legitimate business and will be in business long enough to see the next generations of tax-payers pay back the Wall-Street bail-out.

2) Change is exciting.
A gloomy season is a great time to make a colorful statement. While consumers are feeling stuck in a rut, and competitors are buckling down for safety, a new brand identity can really make an impact. Once again, we can look at Mr. Obama for proof of the effectiveness of a "change" platform. So, if your business card design was designed by a book on the Kinkos counter, and your retail signage has not been updated since the 80's, you may want to think of getting an updated, professional look. Something that makes the statement, "We're not scared of the recession because our product is superior". A small investment in a fresh look could translate into a lot of new customers.

3) Invest in a positive message.
According to HOW Magazine (http://www.howdesign.com/GeneralMenu/), an article published by American Marketing Association in 1993, following the 1991-1992 recession, reported that companies that invested marketing dollars during the down economy gained, and kept, market share. I don't know for sure, but I bet those companies were not spreading messages of defeat. Are you spending enough money on your marketing/communication to let people know that you are still in business and ready to provide for them? Are you thinking about the contribution you can make to their economic struggles? Think about our shopping behaviors, when shopping for a new vehicle, do you want the brand that might not be in business in 6 months or the brand that assures that you will be able to get parts and repair 10 years from now? Let's face it, no one wants to be associated with yesterday's dying brand. And a stagnant brand is not much better. What products are new and refreshing? What companies are coming up with new ideas? Those are the brands we get excited about in down times. Sometimes it's not about the product that you are offering, but how you are presenting it. Get with a professional marketing consultant, make a plan, and communicate how great you really are.

Perhaps our economic leaders should take some notes from brand consultants. Give us something to trust, get us excited about something new, and spread a positive message. We'll call it America's Brand Stimulus Package, give it a cool logo, and the world will be good again.