BRANDS FIND THE RIGHT WORDS IN TRYING TIMES
This year’s Super Bowl set the stage for many of us to sit on pins and needles, waiting to see how brands would navigate the troubled waters we’re currently sailing upon. With so much unrest, so much hardship and so much uncertainty, simply stepping upon the stage and treating it as business as usual, brands ran the risk of coming across tone deaf. However, stepping too far outside their batter’s box and swinging for the philosophical fences could feel quite forced. It’s a tough tightrope to walk, and it seems brands can find themselves in a damned-if-they-do-damned-if-they-don’t scenario.
As we’ve shouted on high many times in recent months, consumers are demanding much more of brands these days. In the simplest terms, they expect brands to be a part of the solution with real action. As a result, brands must look inwardly in order to find authentic ways to help outwardly. Staying true to what your brand is, what it does and what it believes in provides organic ways to extend a helping hand – or simple words of understanding.
Two examples of brands who seemed to find the right balance on Sunday (though in different ways) were Bass Pro Shops and Tide. Both brands looked at what they do, know and sell, then created simple messages leveraging those facts. The results were communications which felt relevant, timely and aware.
Bass Pro Shop didn’t reinvent the wheel, they simply connected the fact that the outdoors is a healing, calming place to share some quality time together – and after the year we’ve lived through, we can all use some of that. Simple visuals of sharing the great outdoors with great outdoor gear and a supporting VO offered a clear and straightforward message to digest.
Tide kept it even simpler with the story of a sweatshirt, and just how easy it is to forget how dirty our days can get. Leveraging the fact we’re all more conscious of cleanliness and hygiene these days, Tide reminded us they’re here to help. And they did it cleverly.
There’s no question brands have a difficult line to walk these days. The stakes are high and consumers’ expectations even higher. But as long as brands can remember to keep it simple and remain true to who they are, consumers will be more willing to trust them and support them.
At Unbound, we’re big believers in keeping it simple. We pride ourselves in dissecting who your brand is – so you can leverage those truths organically. By looking carefully at what your brand offers the world, you can begin to understand the different ways you can talk about your brand, and help be a part of a bigger solution – all without taking a detour from your core values and roots. Our team of strategic dynamos live to dive deep and come out swinging with smart solutions for your brand’s brave new future.
