Always think, “What can I do today to delight my consumer by extending the ordinary to extraordinary?”

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/lee-clow-connects-passionate-tangent-139263

Something we rarely do. Think about others needs, wants, desires… How can you give them a sense of importance? How can your brand give them that importance?

Sometimes taking a step back from the minutia of a situation creates clarity and understanding.

When dealing with people, let us remember we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity. ~ Dale Carnegie

As marketers dabble in data and engagement and consumers begin to inform and engage brands, we are at the dawn of a new consumer-centric approach to branding.

Brands must utilize the physical and digital realities to engage consumers. Then brands become something more; something to support and facilitate the lives of their consumers. ~

It’s amazing how the connections between people, brands and affinities are everywhere. Transit cables, Interweb tubes, coffee shops, and friends all connect us to our personalities and our aspirations.

This time every year we see social strategists and gurus come put with their take on what the next year will bring. Top 10 Trends… or 5 Things to Watch…. Many of the predictions will come true and some brands will catch the wave and ride it. But what about those companies who haven’t adopted last year’s trends? Or the year before? What’s to come of them?

It’s an uphill battle for the laggards when it comes to social media. It moves at such a fast pace, to capture this year’s trends they would need to play catch up, quickly. I say start where you are and grow from there. If you try and ride the new trends you will most likely fail. Hedge your bets and start. Who cares what’s happening with “big data” if your Twitter account is still locked with no tweets. You shouldn’t jump onto the “gamification” bandwagon if you’ve never attempted a Foursquare deal. Start where you are and grow.

If you don’t value relationships.

If you want to “sell”.

If “scale” is a key metric.

If you don’t want to talk to your consumers.

If you are afraid to say something wrong.

If you’re afraid to say something.

If you don’t have anything to say.

If you think “since everyone else is on it, so should we.”

If you don’t value consumer feedback.

If you have “skeletons in the closet” you don’t want to discuss. (anything from product sourcing to product efficacy)

If you don’t have the capacity to manage relationships.

If you don’t have a strategy.

If you’re not open to change.

If you expect to measure based on “universe.”

Most importantly, if you’re not passionate about its opportunities.

…but if you are… Good luck!