In a time of shifting media winds, brand fundamentals are more important than ever.
The ANA Brand Masters conference delivered a good mix of consumer insights, smart strategy and inspirational stories of brand growth. In a marketplace defined by rapid evolution, there was a lot of emphasis on core brand principles.
In fact, it’s likely because of the changes radically transforming the consumer experience — AI-powered personalization, generative search and platform migration — that clearly articulating your brand value is more important than ever.
Here are a couple themes from the conference that stood out:
Read the room
The program kicked off, as all work should, with a deep dive into audience.
Razorfish president, Dani Mariano, and Paramount’s Dave Perry shared some (occasionally alarming) statistics on the power of Gen Alpha — ”not your average 12-year-olds.” (Turns out 68% of them own a luxury product by age 10!) So what do we do with that knowledge? Prioritize audience-first storytelling, which means building content around how consumers live, not just your product. Sell a lifestyle, a mood, a feeling.
Princess Cruises’ Emma Wolff talked about using audience data to match content with intent. If you really know who you’re talking to, you can deliver an experience that doesn’t just get their attention but makes them feel something.
Know thyself
Recognize your brand’s “grounding truth” and stay true to that, even/especially as you evolve to meet the moment.
Stephen White, Diageo’s head of innovation, shared his perspective on listening to culture and revolutionizing classic brands — like creating a Guinness non-alcoholic beverage that actually tastes like Guinness. Stay true to what you know, but maintain a future state of mind, leverage deep consumer insights, stay curious and remember that “certainty is the enemy.”
WARC’s Ann Marie Kerwin made the case for brand advertising in a performance world. Remember the 95/5 rule: Only 5% of prospects are in market, so 95% need awareness- and preference-building brand messaging. Stronger brands see stronger performance. It’s not brand plus performance, it’s brand multiplied by performance.
True Religion CMO Kristen D’Arcy talked about resurrecting the power of a 23-year-old brand by going back to its roots. Your success comes from your ability to engage your audience, she said. “What’s the story your brand is telling? Double down on that.”
According to CMO Joe McCambley, Saatva built a successful business spending almost exclusively on search. But as the DTC mattress business matured, they needed to complement that with brand advertising, which in turn drove an outsized lift in performance.
Trust your gut
Understand your market and the role your brand can play, but don’t be afraid to reinvent the category.
Poppi founder and chief brand officer, Allison Ellsworth, talked about her incredible five-year journey from launching a gut-healthy soda in her kitchen to a 10-figure sale, and her decision to own that “soda” moniker, reinventing the category without the guilt and “giving you permission to love soda.”
As a touring musician who couldn’t see his set list, Caddis founder and CEO Tim Parr stumbled onto an opportunity to reinvent a commodity as a form of self-expression. Understanding that those over 50 control 83% of household wealth — and that almost everyone needs reading glasses — Caddis sought to author the next greatest cultural story and made aging cool with their premium “eye appliances.”
Chief brand officer Dan Kleinman from Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits talked about building on the foundation of Josh Cellars, one of the world’s best-selling premium reds, with wines for a new generation of drinkers. Consumer insights around category perceptions and drinking habits informed the launch of Josh Seaswept with high energy, influencers and ice!
Pop Sockets head of marketing, Emily Sly, talked about the brand as “the eternal positivity machine” and thus uniquely positioned to tackle “bringing radical positivity” to the otherwise unremarkable world of tech accessories.
Understand your role in the conversation
Cultural marketing presents an enormous opportunity for brands, but it’s critical not to overstep.
Danielle Spikener, head of impact at Kraft/Heinz and Cashmere’s Aki Spicer, weighed in on leveraging cultural moments with the story of an organic partnership with Kendrick Lamar producer DJ Mustard. “Listen to fans to know how — and when — to try to engage them. When is our time to speak? When are we invited in? And, importantly, mine the fringes of culture, because once it gets to mainstream, you’re too late.”
Marcus Collins sat down with Converse’s Brandon Avery to talk about how the head of global experience is keeping a 100-year-old brand relevant. Avery described the brand’s “independent enough not to follow” positioning as being as much about the consumers as it is the product. “People tell stories, not brands.” And when you’re thinking about how to leverage culture to advance your brand or business, remember that “culture is a place to give, not take.“
Understanding audiences and what makes brands special is the foundation of our work as content marketers. We then translate those insights into opportunities to strategically engage those target audiences with brand-specific, high-quality content experiences. There’s more content than ever out there — and the competition for eyeballs is intense. It’s not enough to be part of the mix. Brands need to own their piece of it.
Author Bio
Pac Fowlkes leads business development for a number of categories at DDM Content Solutions. A veteran content marketer with a background in editorial, branding and strategic marketing, he’s a steadfast advocate for the power of storytelling to drive business forward. Fowlkes has helped Fortune 500 brands across financial services, travel, food, consumer electronics and technology use content to engage audiences, drive awareness and generate return on investment for almost two decades.