Alternative Brand Contact in Marketing

There is a major challenge as far as brand communication in these contemporary times is concerned due to the fact that, as brand managers and advertising agencies (here in Nigeria and world-over), we are all essentially competing fiercely to impact on target audiences who, whether we realize the fact or remain oblivious to it, in the real sense, have become jaded by conventional/traditional advertising and brand communications.

In reality, today’s consumer/target has become simultaneously time-starved and trust-starved, and has sub-consciously erected some kind of defence (which appears to be increasingly fortified) against commercial ‘onslaughts’.

The consequence of the foregoing is that the expectations clients have of their communication partners or advertising agencies is to develop campaigns that break through the clutter in the process of creating branded impact on consumers/targets.

Agencies in turn rely heavily on their creative teams for the conceptualization of highly ‘creative’ messages that have the propensity to bust these clutters. The following are some of the communication challenges that are currently present in brand marketing;

* Increases in Clutter levels are being accentuated

* Consumers are consequently erecting and intensifying attention barriers and selective awareness

*Clients are therefore demanding brand communication solutions that transcend the traditional and expected

* Creative teams are therefore expected to produce more arresting and ‘out-of-the-box’ (a term that appears to have been effectively over-flogged of recent!) message concepts and executions which will be able to break through clutter barriers to have measurable impact on consumer buying behaviour

Given the foregoing, where does strategic account planning come to play in all of these? The following pertinent questions must therefore be put to strategic planners (and also clients and brand owners, of course!);

* If consumers are putting up and fortifying their defences against daily commercial onslaught(which they may deem to be exploitative and in favour of marketers/brands), is it wise to rely solely on the creativity of the expected advertising message and hope to break through the cluster barriers?

* Shouldn’t we be investing in creative strategic thinking ever before the so-called creative process commences?

* Should we not therefore be disrupting norms with a view to creating unconventional and unexpected points of engagement and brand contact that are however in total tandem and synergy with the creative/above-the-line concept and execution across all media?

The foregoing posers call for a refreshed approach to our entire brand communication planning framework, with more focus on points of contact, rather than reliance on the ‘creativity’ of the actual advertising message alone, towards breaking through the clutter, such that the point of contact itself aptly represents and successfully demonstrates creative strategic thinking that will achieve the desired impact through it’s unconventional and unexpected status.

Now, the alternative brand contact has been identified to be that point of planned interface with the brand that is experienced by the consumer as unexpected and unconventional – note the key words herein. The alternative brand contact is in itself media-neutral. What this translates into is that it is not the medium that defines the alternative brand contact as being unexpected or unconventional, as we frequently are wont to think in the industry. I do agree that there persists a strong tendency to compartmentalize alternative media into some below-the-line intervention category, but practically, it is the consumer’s experience of the point of contact as being unconventional or different that positions it as alternative.

Alternative brand contact planning is therefore a planning process that aims at developing unconventional brand contact strategies that break through barriers imposed by commercial clutter to achieve branded impact on targets. Essentially, an alternative brand contact can appear in any form, in any potential communication space and is defined by the consumer experience or take-out, and not necessarily by media type.

Brand Contact is therefore the focal point for all positive and negative impressions created. A key realization is that consumers themselves have actually become important brand-builders. They build an image just exactly the same way birds build nests from scraps and straw which they chance upon, according to Jeremy Bullmore. For there to be a consistent brand image, every point of brand contact with target must communicate and reinforce the identity of that particular brand.

Interestingly, there’s presently been a burgeoning desire to investigate the role and nature of alternative brand contact planning as far as effective brand/marketing communication is concerned, necessitated by the evolving paradigm of brand communication in this contemporary age,  a drive which has only been further accentuated by the attendant frustration of forward-looking strategic planning professionals with the seeming lack of creative strategic thinking in brand communication planning (premised erroneously on the thinking that strategy is strategy, media is media, and the creative team, of course must be the one to deliver that big, clutter-busting idea/message).

This has sparked off a renewed wave of effort at evolving ‘out-of-the-box’ planning approaches, and also spurred a three-year qualitative exploratory study among Integrated Marketing Communication Agencies and companies in South Africa, which eventually culminated in the design of a new planning model which aims to produce unconventional and unexpected brand contact strategies with measurable impact on targets and consumers.

One significant realization was that all the integrated agency teams and clients/brand owners that partook in the study were in immediate agreement that creative strategic thinking and alternative avenues for brand contact have greater potential to break through clutter and achieve branded impact in comparison to traditional message formats and channels.

The greatest challenge outlined, however, was found to be the mindsets of the key players involved namely the Client, the Agency, Media Planners/Buyers and the Media owners

Common arguments that came to the fore were along the following lines;

* “We need a paradigm shift fast”  a departure from the staid, stoic and boring to alternative, fresh and innovative ways capable of capturing attention and thus achieving impact.

* “Conventional media planning is also a massive stumbling block”  there needs to be greater collective willingness to experiment and put innovatively unique ideas to the test.

* “It, of necessity, requires brave clients and open-minded communication partners to make these ventures successful”.

The study also essentially revealed that the mindset of the clients and agencies involved is more powerful than any creative planning technique, tool or model whatsoever.

The singular most critical pre-requisite to alternative brand contact planning, undertaking creative strategic planning and disrupting brand communication norms is a fertile (and by implication, considerably liberal) planning mindset.

In conclusion, Alternative Brand Contact Planning presents a holistic planning philosophy which is committed to the development of unconventional and least expected brand contact ideas and strategies that are capable of breaking through commercial clutter.

Tomi Ogunlesi, a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), is presently an account planner in Strategy and Business Development at BatesCosse, Lagos.