brandknewmag.com
12
A brand is going to be more valuable
to consumers if it creates some sort of
new value that did not exist before.
This is where digital can help brands. Collaborative economy
startups have value chains that optimize a marketplace. Uber
created a flexible incentive system for drivers to go out on
the road, which created a public backlash, but actually very
effectively solved the problem of supply-and-demand in the
taxi cab marketplace.
A brand’s traditional, legacy business is going to be more
valuable to consumers if it adds an existing marketplace to it.
TaskRabbit is a marketplace for time, skills and knowledge,
and, not accidentally, the most popular task there is
assembling Ikea furniture. Many people fear and loathe Ikea
manuals. They would rather pay someone to go through the
ordeal. Right therein lies an opportunity for Ikea. Ikea should
own the “Ikea-assembling skills” marketplace on TaskRabbit.
The option of having a TaskRabbit individual should be part
of every online and in-store order, all bidding already done
by Ikea. The retailer then delivers to your door both the
furniture and the person who will assemble it.
those consumers invest their own time and resources in it. In
this scenario, consumers define their brand experience by remaking brand product and services more according to their
own needs and likes. Big, upscale U.S. retailer Nordstrom
partnered with Toms shoes to inspire its customers to design
new Toms. Nordstrom attracts affluent customers who are
looking for something more than just mass-produced clothes.
They seek unique, elevated designs that are going to set them
apart from their peers. Intimate knowledge of its customers
allowed Nordstrom to come up with the initiative that
responds to their needs in the best possible way. Nordstrom
inspired its customers both to express their creativity through
shoe design (and to own it), and to feel good about being
part of a larger, meaningful humanitarian initiative.
All these new branding directions are
aimed to one, single-minded goal:
amplify customer experience. Make it
better. Make it more complete, A to Z.
Close the value loop.
All these new branding directions are aimed to one, singleminded goal: amplify customer experience. Make it better.
Make it more complete, A to Z. Close the value loop. Provide
consistent quality. Put customer convenience first. Be useful.
Be interesting and stay clear of one-size-fits all experiences.
Allow people to share. (People love sharing!) Add value in
every customer interaction. Focus on unmet needs, and be
one step ahead.
A brand is going to be more valuable to consumers if it
creates some sort of new value that did not exist before. New
value usually comes out of connecting supply, provided by
the brand, with customer demand in some new way. A few
years ago, Peugeot unveiled “Mu,” a rental service available
in 70 European cities. Peugeot rents its custo Z^