Do you know the one? Wouldn't you be surprised if you look at the mobile-end brand O2O Nike is doing? Yes, they are, or they are spending on the subject of a. Their business thinking and actions tell us that consumers are changing, and that the people who are becoming social consumers are not convinced of the original brand, and they are telling their own spending logic in the new business age.
Over the past few years, the brand echoes social change and young people yearning, calling on young people to dare to dream, and encourage young people to dare to act. The role of the brand is still on the sidelines, attributing everything to courage and encouraging young people to break through the obstacles. But young people don't respond much. Because of social media, young people know more about the current situation than the brand, including their own yearning and anxiety. For the individual dilemma, the agitator cannot bring direct value. In an uncertain age, the young need empathy rather than erasing individual differences and possible limitations. A slogan of agitation, may provide only an embarrassing and stressful reminder. According to the young man's own words, "I want someone to empathize with me, to guide my life, but I don't want someone to point the finger at my life." Corresponding to the four important yearning and anxiety in the individual growth, the brand can become the life innovator, the interest nurturance, the relationship bonded person and the social change person. These four social roles also define the four kinds of abilities and qualities that the brand of cultural leadership in this era needs.
1, as the Life Innovation brand----quality life
The focus of the individual construction is on the present, and life becomes the key to bear the present. As a brand of life innovators, it can bring them direct value.
(1) from representing my dream to bring me a good life
Brands are keen to learn more about young people's dreams and try to communicate so that they can represent the dreams of young people, even if their products and services have no connection to such a dream, and they do not hesitate to speak up for the young. As a result, young people feel that such brand communication is so boring that it is impossible to understand what the product itself will mean for its own life. For young people, building a good daily life, this is their dream and the meaning of life, their first concern is that the brand can specifically bring their own kind of daily life, followed by such a daily life and their other dreams may have how the relationship. Therefore, the brand in communication should be more focused on a clear and specific description of "Good Life", and then talk about what kind of life and dreams, rather than putting the cart before the horse.
(2) from the symbolic appearance of yearning for life to the situational narration of daily life
Before the communication of the brand, accustomed to detached from daily life, in a symbolic way, the perfect presentation of life style. This kind of communication, either let the young people feel "no sense", or is too "outfit force". The quality of the life of the understanding contains the rich situation and details of daily life, is the daily life of ordinary people to tell, "I do not want to pretend, this is my life." Brand communication, to tell the ordinary people's daily life situation. This is a beautiful story, but it is not too perfect to lose the breath of everyday life. To make people feel what I want, but also my life.
(3) from the bought life to the creation of life
In the brand's usual communication, the consumer is the person who enjoys the role. The brand that really let the son like, not only good at the good life of this thing, meticulous to explain, but also provide opportunities, let the young people feel himself in the first hand to create life. This means that the brand needs to be in communication, products and services to provide the space to participate in the creation of the possibility of hands-on construction.
(4) from the youth exclusive to the enjoyment of the cross age and class
Traditionally defined as the "Young market category", concentrated in sports apparel, technology products, snack drinks and other categories, at the price of a relatively inexpensive positioning. The younger generation began to build up their quality of life earlier than before. What they are interested in is not limited to these categories. Today, more categories have the potential to open up the market for young people, such as furniture, small appliances, automobiles, etc. At the same time, relatively luxurious categories and brands, such as Cross-border travel, luxury brands and so on, through the provision of financial services such as installment, will enter the younger consumer groups.
(5) from multiple choice to small and beautiful choice
In the past, the brand focused on providing more choices to meet the personality needs of young people. A brand is too wide and not fine to meet the needs of young people to quality life. Today, young people increasingly appreciate brands that specialize in a particular niche. Do not need a big brand, but must be fine quality. Under the fetish culture, products and services need to be more painstaking, carrying more clear meaning and emotion. As a brand of life innovators, the best case is IKEA. Ikea is now a brand that many young people are attracted to. Ikea never talks about a dream, it tells a good life, is always the life of ordinary people. In Ikea's communication, young people see their daily life. IKEA guides young people to their brains and builds their own lives, the brand provides tools and guidance, and the ultimate creation is done by young people themselves. From furniture, to small decorations, to kitchenware, Ikea depicts a life that young people yearn for and can reach, offering a variety of designs, exquisite choices, and affordable prices for young people.
2, as a bond of the brand-----alone and not lonely
China's urbanisation will continue for decades. The atomization of society, the indifference of interpersonal relationships, the re establishment of various social organizations and relationships, for ordinary people, the search for a sense of belonging will still be an important topic. "Alone But not lonely" this has begun to show the core yearning, and will continue for a long time. For the brand, this should not only stay in the brand communication, but the form of products and services, on the one hand, guardian of the unique, on the other hand to help the relationship between the bonding and establishment. From gifts to sharing: On holidays, many brands offer product promotions as "gifts". However, the more enthusiastic, not the special holiday as gifts, but in the day-to-day sharing, promote the link, communication and expression anytime and anywhere. For example, a good friend buys the same style of clothes. In terms of products and services, there is greater importance to sharing.
(1) from likelier to coterie
Today there are more communities and more members of each community. Many brands have tried to build communities, but there are few successful cases. The sense of being expected by the school is becoming more and more difficult to achieve on a large number of lines. On the other hand, in a large community, individuals still feel small and "transparent". If a brand wants to build a community, it should provide a coterie, private social mechanism. For newcomers, there is a small organization to belong to, and a feeling of caring for each person by forming a fixed daily relationship, a shared topic, a deeper understanding, and a day-to-day companionship.
(2) feel the closeness of the line from the line of ownership
Over the past more than 10 years, the social media network formed by the atoms of the atom through the network into the current mainstream of the real relationship, people's relationship has been molded, has entered the critical point of the offline breakthrough. Online has given a lot of people a sense of identity and belonging, but the line provides an enhanced intimacy. Face-to-face communication, fixed place, regular activities, offline interaction and experience, are important links in the role of brand bonding.
(3) From Rebellion to solitude in the crowd
In the past the brand understanding of the conflict is, the community of many rebellious individuals have restrictions, that young people aspire to express their unique, break through the shackles, advertised different. Many brands therefore emphasize the importance of encouraging youth's independence in communication. But the focus is not lonely, not to express their unique to any insignificant person, incur meaningless evaluation, but focus on their own, to create an undisturbed, do not compare, seriously enjoy the private space. A person does not want to be the people, but does not mean to rebel out of bounds. More and more popular categories for young people are related to solitude and the private state of enjoying "a person for a while". For example, wearing headphones, looking for a place to stay, a person running, reading, etc., is now becoming more and more popular.
(4) from the traditional feelings of compassion Thanksgiving to the equal ease of entertainment of the family
Many brands are already paying attention to the return to the family communication, but often inevitably fall into the grief and Thanksgiving routines. In comparison with their peers, they did show a stronger attachment to their parents. At the same time, they are more precocious and have a more equal and relaxed relationship with their parents. The affection that the brand presents, also should be to advance with the times, more equal and relaxed and interesting emotional expression.
3, as an interest in the formation of the brand----depth of self
Because this generation of people's exploration of the ego has gone deep into interest, work and independent thinking, and the focus of experience, which means that the traditional product and service form to change greatly. The role of the brand is no longer to provide a glamorous logo, but to provide practical tools and methods, as well as friends, to accompany young people to explore and practice their interests.
(1) from guiding and inspiring the values of young people to tell and practice the brand's own values
In individual times, brands without values will not be remembered. Today, many brands talk about the values of young people, but do not communicate their values and practices. Longing for the depth of his own, admiration is the great god around. A brand needs to be a great God--"Do what you believe in, like, and stick to it." Only the brand itself has the story, has the vision and the values, can as an independent individual existence, also can attract the young people's attention.
(2) from a product to an interest
Today, many brands realize that they are not selling "products" but "lifestyles". In this ideology, the brand focuses on communication rather than service and product, and in communication, it focuses on representing the "symbol" of a certain lifestyle rather than the real life experience. As if owning a brand, it has a way of life. Today, no longer satisfied with the imitation of life style, they aspire to build life around their interests. A considerable number of products and services are likely to become the beginning of young people to develop their interest in understanding themselves. This means that brands have the ability to transform their products and their categories into a series of interest-nurturing programs, not just a lifestyle symbol. In particular, it can provide a range of products around core product development interests, provide opportunities for a large number of participatory experiences, provide opportunities for emotional catharsis and expression, provide opportunities for individual story telling, and provide opportunities for creating and achieving a sense of achievement.
(3) Communication from information to experience
They yearn for the depth of self, they yearn for independent thinking, habitual questioning, determined to experience as a basis for the formation of trust. Many brands realize that it is getting harder to get the trust of young people and racking their brains to improve their communication in order to gain greater trust. In fact, for young people, no matter what you say, just say it. They believe what they have experienced, or other young people who are like themselves. The brand should transform communication into a direct and indirect experience for young people, emphasizing the communication of core information through experience.
(4) From selling products to building habits
Many brands complain about the low level of consumer loyalty today. In fact, young people themselves do not often complain that they do not staying ah. The cultivation of interest, the management of life, are facing the challenge of how to help young people form the habit of self-management. This requires the brand to use the threshold of the product to a very low, to provide day-to-day tools to help cultivate habits. One of the best examples of brands of interest is that Nike has promoted the growing popularity of the running culture among Chinese youth groups over the past two years. Nike, which aims to foster a running culture rather than sell running shoes, makes running a habit for many young people, with a lot of offline running, a real experience, a community of interest, a Nike running tool and related tutorials.
4, as a social change of the brand----good glimmer
For a long time to come, China will face many challenges in social problems. On the one hand, CSR (corporate social responsibility) has a greater opportunity to establish a young consumer's emotional connection to the brand. On the other hand, traditional corporate CSR programs are hard to win their attention. The students concerned about their own and around the group of issues related to the solution. They believe that the problem-solving "change-maker" is more than traditional philanthropists.
(1) from the focus on vulnerable groups to solve problems around
In the past, CSR projects focused on social vulnerable groups. However, such activities have been difficult to arouse attention and to attract participation. For them, they are more concerned with what they can relate to, from the problems around them. Not only concerned, but also directly see the results and influence. The brand needs to redefine the social issues concerned by the current problem. What the young people care about, and the issues that are related to them, are the social issues of today, the new direction of corporate CSR today.
(2) from Transforming society to reforming oneself
In the past CSR projects, most of the efforts to solve external social problems, and the company's own operations, products and services have nothing to do. However, it has rarely been touched by such public good behavior. He believes in the goodness of light and the sustainability of good deeds. They look to the brand from their own product services, from their own business day-to-day operation to become a respected brand. The future brand only from their own internal management, corporate culture, production and sales processes, such as day-to-day links to become an inclusive, social influence conscious, and pragmatic communication of their day-to-day practice of the brand, can be loved by young people.