MARTIN LINDSTROM is a recipient of TIME Magazine’s “World's 100 Most Influential People” and author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller.
A prolific traveller, Lindstrom is on the road 300 days annually dispensing his brand of wisdom to top executives of McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Microsoft Corporation, The Walt Disney Company and GlaxoSmithKline, amongst others. His personal global audience is estimated at over a million people. Lindstrom has and continues to feature in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, TIME, The Economist, New York Times, BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, USA Today, Fast Company, and numerous other publications.
His recent book, BRAND Sense, was acclaimed by the Wall Street Journal as “…one of the five best marketing books ever published.” Lindstrom's latest book, Buyology, has been translated into more than 40 languages.
WHAT IS IT ?
In this step you will find information about the Brand Builder, who is asking you to propose a Solution for the challenge. He introduces himself (as a Brand of course :) The more you understand about the Brand, the more chances you have to create what is wanted.
IMPORTANT: There is a possibility that the Brand Builder prefers not to disclose who he is, usually for confidentiality reasons. Such Briefs will be published in an anonymous way. In this case the Brand Builder will say as much as he feels comfortable saying.
Here are two EXAMPLES
In case there is no problem with disclosing the identity (VISIBLE):
“NMN -No More Nicotine- is a Brand that promises to counteract the damages to the skin that can be caused by smoking. NMN is distributed in pharmacies and drugstores and its price positioning is middle-high; it is mainly promoted through professional endorsement and is not massively advertised.”
In case the Brand doesn’t want to disclose his identity (ANONYMOUS):
“Brand counteracting the damages to skin caused by smoking. Its products are distributed in pharmacies and drugstores with a middle-high price positioning; they are mainly promoted through professional endorsement and are not massively advertised.”
In summary: Who is your client (in a visible or “anonymous” way :)
Project for: a public publicity “stunt” for Martin Lindstrom’s upcoming book BRANDWASHED.
As part of the release of Martin Lindstrom’s next book BRANDWASHED – a book about how some companies a manipulating consumers to buy more using very suspicious and clever techniques, we need a powerful event to take place. The marketing stunt (i.e. something people will never forget – something which will create very strong visibility in the street environment or online or wireless) will have to focus on the U.S. (with a preference for NYC) with such strong impact that it preferably spreads internationally.
Perhaps the stunt makes a statement about consumerism, about the role that brands play in our lives (negative role)… It is important that the stunt is legal and practical possible, that it does not cost more than $40,000 to execute and can be executed in a controlled manner without legal implications. The stunt needs to be headline grabbing and highly memorable.
Some relevant examples: when NASCAR shut down multiple major avenues in NYC to be able to drive racecars across the city.
Timing for the stunt: July, August or September 2011.
WHAT IS IT ?
This is the task the Brand Builder asks you to accomplish. If you don’t understand it, you are completely out of luck !
EXAMPLE
“We ask the Creators to develop a print advertising campaign in order to increase Brand’s visibility. It will be used in national magazines this spring.”
In summary: It’s the objective of the client, therefore your objective too !
The Malcom Gladwell audience.
Primary audience: (American Business to Consumer audience). Curious, engaged and passionate American women between 20 and 50 years of age – men are of importance yet 70% of those people buying the book is likely to be females.
Secondary Audience: media
Third audience: Global Business to Business segment – covering everything from top CMO’s and CEO’s to small business owners.
Fourth audience: general public who want to read a book on consumer empowerment
WHAT IS IT?
People that the Brand Builder wants you to entertain and persuade to think, feel or do something using your creation. Usually you will read about their age, sex, social level and behaviors. You should always keep that information in mind while creating, as the target audience is the final recipient of what you create.
EXAMPLE
“Smoking girls and women who would like to quit smoking but can’t. Usually health-conscious adults who care about their looks. They feel guilty about smoking because they know it is harmful. They read books about it. This is a real problem for them: it’s like “My brain wants something, but my body acts of its own accord”. They don’t relate to my brand, they are just waiting for a trustworthy “helping hand”.
In summary: Get under their skin !
BRANDWASHED offers the reader a mind-blowing insight into a corporate world never seen before where manipulative tricks and hidden persuaders are used in ways no-one could imagine in order to make us buy more.
We want consumers – after seeing this stunt – to go out and buy BRANDWASHED the book.
We want media to be so enthralled that they want to interview Martin.
WHAT IS IT?
The thing that the Brand Builder wants to make the target audience think/feel/do because of your creation.
Here are some very concrete examples:
∞ Some things people can think/feel:
- There is a new Brand (or product or idea or...) out there
- This Brand is better than the alternatives or than it used to be
- This Brand is worth paying more for
∞ Some things people can do:
- Start buying the Brand’s products
- Buy the Brand more often
- Stock more products of the Brand in their outlets
The above written examples are very concrete whilst often the proposition of the Brief is emotional. That’s even better as it can be more inspiring!
EXAMPLE
“We’d like to encourage smokers to use NMN in order to minimize the damage to their health while they are keeping giving up smoking (especially if they’ve already tried and failed before).”
In summary: Get inside their brain !
All findings and conclusions are based on one of the world’s largest research studies – a multimillion dollar study conducted over 3 years.
The author Martin Lindstrom, selected as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by TIME magazine, is an advisor to 15 of the 100 most valuable brands, author to 6 books on branding, a columnist for Fast Company, regular guest on NBC’s TODAY show and numerous other nationwide TV stations in the U.S. and worldwide.
WHAT IS IT?
This is the key to achieving the objective. It is what supports the proposition and makes it believable. Usually it is a rational statement.
EXAMPLE
“Every cigarette you smoke is causing damage to your appearance. A recent study took several pairs of identical twins where one twin was a lifelong smoker and the other had never smoked. The smokers’ skin was a quarter thinner than that of non-smokers, and in some cases there were differences of up to 40%. NMN contains thinning-blocking anti-oxidants which counteract the effect of nicotine on the skin.”
In summary: You are looking for arguments? You’ll find them here!
Provocative, surprising, shocking, fascinating, innovation and insight.
WHAT IS IT?
It’s who the Brand is. Yes... who!
Treat the Brand as a human being, as it has its own personality. To know the personality of the “client” is fundamental in order to provide a tailor-made job. So, read carefully the listed adjectives...
EXAMPLE
“Scientific, trustworthy, result-oriented, ‘a party’ to achieve your goals.”
In summary: Imagine the live person !
Hopefully, this stunt will be covered by national, international and regional media. It will possibly be featured in the enhanced ebook version of Brandwashed (due out Sept 2011), it will be featured on Martin’s website, and social media platforms.
WHAT IS IT?
A list of places (or media, or things) where the target audience will see the outcome of your creation. In this step sometimes the Brand will also acknowledge you how much he plans to invest into production. This information will give you an insight whether to create a BIG project or make it small... :)
EXAMPLE
“This campaign is going to appear in lifestyle- and health-focused women magazines of New Zealand, during the spring of 2009. We plan to invest 500,000 USD, which means approximately buying 100 single pages.”
In summary: Consider the medium !
We’re looking for a very simple, yet impactful idea which will immediately grab the potential reader (customer’s) attention, intrigue the person and generate such strong curiosity that the book simply is irresistible to buy and read.
If the Brand has preferences or technical requirements that your Solution has to match, you will find them here.
Here are some items that you may find in this section:
∞ Guidelines or mandatory inclusions (do’s and/or don’ts)
∞ Business objectives
∞ Market and competitors overview
∞ Good and bad samples
Depending on the Brief, you may also find some files attached with a logo, pictures of product(s), a template that you should use in order to submit your ideas, or any other file that the Brand wants to share with you. So, study the attachments before starting creating.
In summary: Anything else you need to know (not written in the 7 steps before) !
