Practice Papers Brand Journalism: How to Engage Successfully with Consumers in an Age of Inclusive Individuality

Practice Papers Brand journalism: How to engage successfully with consumers in an age of inclusive individuality

Received (in revised form): 10th July, 2014

LARRY LIGHT is the Chief Executive Ofﬁ cer of Arcature, a marketing consulting company that has advised a wide variety of marketers in packaged goods, technology, retail, hospitality, automotive, corporate and business-to-business, as well as not-for-proﬁ t organisations. Along with Joan Kiddon, Larry Light authored a book, ‘Six Rules for Brand Revitalization’, describing Arcature’s approach to producing measurable business results. Larry has earned an international reputation in business and academia. In summarising the top ten ideas of the decade, Ad Age selected Larry Light’s ‘Brand Journalism’ as ‘arguably the most realistic description of marketing today — perhaps ever’.

Larry Light Abstract Brand journalism helps brands engage powerfully with the modern consumer. Marketers must build consistent powerful brands in an environment that demands global consistency, local differentiation and personal relevance all at the same time. There is also an important development in customer values and behaviours. The customer wants to be respected as an individual and wants to feel they belong to something bigger than just themselves: this is called a need for ‘inclusive individuality’. Brand journalism is the best approach for addressing these challenges. Keywords brand journalism, globalisation, localisation, personalisation, inclusive individualist, brand story, brand framework, content

BRAND JOURNALISM regions to different people in different In June 2004, the new concept of brand situations. In the USA, The Holiday Inn journalism was unveiled at a conference brand is viewed as an affordable brand for sponsored by Advertising Age. Brand family travellers while the Chinese per- journalism was the way McDonald’s was ceive Holiday Inn as an upscale experience. approaching its marketing as part of In the USA, Holiday Inn satisﬁ es different the turnaround plan. Brand journalism is needs for a person travelling with their even more relevant today than it was ten family on holiday compared to when that years ago. same person is on a business trip. In Europe, Brand journalism was deﬁ ned as a Pizza Hut is a sit-down Italian experience; multi-dimensional, multi-faceted way of in the USA, it is primarily for take-away

Larry Light creating a brand story. It means telling pizza; in China, it is an exuberant atmo- Arcature LLC, 3 Stamford Landing Suite 300, the many facets of the brand story when sphere with a menu including close to 200 46 Southﬁ eld Avenue, everyone knows the brand and what the varied items. Stamford, CT 06902, USA brand means. A brand means different things to con- Tel: +1 203 967 4900; Brand journalism addresses the fact that sumers on different occasions: at home or Fax: +1 203 967 3977; E-mail: [email protected] a brand means different things in different away from home; morning, afternoon or

evening; breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack; that is relevant at the right time for the late night, weekday or weekend; with kids, right reasons. on a business trip, on a cruise, at a family The concept is to think like a journalist. gathering or at university. Think of the ongoing communications as For example, McDonald’s addresses a the creation of a brand ‘magazine’, where relevant need for convenience, affordabil- each article is different, each edition is dif- ity and fun for a mother and her children ferent and in each region it is different: on Saturday at lunch. It represents a differ- different subjects, different topics, different ent need for a sales executive on a business messages; all coming together in a dynamic, trip going through the drive-through to interesting, relevant and coherent manner. get a quick breakfast. It is a different expe- The Huffi ngton Post, for example, It has rience for a group of young adults look- sections, such as News, Lifestyle, Tech & ing for something to eat late at night. It Innovation, HuffPost Live and Best of is a different experience in the suburbs of HuffPost. Each section deals with different New York City than it is on the Ginza in topics. Yet, Huffi ngton Post has a coherent Tokyo. Yet, it is all McDonald’s. style and character. The stories are written At the time, the idea of brand journal- in a different manner from the stories in ism created quite a controversy. There were The Atlantic. opinion columns and letters to the editor. Brand managers are brand journalists, For die-hards of traditional positioning, who look not only at the subject mat- there was general outrage that market- ter, but also the brand style. A story about ing might be evolving and taking a new Bruce Springsteen for Rolling Stone must tack in connecting with consumers. The be written in a very different style than if hard-liner, tradition-bound positionistas it were written for BBC News. Yet every- refused to see that brand journalism was one knows which is which and to which not harmful to brands but hugely help- each belongs. ful. Like Galileo’s clerics, they declined Brand journalism is about communi- to look through the telescope to see the cating a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, wonders of the new marketing universe. complex set of brand messages in an inte- The idea of owning a single-minded, grated manner. There is an editorial pol- distilled word in the customer’s mind icy, a brand framework of brand-defi ning worldwide is an out-of-date brand man- non-negotiables within which marketing agement idea. Marketers do not own the teams have the responsibility to be locally customer’s mind. In this era of co-creation, relevant and the fl exibility to address indi- sharing and engagement within market- vidual differences. ing, the idea of owning the customer’s In December 2009, Advertising Age mind is marketing arrogance. listed brand journalism as one of the top Underlying brand journalism is the ten most important ideas of the previous idea that a brand is not merely a simple decade: ‘It’s arguably the most realistic word; it is a complex, multi-dimensional description of marketing today — perhaps idea that includes differentiating features, ever’. According to the writer, Matthew functional and emotional benefi ts as well Creamer more marketers and agencies as a distinctive brand character. In this should be revisiting [brand journalism] . . . digital, mobile marketing world, no single in an age of instant customer feedback’.1 communication can possibly relate a stan- Today, brand journalism has evolved dardised brand message to every customer from an adaptation of fl exible marketing

122 © HENRY STEWART PUBLICATIONS 2045-8568 JOURNAL OF BRAND STRATEGY VOL. 3, NO. 2, 121–128 SUMMER 2014 BRAND JOURNALISM

communications to an even more jour- social, demographic, behavioural, distri- nalistic approach for communications. As bution and media pertinent to a specifi c Brian Kress has stated: ‘Brand Journalism locale are important differences that chal- is one of the top digital trends and is one lenge a global brand plan. of the most important trends for online This ever-morphing world is creat- marketers’.2 ing a great opportunity for an evolved For example, when Cisco, the technol- approach to brand marketing. How can ogy company, adopted brand journalism, it brands achieve personalisation in a glob- focused resources across multiple channels, ally coherent manner that also refl ects seeking out great writers and stimulating, regional needs? connective content. Cisco aims ‘to lead a Personalisation of customer experi- conversation about the industry, it repre- ences is a growing customer expectation. sents.3 Added to the mix today is the accelerating As the world changes, brand journal- growth in consumer desires for individu- ism is evolving to refl ect the new personal, alised experiences that refl ect personal digital and mobile environment. As a com- needs, attitudes and situations. munications approach, it is an increasingly The marketing world is globally inter- important tool for marketers, who must connected, regionally differentiated and navigate through the forces that are alter- personally individualised all at the same ing this environment. time. Winning brands will manage these three forces so that they develop a coherent brand promise. THE CHANGING WORLD The forces of global, local and personal The inclusive individualist Previously in the Journal of Brand Strategy, There is also an important development Larry Light has addressed the marketing in customer values and behaviours. The challenges at the intersection of three customer wants to be respected as an powerful forces: globalisation, localisation individual and wants to feel they belong and personalisation.4 How can market- to something bigger than just themselves: ers build consistent powerful brands in an feeling independent and interdependent environment that demands global consis- at the same time. This is called a need for tency, local differentiation and personal ‘inclusive individuality’. Customers want relevance all at the same time? to be respected as unique individuals and Increased globalisation is a marketing they do not want to feel uniquely alone. reality. In a digital, mobile world, what The explosion of digital and mobile happens anywhere can be known every- channels provides marketers with the where. There is no place to hide. A globally ability to cater to the need for ‘inclusive coherent brand strategy is an imperative, individuality’. Everyone has the ability not an option. to personalise and predict with hyper- Globalised marketing does not mean relevant content. Customers have the ability marketing standardisation. Regionalisation to individualise their experiences and also and localisation must also be respected. share these experiences with the various Ignoring regional and local differences is global, regional and local ‘communities’, a perilous brand strategy. Cultural, legal, to which they choose to belong.

The ‘Age of Me’ and inclusive inclusiveness. Consumers want a constant, individuality continuing fl ow of valuable, relevant and The focus on increased personalisation is engaging content — articles, blog posts, not the same as it was in the conscious- live events, videos and social media. They ness-raising, self-focused, self-absorbed, want to respond as individuals and they self-actualising era of the 1960s and 1970s. want to share as members of a community Then, it was ‘all about me’: ‘let me do my of common interests. This digital, mobile own thing’ and ‘what’s in it for me?’ It was mind set is great news for brands. Digital a self-centred, self-interested, self-obsessed allows content to be rich and engaging. era. Everyone hailed non-conformity, As David Aaker states: ‘An engaged audi- breaking with the past, with anti-estab- ence will be susceptible to listening, learn- lishment, rejection of family values and ing, believing and behaviour change’.6 structure. No wonder it became known as When it comes to communications in the ‘Age of Me’. the current world, a single, standardised, Advertising during the Age of Me infl exible brand message with over- refl ected this ‘me mentality’. The now simplifi ed content is suicidal frankly, when defunct Braniff Airlines ran an advert fea- the customer is thinking: ‘I am an individ- turing Andy Warhol and Sonny Liston ual with unique individual wants and needs. using Liston’s mantra: ‘If you got it, fl aunt And my needs are different depending on it’. Nice ’N Easy Hair Color said: ‘It lets my current situation. But, I am not alone. me be me’. Hertz said: ‘Hertz puts you in I belong to a local/regional/global com- the driver’s seat’. munity of people who are just like me’. Historian Richard Miller wrote that Digital connections make this all possi- the 1960s ‘was about liberty, meaning the ble. Everyone is an independent individual absence of physical, mental, emotional, who belongs to multiple, virtual communi- cultural, and even biological restraint. . .. ties. People have gone from self-magazine This idea . . . is Autonomy’.5 to selfi es. People have left counter-culture This age of ‘inclusive individuality’ for connected culture. is different. There is the intersection of With the many social media oppor- individuality and the simultaneous desire tunities available today, brand journalism for inclusiveness: ‘instead of the world makes any brand a media publisher in the revolving around me, I want a world that vast sense of what publishing is in this age includes, understands, respects and recog- of inclusive individuality. Brand journal- nises me’. People savour individuality and ism enables marketers to address the chal- they desire inclusivity at the same time. lenges of the global–regional–personalised People want to be independent yet want to marketing world. For example, Coke be interconnected. Individuality is impor- Zero created a ‘my favourite dance moves’ tant. Commonalities are important. People social media event that aligned inclusive want to be unique and they want to share individualists around the world.7 their uniqueness with like-minded people. The inclusive individualist is the new marketing tsunami. How can marketers make the global–regional–personalised MARKETING IN TODAY’S WORLD approach work to develop powerful brands With all these changes, modern market- that engage the inclusive individualist? ing requires an approach that informs Over the course of the past ten years, and maximises both individuality and marketing has experienced a signifi cant

124 © HENRY STEWART PUBLICATIONS 2045-8568 JOURNAL OF BRAND STRATEGY VOL. 3, NO. 2, 121–128 SUMMER 2014 BRAND JOURNALISM

change. In 2004, when brand journal- The defence contractor, Raytheon, ism was born, the dominant approaches takes brand journalism very seriously, and to marketing communications were still hired writers to bring the Raytheon story standard television, print newspapers, pro- to life. Chris Hawly came from Associated motional fl yers, music, outdoor boards and Press (AP). He says: packaging. Digital and mobile content were still viewed as ‘experimental’. True, ‘I’m helping to build a news operation. everyone had a mobile phone; and they We are working at Raytheon like an AP actually used them to make phone calls. beat to fi nd interesting stories and tell the Given the ever-evolving, digital, split- world about them in a way that engages. second, techno-laden, app-overloaded, real- We have bureau chiefs in all of our four time, location-based, mobile world in which divisions. They have certain products that they want to talk about so we try to fi nd people now live, brand journalism is even new and interesting ways of exploring those more important as a marketing platform. It stories. And we refi ne the story ideas, assign also helps to create the sense of ‘insider– writers and we’re doing a lot of training on belonging’ that an inclusive individualist editing and getting those stories out.’9 desires because it cultivates curiosity about the brand. As Business2Community.Com Brand journalism brings focus to the articulated in 2012: convergence of branded communications ‘Brand journalism represents a new type in a time when carefully crafted, engag- of content creation that businesses are ing content is critical. Brand journalism clamoring to get a grasp of. Quality content demands much more than a repetitive that enables a more intimate conversation communication of a standardised infl ex- between brands and their target audiences ible, uniform, simplistic brand message. It is beginning to prove more effective than is about creating and communicating an almost any other online marketing strategy.’8 ongoing, fl exible, interesting brand story that is globally coherent, regionally differ- BRAND JOURNALISM AND THE entiated and personally relevant. INCLUSIVE INDIVIDUALIST At the 2014 World Economic Forum in Davos, Richard Solomons, CEO of Brand journalism is perfect for the inclu- the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) sive individualist because it creates multi- discussed the implications of a new IHG channel, multi-layered communications report describing the opportunity for that, over time, tell the whole story of a global brands by harnessing the intersec- brand in the consumer’s global–regional– tion of global coherence, local relevance personal context. Brand journalism today and personal differentiation. It stated: is the marriage of brand management and storytelling. Brand journalism takes both skill sets and merges them into a com- ‘For 21st century consumers, the global and local dimensions of brands no longer munications platform. It allows for the offer enough on their own. Global brands creation and curating of information, must be personal, too, by adapting product while encouraging sharing and generating and service experiences that are different engagement. Brand journalism educates, from one person to the next. Consumers brings continued interest and encourages want the familiarity, reliability, safety and loyalty. It enhances the brand experience, authority of global brands. They want the adding depth and relevance. refl ection of their local and regional values.

And, they want their personal uniqueness consumers. During the 1990s, moving respected and addressed.’ from monologue to dialogue was a popular mantra. Today, the move is from dialogue to Managing the intersection of these forces ‘multi-logue’ communications. With mul- requires the marketing skills of brand tiple formats providing personalised con- journalism.10 tent in a sharing environment, dialogue has morphed from two-way communications to a multiplicity of shared opinions, exper- IMPLICATIONS FOR BRAND tise, editing, aggregation and openness. JOURNALISM MARKETING Instead of just two-way communications, First, brand journalism should play a role this is a world of multi-way communica- in global brand marketing. Using brand tions with consumers and prospects. journalism, an evolving brand story can The MSNBC cable newsperson, Brock communicate its consistent global char- Meeks, now manages Ideas Lab, a web- acter, its local differentiation in each and site run by Atlantic Media Strategies but every country or county or city and its owned and paid for by General Electric personal relevance by segment, by micro (GE). Ideas Lab is an online site for ‘thought segment, by individual. leaders’ in the ‘advanced manufacturing Brand journalism allows local and/ space’. It is Meeks’ job to generate con- or regional teams the power to prioritise tent and gather and then coordinate ideas their activities and tell relevant brand sto- submitted by industry leaders. He also ries that create genuine consumer engage- checks in with GE. GE provides this dis- ment. At the same time, brand journalism cussion forum for issues of great interest strengthens the global brand through to thought leaders while at the same time, coherent brand messages building global providing GE with a dialogue-platform credibility. and an arena for breakthrough thinking.11 As recently pointed out in ‘How Joe Pulizzi, the founder of the Content to choose the right digital marketing Marketing Institute, says: ‘Every company model’, ‘Consumers increasingly demand now must also be a media company. If you marketing messages and offers that are want to connect with your customers, highly personalised, relevant and tar- you’d better be where they are online, and geted’. So, Virgin customises the entire you’d better have some interesting infor- journey from purchasing through fl ight mation to share with them’.3 to destination experiences. ‘Virgin is Thirdly, brand journalism enhances investing in a more interactive and per- the overall brand experience and gen- sonalised in-fl ight experience that is erates fuller consumer engagement. tailored to different segments of travel- Through personalised, relevant, interest- lers’. If someone is heading to Paris, they ing and insightful information, people could have in-fl ight messages regarding form deeper relationships with a brand. the best new restaurants. Who they are As Kevin Burke, Chief Marketing offi - will dictate the kinds of entertainment cer for Visa said at the Ad Age Fall 2013 they receive.7 Digital Conference, media’s goal is to cre- Secondly, brand journalism forces mar- ate ‘irresistible shared content that will keters to be conversationalists. There is generate mass, shared reach’. Visa evaluates a recognised new emphasis on engag- marketing by asking: ‘Why would a con- ing consumers rather than preaching to sumer care?’12 This is the purpose of brand

journalism. Why should the inclusive indi- media landscape with new abilities to vidualist care? Why should they pay atten- make brand journalistic connections tion, be interested, become engaged? across all kinds of devices and geographies. Brand journalism engages customers As Hoque and Baer say: ‘we’re living in by providing personalised online experi- a global, increasingly interconnected ences. In 2013, Karen T, Fondu of L’Oreal economic and social environment. New Paris USA, said: technologies are changing fundamen- tal relationships at an ever-accelerating ‘Loyal customers want the opportunity to pace’.15 Brand journalism provides the engage on a deeper level with brands they consumer with timely, relevant, focused, are passionate about. Investing in digital, personalised content that helps in making rewards our current customer base by better brand decisions in real time. providing them with the customised online experience they deserve, and serves as a Brand journalism can be the most valu- tool to entice new customers.’13 able tool in the marketing toolbox. Brand journalism captures the interests of the Engaging pet owners and creating person- interconnected, inclusive individualists alised experiences for owner and pet is at who want customised, connective content. the heart of Purina’s Just Right dog food Brand journalism offers the right messages brand. This online customisable brand asks to the right person in the right situation the owner questions about the dog and its at the right time with the right content in health. Then Purina provides food person- the right format for the right device. alised for the pet. ‘We built this brand on Now and forever, mass marketing is a the belief that the best nutrition is person- mass mistake. Brand journalism allows for alised’, says Brian Lester, Purina’s director multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, multi- of marketing for innovation.14 device, evolving brand stories. Brand journalism offers a solution to the challenges and opportunities created by media digi- CONCLUSION tisation and the proliferation of social and Some marketing commentators claim sharing sites and virtual communities. there is an inevitable decline in brand loy- Marketers have the chance of a lifetime alty. Certainly, there is an inevitable decline to connect and engage consumers with in the effectiveness for those marketers journalistic brand storytelling that they who continue to hang on to traditional, will want to consume. In this new era of but out-of-date marketing ideas. Today’s inclusive individuality, brand journalism consumers want to be known, recognised, will be an increasingly important part of respected and valued as individuals. They marketing’s future. want to feel special. Yet, they do not want to feel alone. They want to belong. They are savvy enough to know when the con- References tent is a pre-packaged, standardised, mass (1) Creamer, M. (2009) ‘The Book of Tens, Advertising Age,’ Crain Publishing, Detroit, MI. marketed sales pitch disguised as person- (2) Kress, B. (2013) ‘Include brand journalism in alisation. Instead, they want a personal, your online marketing toolkit,’ available at: engaging brand that puts the consumer’s http://www.intellingenthq.com/marketing/ needs at the centre. include-brand-journalism-in-your-online- marketing-toolkit/ (accessed 21st March, 2014). Since the launch of brand journalism (3) Basen, I. (2012) ‘Is that an ad or a news story in 2004, it is now a remarkably changed – and does it matter which?’, The Globe and

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