By Vicky Bullen, CEO at Coley Porter Bell
Branding is the number one priority of European marketeers. Welcome attention to a vital source of business value that’s under pressure. Brands are struggling. Numerous articles and surveys have concluded that brands are less creative and impactful than before. Differentiation and distinctiveness are declining. Our own survey results show that 80% of brands have seen their differentiation erode.
In many categories, our experience is that brands are cautious, increasingly conventional, and converging towards a category average. They are more concerned with extracting short-term value than building long-term equity. This short vs long prioritisation has always been a source of tension for marketeers, but at the moment, the short-term is winning.
We’re all familiar with the causes – consumer uncertainty, cost-of-living, price pressures on brands, increased competition, to name only a few, have driven both consumers and brand owners towards the safety of the familiar. Brands have followed each other towards the category average. The risk of this is widespread consumer indifference – a shrug rather than a purchase.
Despite this unpromising backdrop, we see a positive future for brands. We monitor, champion and develop ‘Unordinary Ideas’. These are original brand ideas that are culturally relevant and creatively refreshing. The good news amidst all the pervasive ‘blandifaction’ is that original ideas provide the perfect vehicle for the brands that do want to stand out.
Unordinary Ideas are not just about creativity; they are a commercial imperative, proven to drive differentiation and help increase revenue growth. WPP’s BAV analysis has shown that brands with high Unordinary scores have 2.0x the revenue growth and 2.3x the revenue of their ordinary peers.
Over the course of the last year, we’ve been examining Unordinary ideas across brands and culture. What this has taught us is that all the greatest (and most successful) brands have an idea at their core. They are the engines of relevance, excitement and “stickiness”, elevating offerings from mere price-and-function transactions to meaningful contributions in people’s lives. It’s also taught us the ‘where’ and ‘how’ of idea generation.
Where to find an Unordinary Idea
Unordinary Ideas are not solely the domain of physical products like the internet or the iPhone. Breakthrough brand ideas often arise from observing shifts in culture, or taking a creative approach to seemingly ordinary brand identities, experiences, activations and communications.
Recognising the need to bring a new generation of guitar players to the brand, one with different needs to their loyalists, seeing themselves as artists, not musicians, for whom creativity was as important as technical craft, Martin Guitar developed the Unordinary idea “Unleashing the Artist Within.” This put the artist rather than the product at the centre of the brand, promising to enable their creativity. This idea inspired everything from refreshed identity to new brand experiences and partnerships, taking the brand back to double-digit growth and attracting a whole new audience.
But it’s not just brand ideas. A creative mindset can take regular brand applications and turn them into memorable ideas, adding value to the brand. Naming is often dull and descriptive, but Farrow & Ball have created witty names like ‘Elephant’s Breath’ and ‘Churlish Green’, using it as an opportunity to build a distinctive, evocative personality.
The stories and history around a brand can often provide unique ideas, imbuing it with cultural resonance and unmatchable authenticity. There can only be one Ferrari, benefiting from as it does from its founder’s story, and associations with Italian style.
The key takeaways for brands
At a category level, the practice of benchmarking needs to be resisted. Brands should embrace strategic differentiation. This requires a deliberate effort to distinguish your brand through a specific and ownable Unordinary Idea, rather than trying to appeal to everybody, which often ends up attracting nobody.
Leaders and marketers need to continuously ask: what is the animating idea at the heart of my brand? This core idea should guide all marketing and communication decisions, ensuring it offers meaningful contributions to consumers’ lives, not just tactical noise.
An Unordinary Idea should be robust enough to anchor your brand as a category evolves. Based on human insight and cultural relevance, the brand idea needs to stay true to itself, regardless of short-term changes. Seasonal trends can inform tactical activities, but within a brand guideline framework that keeps them relevant.
Lastly, the idea needs to be consistently and creatively expressed across every touchpoint – from packaging, through digital interaction, to tone-of-voice and customer service. The Unordinary Idea should drive innovation and product development, strengthening the association between brand, idea and experience.
In Summary
As categories continue to slide into a homogenous and undistinguished middle, a mindset shift is required. Brand owners need to call out the banal, poke at the ordinary and applaud the different. Creativity and culture offer breakout opportunities for brands willing to embrace them. A sharply defined Unordinary Idea, activated with unwavering commitment through every brand expression, is the best strategy for brands to stay distinctive, relevant, and valuable – today and tomorrow.
