by Lynne Gordon (@lynne_gordon) From seed loaf to zucchini bread, every bakery, tuisnywerheid and café in Mzansi suddenly seem to have adopted an astounding array of gluten-free, carb-free, wheat-free breads on sale.
Every baker, tannie and smart market-stall owner knows the Banting Diet has permeated popular culture, leaving us all guilt-ridden and looking for new food options as we pose the question, “To bant, or not to bant?”
As we observe the crusade against carbs, this wave of gluten-free goodness poses a question to marketers: in a world where the winds of culture blow ever more powerfully, how responsive should my brand be to the latest trends, to remain vibrant and relevant in the storm of popular influence?
It may not be the latest diet that affects your brand, but culture plays an increasingly important role in defining the brand landscape of today, creating opportunities and challenges alike for marketers.
Connected to culture
In a world connected by technology, trends are an ever-more present component of daily life. We connect constantly, share freely, and have new capability to access and engage with culture — the stuff of life that surrounds us. Trends are shared quickly and made accessible to many, so that groundswell support for new ideas may be reached in ways never achieved by any prior generation.
And, while facilitating the rapid spread of culture, technology also creates the ability for individuals — and brands — to be part of creating culture. Individuals now have the ability to be activists, citizens, entrepreneurs and curators — participating in culture in unprecedented ways.
One of Suzelle DIY’s latest videos, How to Make a Cauliflower Pizza, provides tongue-in-cheek commentary on Banting cooking, while the Banting Support Group offers tips, recipes and advice for Facebook followers.
Observing the power of the Banting food sensation, small businesses are responding to capture the opportunity, and in turn are amplifying and creating its space in culture. Jackson’s Real Food Market has extended its offering to support a monthly Banting Market bringing, together vendors of carb-free favourites from Banting Buns to Carb-free melktert.
And brands are not to be left by the wayside — Woolworths has been the first major retailer to embrace the Banting trend with its CarbClever readymeal range, tapping into the insight that Banting meal preparation is tricky and time-consuming.
Brands’ role in culture
In this new connected world, the opportunity is ripe for brands to become authentic champions of culture. More than ever before, brands must connect to consumers through the stuff of life that those consumers care most passionately about. Contributing to culture is the new standard for brands seeking meaningful growth, and successful brands will be those that stand out in the world, not only in their category.
Always’ #likeagirl has shaken up a very traditional feminine protection category by connecting with culture, taking on the mantle as champion of a girl’s self-esteem — territory inherently linked to its emotional brand promise of confidence.
Guinness Made of Black champions bold Afropolitan creativity and self-expression — and succeeds in connecting powerfully to a rising African consciousness in art, music and design. The brand identified commonalities in a new generation of African talent, all with a progressive, entrepreneurial spirit. In doing so, Guinness celebrates artists, musicians and entrepreneurs who are all pushing the boundaries and seeking a platform for self-expression.
These campaigns reach well beyond products and categories into realms consumers care deeply about, creating a new vibrancy and relevance for the brands associated with their passions.
Lessons for marketers
Brands seeking this vibrant role in culture need to make intentional choices and be prepared for a new way of brand-building. For marketers not sure where to start:
- Take a new look at the cultural landscape surrounding your category: By looking at the world outside your category and understanding the role your brand may play in the realms consumers are most passionate about, you can identify new ways to extend their experience and integrate meaningfully into the fabric of culture that truly engages consumers’ hearts.
- Identify a cultural mission linked closely to what your brand’s about, and commit long-term: Great brands understand how they can play a part in culture, or even shape culture in new ways, on an ongoing basis. This goes to the very heart of brands’ evolving equity, rather than informing a once-off campaign. Uber’s brand and proposition are designed end-to-end to tap into a culture of immediacy — its service has shaped and accelerated the explosion of on-demand services.
- Activate your cultural strategy: Smirnoff globally has embraced a global cultural mission to move people to be more open, based upon the insight that, for millennials, inclusivity is a way of life. It’s set up the Sound Collective to showcase electronic dance music, a genre suited to inclusivity and opening opportunities for new artists to connect with new fans.
Amid the storm of culture, marketers are left with decisions: Possibly, to bant, or not to bant? Importantly, what role will my brand play in culture? Critically, how will we get there?
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Lynne Gordon (@lynne_gordon) is the managing director at strategic marketing consultancy Added Value. She learned marketing on-the-job and is fascinated by the streets of South Africa, where small entrepreneurs — untrained as marketers — apply the art and science of branding to their businesses.
Her monthly MarkLives column, “Homegrown”, explores everyday businesses and the lessons corporate marketers can learn from the streets of Mzansi. Share your own observations, photos and examples of marketing from SA’s roadside with @lynne_gordon on Twitter.
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