The world of brands is changing. After a massive proliferation of brands, industries are now going in the opposite direction. P&G and other companies are scaling down the number of brands in their portfolios. The same thing is happening with the number of ad agencies within holding companies. The reasons why we choose brands are shifting too. It is the right time to revisit how we look at brands. And ask ourselves - Where is this cultural and social phenomena going?
When I started contemplating one thought crystallized better than all others. Brands will become journeys of a lifetime for a lifetime.
As crazy as it might sound, I believe that this is the future of brands. By the time you finish reading there is a good chance that you will agree with my view.
If you are wondering what is "Red Star," it's the football club I cheer for. I've been a huge fan of Red Star as long as I can remember.
Yes, you and I decided to stick to one brand for a lifetime - our favorite football club. And it wasn't a difficult decision to make, right?
What can we learn from football clubs?
I tried to think about what were the reasons why I chose to cheer for my football club. It wasn't something that I took as a family tradition. It happened that my father and I are cheering for the same club. But it wasn't something that came from him. In many cases, fathers and sons cheer for different clubs.
Some say that a football club chooses you, it's not you who decides. I don't think that I can argue on this, but even if I cannot find the answer, this is not the story. It is not about finding the answer to why I choose my football club. The story here is why I never changed. And I thought about changing it...
I was probably 7-8 years old when I got this thought. During the European Champion Clubs Cup, I used to buy an album and stickers (remember Panini). Suddenly, I got to know about many other players and clubs outside of my country. I was thinking then, "Can I change the club and cheer for any other than Red Star?" I thought about it, but I could never find that club. No other club could come near to how I felt and still feel about Red Star. It is hard to put these feelings into words.
Something is fascinating about cultish FC loyalty. The connection between your club and you is so pure that nothing can come in-between. Your club could be the best club in the world and that same club could be the worst club in the world. It doesn't matter. You will never change your decision.
We have made only a few decisions like this in our life. And it feels that it will be easier to switch religion, partner, or anything else but your club.
The very thought to stick to something for the rest of your life is profound.
Whether your club has the best logo or the best social media pages is irrelevant. I cannot think of many other brands that have reached this status.
If we are going to have fewer and fewer brands in the future, the only way to survive is to adopt the football club thinking.
Brand as a journey of a lifetime for a lifetime
What if we start looking at brands the same way we look at our football clubs? What if we start looking at brands as an invitation to a journey of a lifetime for a lifetime.
If you have anything to do with brands, think about this.
Why would someone choose you as a brand for the rest of their lives?
Who do you need to be? How do you need to behave? What do you need to stand for? What do you need to fight for? What's the view of the world that you need to have?
You want to connect with your people in a way that there is only one brand choice for them - you. They will walk the same path with you, share the same journey, live the same moments, live by the same ideals.
This is marketing that I would love to practice!
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