Brand Identity Crisis

13:59 Tuesday, 16 June 15

BRAND IDENTITY CRISIS @swankins

This is a story about identity, inspired by India…

That all started in an airport bookshop…

It features a peaceful activist

Cultural myths and legends

And highlights some new challenges…

which can be solved through an ancient practice

2004: The Facebook Effect

Individual identity: a mediation of ‘channel me’

Potlatch society

Potlatch society

The creation of a ‘new power’

The creation of a ‘new power’

The creation of a ‘new power’

Old power communication

What are you contributing?

What are we putting out there?

Brands as myths?

“The power brands of today have carefully developed a cohesive mythology. Brands in the modern world are

inseparable from the companies whose soul they manifest. Larry and Sergey at Stanford vowing not to be evil, Innocent’s

packaging and vans, Starbucks baristas/partners – these are all elements of the brand and the elements are all held together

by a philosophy that guides and gives coherence. The combination of narrative and values is myth.”

Faris Yakob

“Myths are inherently complex and polysemous; they can be

interpreted in a number of equally valid ways. They cannot be compressed into a single, particular essence but are rather the

sum total of interlinked elements

A myth can be translated, paraphrased, reduced, expanded and otherwise manipulated – without losing its basic shape or

structure”

Claude Lévi-Strauss - Anthropologist

“The story of the myth is distinct from its form… ….a collective perception in the minds of consumers.”

Faris Yakob

“We buy the product to consume the myth” Douglas Holt

“I wake up every morning, look down at the symbol and it pumps me up for the day”

But remember… A myth can be translated, paraphrased, reduced, expanded and otherwise manipulated  

We are all storytellers now  

It’s time to embrace the shadows…

What appears natural and healthy…

… was actually these guys in disguise

Listen Open your doors Be authentic

But… …who am I?

Finding our Dharma

Connect in. Embrace your inner power

Source: Do/Purpose Why brands with purpose do better and matter more, David Hieatt

Energetically Align

Source: An Energetically Powerful Brand, Karley Cunningham  

Source: An Energetically Powerful Brand, Karley Cunningham  

Source: An Energetically Powerful Brand, Karley Cunningham  

Align

Align

Be authentically awesome

Be authentically awesome

“Emotion in general is what leads to transmission and awe is one of our strongest emotions” Dr Berger professor of Marketing at Wharton University of Pennsylvania  

“Advertising is only evil when it advertises something evil” David Ogilvy

The brand identity mantra

Embrace your ‘new power’

Stand for something more than you sell

Be a contributing member of society

Be on purpose, always

Use that to judge what you should do – align energetically

Do it

Then (and only then) talk about that

“Do things. Tell people”

Faris Yakob

References •  Paid Attention – Innovative Advertising for a Digital World, Faris Yakob •  An Energetically Powerful Brand, Karley Cunningham •  The Bhavagad Gita •  The Advertising Effect, Adam Ferrier •  Do/Purpose Why brands with purpose do better and matter more, David Hieatt •  What New Power Looks Like, Jeremy Heimans •  Contently.com •  The Facebook Effect, David Kirkpatrick