Consumers are turning away from mass media and seeking a unique experience from brands

In an era in which consumer interests and cultures are highly fragmented, brands must communicate with niche communities, and form a signature style to keep their attention.

Why it matters

It’s becoming virtually impossible for brands to capture audiences with mass appeals, because of the incredible wealth of information and communities present online. In order to differentiate themselves, brands must embody a truly eye-catching signature style and ethos within unique pockets of culture.

Takeaways

• At a presentation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022, brand strategy executive Ana Andjelic emphasized the importance of brands carving out unique identities to appeal to individual consumers. “No two brands are the same,” Andjelic said. “Customers all seek different brands.”
• Andjelic emphasized that consumers have a wide variety of journeys which lead them to purchase a product. Some consumers may buy a product based on a friend’s recommendation; others follow a link from social media; still others may see a promotional email from a brand.
• “The key,” according to Andjelic, is to “have one signature aesthetic that is overarching”. For example: “NFT [collection] Bored Ape Yacht Club is 1980s hardcore rock”.
• Even within individual brands, no two customers should have the same purchase journey, Andjelic said. Rather, features such as customer memberships can give consumers the experience of a purchase unique to them. Within the fragmentation of brands there also lies the fragmentation of product purchases.
• Some communities may also be temporary; brands face the challenge of appealing to “temporary imagined communities,” and understanding the difference between fads and lasting cultural shifts.

The big idea

“Our customers are not one monolithic group. They’re the aggregation of different niches, and we need to address them as such; we need to communicate, deliver benefits, and promote merchandising and products in that specific way” – Ana Andjelic, brand executive and author of The Business of Aspiration.