Peter Horst, the Founder of CMO Inc. and the author of Marketing in the #FakeNews Era joins Barbara and Americus to discuss the tumultuous climate that brands are having to navigate through these days.
Peter introduces us to the Brand Risk Relevance Curve, noting that as brands move along the curve the more likely you they are to have people say they like and agree with the marketing message, the more likely you are to also have people disagree with your message and threaten to boycott you. Peter states that brands realize they can’t please everyone, but there are some universal themes they can stick to. He reviews a few steps that marketers need to take to ensure their message resonates properly in this era of mistrust-
1) What are my values? Define your moral compass
2) What is my Brand Purpose? Peter recommends broad and positive themes, such as Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, but it must be executed properly.
3) Take a stand on issues but ensure the issue isn’t polarizing. Frito Lay’s message on young people not voting is good example of standing for issue that's not filled with tension.
Peter follows up noting that brands also need to be aware that silence is also a position. People view inaction and silence as a stance on an issue, and employees of these brands may not put up with it, as we saw with Google employees with treatment of sexual harassment.
When asked why Peter uses the Fake News reference, he referenced that this crazy environment seemed to originate around the 2016 election and Trump’s call out to Nordstrom for dropping the Ivanka Trump line.
Peter concludes that brands need to start walking before they talk, ensuring their message is genuine and authentic, playing into the “Fake” narrative. People are smart and cynical and will call out the bandwagon joiners of purpose driven marketing.
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