Cultural infusion in brands

After rational, emotional and social factors, experts have now decoded another magic ingredient

There was a time when branding was a relatively simple affair. You had to ensure that your brand had a strong rational reason for consumers to buy it and you need to ensure that you stuff it with enough emotional reasons as well. As Jonathan Harries, then worldwide creative director at Foote Cone Belding, put it, “You need brands to be both emotional and rationally anchored. Because if the consumer bought if for purely rational reasons they will never be happy. And if they bought it for purely emotional reasons, they will never be satisfied.”
 
So rational reasons help the consumer stay satisfied with the purchase. But real happiness with the purchase comes from the emotional infusion into the brand. So a soap is not just a cleaning agent, but is also the beauty secret (of film stars). A toothpaste not only cleans your teeth, but gives you a unique “ring of confidence”, a life free of bad breath problems. A detergent not only washes away stains, but helps your child feel confident in school and win the merit badge.

 
Life was humming along and a few years ago companies started mouthing the need for brands for espousing social causes as well. So we now have a three-legged stool. Rational. Emotional. Social.
 

Companies started identifying social causes that specific brands will embrace. I am not speaking of inane five-minute videos on YouTube that celebrate the fashion of the month social cause. I am referring to key social causes that brands embrace at their core and over a period of time. So a detergent brand not only removed dirt, thereby giving the mother the confidence to let her kids play in the dirt (because dirt is good), but also used a lot less water. A food brand speaks of using organically sourced raw materials. A notebook brand speaks of being green-conscious through its plantations (we will plant a tree for every book you buy). And so on.

 
As if these three raison d’être is not enough, now experts have decoded yet another magic ingredient that has been helping some brands stay ahead of the curve. They have looked beyond the usual rational and emotional reasons for their success and have unearthed yet another dimension.
 
In his book Cultural Strategy, Douglas Holt speaks of brands that managed to get ahead of the competition by latching on to an emerging important cultural truth. Nike did not succeed, according to Prof Holt, because of empty superstar celebrity endorsements or their commitment to “Authentic Athletic Performance”. Nike succeeded because it managed to hit on a new emerging cultural phenomenon in the US, of people running to stay fit. Anyone and everyone could do it. Nike’s heroes were not sports celebrities (though they were featured in the ads), but the everyday Joe who had taken up running. Or take the brand Patagonia. This very successful brand of outdoor wear hit on the cultural truth of love for the environment. So the brand promises to recycle, commit resources for environmental development. Or take Body Shop, which is now being sold off by L’Oreal, that pleaded to a “no animal testing” commitment. They hit on the cultural truth of a caring woman who did not want to hurt animals in the process of getting a better eyeliner.

 
If you look closer home, Royal Enfield has managed to mine the cultural truth behind an older bike lover, who is no longer a speed fiend. He likes it a little slower and hence culturally a little different from a typical mobile user, and we may say a little more rooted. Or take Manyawar which mined into the cultural truth behind big weddings and the concept of “YaarkiShaadi”. No amount of rational, emotional, social mining would have unearthed that cultural truth. Or take Paper Boat which mined into the cultural truth of “childhood tastes”. It did not pass the muster of sugar/health or organic/natural, but it hit on the cultural truth of authentic, almost forgotten old taste. In a sense even Fab India has infused its brand with a strong cultural truth; authentic, natural, home-grown fabrics and also great social values of paying a fair price to their vendors.

 
This is just an indicative list. I am sure there are many more brands in the Indian market that are able to score a win over deep pocketed competition, by hitting on a cultural truth and infusing itself with that truth.
 
Is there a way to unearth such cultural truths? Or is it just a hit and miss?
 
For a start you could start brushing up on some basic readings on cultural branding and anthropology research. Then spend more time in the market, with consumers. Invest in trying to understand how socio-cultural trends are being captured in mainstream popular culture and fringe popular culture. Finally you need to take that leap of faith. Classical consumer research may not be able to green-light a cultural infusion idea. You may need to explore new methodologies to get your reconfirmation. But I assure you it will be a fun ride. The writer is an independent brand strategist, author and founder, Brand-Building.com