Brand Icons — Let Them Speak!
During the Fall of 2007, my wife and I happily announced that we were expecting a new bundle of joy in the coming months. With family and friends spread around the country, we (and by “we” I mean “I”) set up a Baby Blog where I proceeded to write entries from the eyes of our fetus. I figured the usual “we went to the doctor” was boring. I wondered what the doctor visit was like for our little bean swimming around the ultrasound screen.
The ensuing entries were a blast to write. 95% of it was pure fiction of course with the other 5% being the usual “I have toes and I grew a spinal cord this week” type of stuff. The baby had a snarky attitude and often wondered about his parent’s readiness and sanity. Totally fun stuff that our family/friends lapped up and enjoyed.
As a marketing geek, I can’t help but think about all the brand icons out there just begging to come to life in social media. Just imagine the Twitter conversations you could have with them:
Tony the Tiger
Do you ever want to just say “They’re just pretty good — not great?” What fun stories could you share about being a cub that my kids might relate to?
Jolly Green Giant
When did you realize you were taller than the other green kids? Do you eat vegetables yourself? Do you like sweets, too? Do you always get along with your sidekick Sprout?
Mr. Peanut
Have you ever been tested for peanut allergies? What tips can you give me if my kid has peanut allergy — we know you’re not for everybody. BTW, how OLD are you now? What are your favorite foods made with peanuts — got any recipes?
Juan Valdez
What are your thoughts on shade grown coffee? Is coffee harvesting helping the local economies in Central/South America? I hear it’s better to pick beans off trees vs. cutting down the rain forest — tell me more, oh wise, mysterious Juan.
Pillsbury Doughboy
Dude, why are you so happy all the time? You’re round, but are you healthy? What advice can you share with kids to enjoy good food. What school did you attend? Clearly cooking was your fav class, right?
Michelin Man
What do you think of the high gas prices? What can I do to my tires to keep them in best shape for the highest gas mileage possible? Got any new technologies you can tell me about? And how’s that fat little dog of yours doing?
Ben & Jerry
What are you guys doing now? Tell me some stories about the people you’ve helped. Tell me about some crazy flavors that never got picked — we KNOW you’ve tried some wacky ones that didn’t work out.
Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker
Tell me some old stories about when you first started out. What were some struggles you overcame back then — how do they compare to nowadays? What music do you like? What are some favorite events you’ve been invited to?
Mr. Clean
Oh, we just KNOW you’ve got some juicy stories to share. What — with the shaved head and earring for all these years. You’re a soap opera waiting to come to life, ya big stud.
Clearly the possibilities are endless. What a boom time for creative writers — or it SHOULD be. Every one of these brands was cultivated to convey a certain brand identity that has lived on for years. Now we have the opportunity to actually interact with these formerly 2-dimensional personas. Yea, some of you had furry suits, BUT YOU NEVER TALKED TO US. Now’s the time!
This is fun stuff. While every brand will have different creative freedom, they could ALL benefit from opening up and allowing us to interact with them. You need to have a voice before earning word-of-mouth, right?
Just imagine the stories the Playboy Bunny could tell…
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Comments
Fun idea, Gary! Fan fic for brand representatives! granted, it reminds me of all those underground cartoons of “the secret life of Bert and Ernie”… :-/
This is great G$.
It’s a great way to market, but I think it’s also a great tool to help some smaller companies solidify brand voice.
When I take businesses through the steps of developing a brand voice, I often have them start by describing their company as a person…what kind of car does this person drive, what celebrity would play them in a movie, etc.
I think this brand twittering is an inexpensive way to test drive a brand voice and get feedback. And if you can’t write a week’s worth of twitter entries from your brand’s point of view, you probably need a little more clarity.
Kim Ratcliff on August 31, 2008 @ 12:15 pm
Trader Joe
Jolly Pirate
I would also like to speak with Erin, the annoying “just past tweenager, big sisterly voice” who lives somewhere in the Tween Brands space and leaves messages on my vmail for my tween daughter. I have no idea what she looks like…only what she sounds like when she speaks her special brand of cheerleader/cost savings to my 12 y-o. So maybe this one has to do with her VISUAL brand???