Branding is for Cattle
Who cares if it is the right or wrong pespective, at least it's a fresh one. That's the impression I got after talking with Jonathan Salem Baskin -- author of the soon-to-be-released book Branding Only Works on Cattle. He joined me on the September 10 edition of Marketing News Radio.
Branding is one of those perennial subjects. There is always a new book, a new guru, and a new set of experts on the topic. And this show has featured a number of them; and will likey continue to do so. But Baskin says that what we've been doing is following a broken model, one that has not adjusted to the modern customer, and is based on an outdated premise that we can actually manipulate customers to emotionally connect with our products.
With pithy statements like, "Your customer is only as loyal as their last purchase," and "we've confused the medium with the message," Baskin suggests that brand preference is no more than routine and habit, not an emotional affinity. And, to back that up a recent USA Today article indicated that consumer trust in American corporations is at an all-time low.
Whether you agree with Baskin's significant stab at the modern branding practice or not, one thing you can't deny is his compelling arguement that change is needed. Consumers are overwhelmed with choices, intollerant with poor customer servies, and impatient for companies to catch up with them.
-- David Kinard, PCM
Host, Marketing News Radio
