What if brands could help us be more human? I just read an inspiring article by Umair Haque @umairh.
I love the idea of reimagining prosperity and how to live a greater life. An idea that has caught my attention in different places these days.
Is there an opportunity here that brands should consider in their efforts to advertise differently (read getting more earned media)?
“ In an era where the prosperity we once took for granted appears to be crumbling around us, when the plight of the present seems to be somewhere between facepalm, headdesk, and epic fail, when the great challenges of today are nothing less than rebuilding economy, polity, and society — here’s what I believe you’re going to have to get lethally serious about: your own human potential, and how deeply, authentically, and powerfully, over the course of your life, you’re going to fulfill it.“ - Umair Haque
Let’s look at facebook.
As Mark Zuckerberg says it, the mission of his company is ‘to make the world more opened and connected.” He wants to help people discover more through their friends. He had a vision for fulfilling inherent human needs in order to make “our world richer”. Knowing that he reached out to almost a billion people now, he probably gave people something that made their lives better.
If we look at the new timeline feature on facebook, we can see that the individual is at the forefront. What she likes, as well as what she watches, reads, what she likes… At the end, it is a celebration of what makes her unique and interesting.
Smart is the new cool.
If we consider the “mass intelligent” audience (Slide 27) - those interested in ideas, receptive to new concepts and catalysts for change – as key influencers for a brand, there is probably something to do with it to get more out of your communications dollars.
What if a brand could connect with them by helping them achieving more of their human potential? Well, if we are to change the advertising industry to make the world a better place, this one does it for me!
What if your brand started to (really) care for human beings?
Looking at the HBR article, the solution could be in one of those areas:
> Helping people cultivate their better self, share content that will educate on arts, wisdom, humility, grace… There is maybe a direction here for the media & news industries. Spotify is a great example as well as Nike.
> Helping people find and pursue their passion, help them be an active builder (PressPausePlay http://www.presspauseplay.com/ is a must-seen).
> Helping people experiment, understand and forgive their failures (indulge your brand for the same attitude, as facebook did also when Beacon was first launched).
Social is not a question of media, it’s the way your brand is acting with people. A facebook page cannot achieve it for you, your brand must embrace a social attitude in its overall plan. An attitude that places people at the heart of what you do so you don’t make sense if it doesn’t make sense for them.
Finding this purposeful connection will help you create an authentic and valuable connection with real people.
