Talk was the principal means by which I got input and insight for BrandDigital. I talked to people who work on the technology side of the digital equation, thinking up tools and devices that make the sharing of ideas and information faster and easier than yesterday. I interviewed people who are professionals in the branding industry and are considered among the first and most successful to use digital technology to build brand equity and brand loyalty. I talked with people who, though expert in their fields, are relatively new to all things digital. And, I talked to people who have been in the digital economy since there was one.
It is someone in this latter category who I'm pleased to present as my first “Talking to…” interview. His voice in the digital community is about as respected as a voice can be. Gary Briggs was Chief marketing Officer for eBay after co-founding an e-commerce company in 1999. Gary and I first worked together on the Pepsi brand over 15 years ago and we've talked about the changes digital technology have had on brands and branding in the many conversations we've had since we met. Because of his hands-on experience in the pre-revolutionary digital era, I interviewed Gary to find out what lessons he'd pass on to any brand, digital and otherwise, about succeeding in the digital landscape.
AA: The premise of BrandDigital is that the principles of smart branding haven't changed but, rather have been magnified in the digital marketplace. That is, while it's always been important to listen to consumers, digital technology makes what they're saying louder and easier to see. It's always been critical to take what you learn and establish a promise that differentiates your brand and then deliver on it. Now, if your brand doesn't deliver, people have the tools and the power to let the world know in about three seconds. What's your reaction to this premise?
GB: There are any number of factors that make this true. First of all, the feedback loop between organizations and consumers is faster than ever. Marketers are not working through intermediaries anymore. There's a direct relationship between brands and users. The degree of anonymity the Web provides enables consumers to respond to marketers with greater frequency and with more candor than in the past.
AA: People are willing to bare their souls online. They'll say things they'd never say in traditional focus groups.
GB: Right. What's really amazed me, and what I saw at eBay, is that there's almost an altruism that's developed as a result of the way the Web allows interaction between users and the brand. There's a much deeper relationship and a sense of part ownership consumers have with brands.
AA: Talk to me about this. I think this is true.
GB: If you looked at Google five years ago you would have said it was a utility. Who develops a relationship with a utility? One reason Google has become such a cultural phenomenon is that it's gone from being more than what the product does to becoming the benefit that users derive from it. It's what marketers hope and work for, but this has come about as a result of the relationship users have formed with Google.
AA: How exactly does this happen? How does a brand create this deep relationship, this sense of ownership by its users?
GB: There are really three things that have allowed this to happen for digital brands but that I believe are now applicable to any and all brands, digital or otherwise. First, a brand has to represent comprehensiveness in whatever market segment it's in. Second, it's got to be easy to use. Third, with all the competition for attention, there's got to be some fun or playfulness involved. The experience has to be engaging.
AA: When you say “comprehensiveness” what do you mean?
GB: Comprehensiveness in terms of being the standard bearer, having the expected array of goods and level of quality for the category. For example, if I'm buying a book I'd go to Amazon. For jewelry, I'd go to Blue Nile. For movies it's Netflix, which also happens to be a good example of a brand being easy to use. Netflix has made the whole process simple, down to the design of the envelope.
AA: I heard this idea from a number of the folks I interviewed, including Bob Pittman who was CEO of AOL and one of the founders of MTV. He told me that if you can make something easier or more convenient to do than the way people have been used to doing it, they'll adopt it – making travel reservations, looking for real estate listings, getting news, for example.
GB: Exactly. In terms of Netflix, the ability to find a movie, receive the movie and return the movie is incredibly easy. When the brand experience, when the level of execution is as well done as it is with Netflix, users will incorporate the brand into their lives more readily. It becomes natural.
AA: Plus, when an experience comes to you on your laptop or your cell phone, it becomes even easier to incorporate the brand into your daily life. This accessibility makes it even more of a personal thing.
GB: I think this accessibility is among the reasons we've seen this hyper-development of brands online. You and I worked on the Sony account together and can attest to the fact that back then it took a company about 20 years to grab hold. It took Nike about ten years. Google's taken five, and Facebook about 18 months. Digital technology has accelerated the pace at which brands develop and at which consumers integrate them into their lives. This is the most fascinating place to be now – in terms of marketing
AA: I like the thought that to be a successful digital brand, to be a successful brand in any regard, you need to push these three buttons - comprehensiveness, ease of use, and playfulness. Do you think consumers feel online brands need to be more responsive to their needs because they have the ability, the power, to influence these brands directly?
GB: Actually I think consumers are demanding more accountability from all brands because of the digital culture. Trust is certainly a more critical factor than ever before. eBay takes advantage of the ability to engage consumers directly with a research program called Voices. Quite simply it takes a focus group of users and does an online longevity study. It's comprised of a group of buyers and sellers who work as an online panel and provide feedback on various topics. Every six months they're brought out to the eBay campus to talk to product managers about issues on everything having to do with the eBay experience. Over 600 eBay employees have access to the Voices distribution list so they can deal directly with problems in their area.
AA: So, this online Voices group is the ultimate eyes and ears of eBay. They're watchdogs.
GB: Equally important, they're also the ultimate eBay evangelists. It's an extraordinary network of support.
AA: It's also a perfect example of how brands that participate and engage their customers online can become more responsive to their customers' needs than brands that don't.
GB: It's a must have. And you want your users to care enough about your brand to want to become engaged.
AA: I tend to end most interviews by asking people how they manage to keep up with changes in the digital space.
GB: I got asked this in a presentation recently. I get most of my updates by talking to people. I might run into someone at a Little League game who tells me something, or I'll talk to people I work with. I subscribe to a number of newsletters and online publications, but it's mostly social networking. Following peoples' suggestions. Talking and listening.
» Vivek Shah - Group President, Digital, Time Inc. News Group (Jan. 27, 2009)
» David Kirkpatrick - Senior Editor, Internet and Technology at Fortune Magazine (Jan. 21, 2009)
» Bob Pearson - Vice President of communities and conversations for Dell (#2) (Nov. 18, 2008)
» Tim Mapes - Senior Vice President of Marketing at Delta Air Lines (Nov. 4, 2008)
» Barbara Basney - Director of global advertising for Xerox (Oct. 30, 2008)
» Bob Pearson - Vice President of communities and conversations for Dell (#1) (Oct. 13, 2008)
» Robert Greenberg - Vice President of Corporate Brand Marketing for Panasonic (Sept. 26, 2008)
» Jason Dowdell - Founder of MarketingShift (Sept. 23, 2008)
» Ed Faruolo - Vice President of Brand Development and Advertising at Lincoln Financial Group (Aug. 14, 2008)
» Roy Bostock - Chairman of the Board of Yahoo, Inc. (Aug. 13, 2008)