Who The Hell Controls Your Brand?

These are perilous times for marketers.

The media constantly reports that advertising and traditional marketing are dead.

And the same media employs sales reps who’ll passionately tell you how effective advertising with them is.

We keep hearing that consumers are in total control of brands, that they alone decide your fate as judge and jury.

But the same consumers crave information and are starved for reasons to believe and buy.

And in the corporate executive suites, your brand is viewed as an asset able to return dividends on demand. Hence, the CMO gets the marching orders, “To make our quarterly numbers, we need a two-percent bump in sales and a five percent cut in your marketing budget.”

And go, CMO — your marketing mojo is no match for CFO fiscal knowhow!

Yes, as much as you’d like to dodge the responsibility, ultimately you are responsible for the brand.

Not your marketing agency.

Not the public.

Not your bosses.

You, and you alone.

Gird your loins, and get to it.

Where to start?

In the beginning.

Why should someone buy your product or care for your cause?

WHY?!

Why does your brand exist?

Why does the company that makes it exist?

You get the drift — until you know who and why you are, it’s hard for anyone to care.

This requires honesty, the brutal kind.

Marketer, know thyself.

Then, be authentic.

Find your voice, be empathetic and sincere, if your brand fills a need, you’ll cultivate your tribe.

And should you need help with your corporate psychoanalysis, I think we have an opening in our schedule next Tuesday.

Call, we’ll work you in.

Thank you.

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Patrick Scullin is an empathetic adman and founder of ASO Advertising.

He has two blogs: Empathetic Adman (marketing pontification) and The Lint Screen (satire, smartassery humor, pop culture ramblings, and advice for people getting hip replacements).