Gone are the days when brand identity is built with a bullhorn.
We all know that brand identity is now the sum of every consumer experience, but that doesn’t mean covering the spread of fragmented media with one brush stroke. In our opinion, context is just as important as content. It’s about brands boldly proclaiming a belief in why they exist in the first place, then proving it in ways that shape-shift within the medium and the context of media. In other words, prove that you are who you say you are in as many ways as you can.
Adam Wilson, 2018, Former Director of Brand Marketing for Carhartt, North America Brands need an identity young people care about. To find that iden- tity, you need to go far beyond your service, product and packaging and really determine who you are and what you represent to Gen Z.
It’s the differentiator between successful brands, with strong audi- ences and proven staying power, and those that struggle to find their path. If you can build an identity Gen Z respects and cares about, you will have taken a significant first step towards the bigger goal of brand–audience alignment.
Ask yourself these questions: Why does my brand exist? What do we really care about? Are we truly aligned with the audience we want to connect with? Do we actually have a story that Gen Z connects with and can participate in? Yes, we ask a lot of questions, but the answers to these questions will lead you closer to what matters to Gen Z.
With a genuine, compelling and entrenched foundation, your brand can withstand the ups and downs of the market or trend cycles. Once you’ve established your identity, stay committed to your core princi- ples and beliefs – know what is non-negotiable and what can morph and evolve with your audience.
Perception challenges identity
We all put a filter on reality. How one person sees something can differ hugely from how another person does. The concept of percep- tion is critical when discussing a brand’s identity. ‘There is an internal perception (the brand as the supplier sees it) and an external one (the brand as it is present in the memory of consumers and customers)’
(Franzen and Moriarty, 2009).
We need to ask ourselves if our internal perception is accurate, and learn how to rise above any bias so we can be open to the real- ity of how our product may be received in the outside world. By getting ourselves out of the way, we can see Gen Z clearly and posi- tion brands the way we want them to be perceived.
In order to do this, we need to know what informs Gen Z’s percep- tions of the world. Once we understand what fuels Gen Z’s opinions and preferences, we can better understand what motivates them. If we want their attention, we need to figure out how to appeal to them from their perspective. This is how you build strategies that work in reality and not just in the boardroom.
It’s easy to see when a brand is genuine because they really have something they stand by, rather than just marketing products to us. I don’t think brands are going to be successful if they don’t put their heart into it.
Daniel P, 2017, age 16
Does your brand resonate with youth culture?
As we’ve outlined in Chapter 2, Gen Z is a large and global demo- graphic. The whole cohort, however, is made up of many groups and identities that are continuously evolving, and we have to know which groups and identities are the best match for our brand. This leaves brands with a dizzying array of options to consider and ways to position themselves. Yet, it is so important to be dialled in to these identities, or what may seem like a small detail for a brand can become a big problem for a misidentified group within Gen Z. An appeal to one group may alienate others, so brands have to prior- itize: do they water down the message to be more broadly palatable, but possibly less compelling overall? Or do they prioritize one group over another, based on the group’s alignment with the brand, or the commercial viability of the group? There is no easy solution, but we recommend that a brand start with a core group affiliation that is the best fit, and build from there.
If you only appeal to Gen Z in the larger context, you lose opportu- nities to connect to the more influential and passionate groups within the whole. In fact, you may even be ignored for failing to respect those groups. Because some groups are more nuanced, we recom- mend that you don’t alienate some as you try to appeal to others.
How do we maintain our core identity in an evolving and challenging market?
An important part of your identity is knowing what you are not. Ask yourself: What is most you? What is somewhat you? What is less
Today’s youth are the social media generation. It has never been so easy for young people to explore a brand’s values and determine if they are values that they wish to support. I cannot think of an easier or more effective way to have your brand resonate in the minds of Gen-Z than have values that they align with. The truth of the matter is in this world not only do you need to convince youth to purchase your product. You need to them to pick you.
Jake Skoloda, 2017, age 18, CEO Millennial Ad Network
you? Sometimes even brands with ultra-clear identities can become distracted. When challenged by competitive threats, market fluctua- tions and trend cycles, brands should revisit their core values, beliefs and personality to get back on track, rather than reach for some- thing new, which can weaken their story. Sure, brands need to evolve, but they need to stay anchored to their core identity as they do, or risk chasing audiences and trends. It takes confidence and courage to define yourself and stand behind that definition, rather than editing yourself in response to market pressures. Yet, fall into the trap of choosing something that might quickly boost sales over something that is truly you, and you may compromise your relationship with youth culture – you’d be trading a quick buck for the greater value of a long-term investment.
Youth Market Readiness Audit: Identity
Establishing a strong, authentic and honest identity is a non- negotiable step for any brand. When we work with clients, our first step is to address their brand identity as it relates to their audience segment.
Before moving on in this chapter, you should be able to discuss and confidently answer the following five questions that comprise the Identity section of the Youth Market Readiness Audit.
identity checklist
1 What is your brand’s ‘Why’, and what need do you fill in the market?
2 Why should youth culture be interested in your brand?
3 When you look at your core beliefs, do they align with the needs and desires of Gen Z?
4 Is your core promise believable for youth culture?
5 What does your brand do to establish an emotional connection with youth culture?