Blog

What are the limits of brand elasticity and flexibility?

Posted on by Knom

It is not so easy to drag equity from one brand to another.

Tesla’s $250 tequila has reopened the debate, polarising industry professionals. With a branding manual in hand, this tequila would never work under the Tesla brand: it would be considered unstrategic, in an orbit too far away from the parent brand and its activity or positioning. But what if it’s just about showing that Tesla is capable of doing anything it sets its mind to? Is brand confidence enough to transcend into another sector? Is it a waste of resources? Or something only iconic brands can afford?

While it is clear that a well-built brand has an easier time expanding the business focus, we must tread carefully, avoiding opportunism, jeopardising the trust built or losing focus by trying to address scenarios in which we are not experts. That said, who wouldn’t spend a night at Apple’s hotel?

Why should brands get involved and take a stand?

Posted on by Knom

Every time we consume, we vote.

There was a time when price, quality, accessibility… were the only drivers for choosing a brand. Nowadays, the values of companies are also becoming decision criteria. In a way, we “reward and punish” brands according to their behaviour. This is an even more pressing trend among young people. This is no longer about nice words in the ‘About us’ section of the website but, increasingly, we are demanding that brands make the values they proclaim a reality by taking sides on important issues. It’s not about being braver, or more activist, but about being in the world and addressing users’ concerns.

Because, as we often say, brands are like people and people don’t just believe in something, they also feel, take a stand, and act accordingly. Or at least they should.

Why will this Black Friday be blacker?

Posted on by Knom

A year marked by uncertainty.

Black Friday is becoming more and more ‘black’ and less and less ‘friday’. In other years, many people take the opportunity to buy Christmas presents on this day, but nowadays, nobody knows how the festivities are going to be.

The consumerist day par excellence pits brands against each other. On the one hand, there are companies that turn Black Friday into Black Week or even Black Month. On the other, we are witnessing a wave of responsible brands that either reinterpret this day from the perspective of sustainability or “boycott” it by encouraging shoppers not to consume. In addition, this year there is a growing number of campaigns encouraging us to promote local, neighbourhood consumption, at a time when small businesses are experiencing enormous difficulties.

What can design do for the climate?

Posted on by Knom

Everything is designed, from a toy to a bomb.

Climate change is one of the great challenges for the design sector, which holds, in its different versions, the key to a more creative, more sustainable, more aware and informed world. Although we are late, there are already brands that are making a difference. This is the case of Estrella Damm, which last year eliminated plastic from its packaging, but also of countless start-ups that are emerging with a more sustainable consumption approach (second-hand platforms, ecological menstruation, …).

Every decision during the design process is decisive, but it is perhaps in the dissemination of the problem and its solutions that the design community should focus. We have a very powerful tool to convince but above all to help people to wake up.
Shall we start now?

Can design save your life?

Posted on by Knom

Good design can make a difference.

In a world hypersaturated with impacts where we only process a small percentage of the messages we receive, good design can make the difference. A few days ago we saw how the interactive infographics of an article, explaining how COVID is spread in different spaces and situations, went viral. And more and more media are betting on infographics to capture the attention of their audience and make their content transcend.

The reality is that we are more permeable to what we see than to what we read; the visual connects with our emotional level and is better fixed. Making the most of the tools that design gives us is key to meeting the challenge of exposing complex realities and providing credibility. A vital aspect when we deal with such crucial issues as health, security or education.

Has the pandemic been the last push brands needed to join the green revolution?

Posted on by Knom

A pause to review priorities.

The pandemic has forced us to stop and take stock of what is really important in our lives. And brands have not escaped this phenomenon: they have also had to take a break and reflect. The fashion sector, for example, has seen its business slow down just at the moment when relevant voices in the sector questioned the need to have such a demanding rotation and so many collections in a single year. Other brands are asking us not to buy on Black Friday, or urging us to reuse, even repair, what we already have in order to extend its useful life.

There is already a collective feeling that we need to rethink the way we consume. We need to make our way of life and our values consistent with each other. Brands that make it easy for us and align with our new priorities will come out stronger.

The brand experience, more digital than ever in the wake of the pandemic

Posted on by Knom

The challenge of bringing our DNA in the physical world to digital interaction.

The pandemic has forced brands to redefine the journeys their users make, and to learn to detect the key moments that occur in the digital environment. A crisis that has exposed the importance of each brand knowing its consumers and being able to anticipate what they are looking for.

We are at a time when digital events, actions and interactions are stronger than ever. And, whether physical or digital, we must continue to be equally demanding with these experiences so that the essence of the brand is not lost and so that they continue to be recognisable, unique and immersive. Because we must not forget that digital does not have to be impersonal.

What can brands do to bring that missing humanity and contact?

Posted on by Knom

Anticipate and create real value.

We always talk about brands being and behaving like people. At a crucial time like the one we are living in, in which consumers demand more human interaction and brands that are at their side, details such as asking how you are, what you need, how that product is doing, or simply being accessible, make all the difference. This is where the real interest is shown, the one that goes beyond the commercial benefit.

Companies have their finger on the pulse of society before institutions do, allowing them to anticipate and create real value for their consumers. Like the insurance company that has created a digital consultation service that saves you from having to travel to your health centre. A good example of how to make this ‘human’ attribute tangible in a clear action plan from which the user benefits at every point of contact.

Brands must adapt to the “new normal”, but is everything OK?

Posted on by Knom

Everything is changing.

We have seen an avalanche of brands redefining their offering in a matter of days. Transforming their processes to stay relevant (and profitable). Expanding sales and service channels overnight. Moving from physical to digital in an express way. Reinventing the way you communicate your what, your how and your why. OK. But why do it in a mimetic way, why let ourselves be carried away by inertia and “me too”?

The new normality opens up a scenario of opportunities, of new models, new forms of expression… where the creativity with which we approach them will make the difference. A credibility that in no case should mean losing the focus of what we are as a brand.

How do you maintain trust in your brand after a major crisis?

Posted on by Knom

People first.

Brands, whether they like it or not, represent values, values inferred through their behaviour. They play a fundamental role in society, especially during and after crises such as the one we are experiencing. This is demonstrated by the data that Edelman published on trust in brands in times of COVID-19.

Brands need to get involved. Protect the well-being and safety of their employees. Be a safety net to fill the gaps in government response. Change even business as usual to help meet today’s challenges. Put people before profits.

Is it asking too much of brands? No. Because brands, today, are built to make a mark.