the conscious brand
Published by Zoom Advertising www.zoomadvertising.co.za First published 2008 © Zoom Advertising 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the copyright owners. Concept: Illustration: Text: Layout: Repro & Printing: Binding:
Deon Robbertze Charmaine Taylor Jacques Maree Karen Burns House of Colours G-Mak
I’ve always believed that advertising shouldn’t just be about winning awards. Don’t get me wrong, recognition is important. But it shouldn’t be the driving force. I believe that marketing and advertising should be about results. And results can take many forms – even that of awards. Over the past ten years our retail background, along with the courage of our clients, has presented us with the perfect platform to achieve outstanding results. Our media-neutral approach and our emphasis on innovation have helped drive this philosophy. But this is not enough… We believe it is also our duty to make a positive difference to our local community and the world at large. And, in doing so, to connect with consumers on a higher level. This book is an attempt to explain, in a simple way, how this can be achieved. Big thanks must go to Charmaine, Deon, Karen and Jacques for their contributions to this book.
Steve Massey Managing Director: Zoom Advertising
There once was a pretty town by the sea. And in this town lived a brand. You could say he was quite a respected brand. He liked to wear elegant and expensive clothes.
Every day he’d walk along the same busy street where the same people would recognise him. ‘There goes that f amous brand,’ they’d say to one another. His chest would swell with pride. Whenever he spoke with people he did most of the talking and seldom paused to listen. After all, he was an impor t ant brand.
He had a regular table at the corner cafĂŠ where he sat on busy mornings. He made sure people could spot the dainty silk handkerchief in his top pocket. He knew all about being a noticed brand.
One day the bridge on his usual road into town was closed and he had to take the long way round. He passed through neighbourhoods he didn’t know and saw faces he didn’t recognise. And very few of the faces seemed to recognise him. He felt lost. In fact, he was lost.
He stopped to ask a woman for directions, but she paid him no attention. ‘Can’t she hear me? Or can’t she understand me? Doesn’t she know who I am?’ wondered the brand. Eventually he gave up and moved on.
Then he passed some children in a dusty field. They were kicking a raggedy ball made of old plastic bags. ‘Silly children,’ he muttered. ‘Why don’t they get themselves a proper ball?’
A little further he came across a big rubbish bin that had fallen over. Papers and packets lay scattered about. ‘What a mess,’ he thought as he walked past. ‘Someone really ought to clean that up.’ But the wind picked up and soon the whole street was covered in rubbish. The brand didn’t see this, though. He knew where he was now and the café wasn’t far away.
It was a busy day in town. It seemed everyone was out and about. Sitting by his table, the brand could feel many familiar eyes on him. Life felt good again.
Then an old man made his way across the street. His clothes were worn and faded and he looked thirsty. He stood by the café entrance, but it was a busy morning and the only empty seat was at the brand’s table. ‘I can’t be seen with that man,’ thought the brand. ‘Besides, I’m sure someone else will leave soon.’ He quickly glanced down at his newspaper before the man could look his way, But someone had already offered him a seat. The old man smiled at the people in the café as he sat down, but the brand felt ashamed and couldn’t look him in the eye.
Then he thought of everything that had happened to him that morning. He thought of all the people who didn’t know him or care who he was. He thought of the woman who ignored him. He thought of the children and their home-made ball. And of the rubbish in the street.
‘What sort of brand am I?’ he thought. ‘Why do I speak to people the way I do?’ ‘Why do I always speak to the same people in the same places?’ ‘And do I really want people to know me for what I own rather than for what I do ?’ Right there he made a big decision: ‘From today I want to be aware in the world. I want to explore something new every day. From today I want to be a conscious brand!’
He left the café and started to run. He ran out of the town and down the road to where he met the woman. ‘Remember me?’ he asked her. They started talking. He took great care to listen to what she was saying and before long they understood each other perfectly. ‘We must talk some more tomorrow,’ he said. She smiled and nodded.
Then he ran to where the children were playing. ‘I’m going to get you a proper ball,’ he said. ‘And goal posts. And I’m going to plant green grass for you to play on. But first I want you to help me.’ The children went with him to where the rubbish was lying in the street. It took them no time at all to put it back in the bin.
Picking up rubbish is thirsty work, so he took the children to the corner café for raspberry ice cream and bubblegum milkshakes. The people of the town saw this and smiled. And the brand looked the people in the eye and smiled back. Being a loved brand was best. By taking a different route for a change… By speaking with instead of at people… By doing good for others and not just doing
well for himself… By considering the future today… …he had managed to change the way people felt about him.
He grabbed a napkin and wrote the following:
NEW APPROACH
=
RESULTS
CARING & RESPONSIBLE
=
RESULTS
He thought about this for a while. Then he scratched out the words and wrote over them:
INNOVATION NEW APPROACH
=
RESULTS
SUSTAINABILITY CARING & RESPONSIBLE
=
RESULTS
Again he studied the napkin. ‘It all seems connected,’ he thought. ‘What if I combined it like this?’
RESULTS
INNOVATION
SUSTAINABILITY
RESULTS ‘Now we’re getting somewhere,’ he muttered excitedly as he added the last missing piece.
THE CONSCIOUS BRAND
INNOVATION
SUSTAINABILITY
‘That’s it!’ thought the brand, scribbling furiously. ‘That’s the new motto for me, the Conscious Brand!’ Written on his napkin were these words:
Results through Innovation and Sustainability.
The first carbon neutral advertising agency in South Africa www.zoomadvertising .co.za
The paper in this book is elementally chlorine-free and is made from a combination of sugar cane waste fiber and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
A member of the Ogilvy Group