[BLOG] Brand Communication: experimenting with non-conventional channels

Brand communication when done right helps customers to understand the brand better and it delights them to become truly committed stakeholders at the long run. This process eventually increases bottomline. For this, brand communicators must constantly seek new creative ways of connecting with its target.

Often, as trained professionals, we are tuned to follow known pattern we are all used to. What is clear to everyone today is many of the tools we were thought to use in school might have become obsolete immediately after or even before graduation. This brings the need to experiment with new and unconventional platforms. So, searching for and appropriating new,unconventioanl channels in brand communnication may aid brand loyalty, advocacy. These new creative channels will definately enhance brand performance.

For those who have been following American politics, it is obvious the competition for the number one office is picking up. Some of the Republicans contenders seem to be joking while there may be clear and strong contender for the office among them. Some of the ‘wannabees’ have dropped out of the race due to issues in their past or because of lack of strong political structure that can sustain the tempo. Within the conservatives, Obama is working silently to be the canditate and if all things go well he may eventual pick up the party’s flag. Our focus is not basically about analysis, but on the innovation and unconventional communication channel his team is making use of. Obama team in conjuction with frontline fashion designers in America recently returned to e-commerce and haute couture witha classic platform tagged –Runnaway to win. Obama team is known for springing surprises and innovative use of several platforms to communicate his brand.

As we all know, fashion will ever remain part of human culture. Fashion is also known to be epheral as it keeps changing. What is in vogue today may become obsolete tomorrow. Despite this, we all try to have the  look and being seen as trendy. So, we do think, the season of election is something that many will be associated with.In this initaitive, Obama team is collaborating with frontline designers who help create different items that can be used to raise fund. These new collection of elegant but affordable fashion bags, T-shirt, neck-chain among others with Obama campaign logo inscription are good attempt to raise fund and build strong awareness for the Obama candidature.

The designers involved in these initiative include: Tory Burch, Rachel Roy, Derek Lam, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, Proenza Schouler’s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Diane von Furstenberg, Narciso Rodriguez, Vera Wang, Thakoon, Jason Wu, Grace Tsao-Wu and Laura Kofoid of Laudi Vindi, Marc Jacobs and Tracy Reese. No one can dispute these known brands are not irrelevant in the Fashion industry. The greatest dimension to these collections is that they come in affordable price that people at different level of economic strata can afford. Prices start from$45 to $95.

We will recall, this initiative may be and advancement on ‘Runway to change’ used by Obama in 1990’s.

Lessons from this:

Think out of the box: thinking out of the box in term of brand communication platforms will open up new, creative and unconventional opportunities which can help achievement of goal.
Apply what works: When you experiment something and it seems working, benchmark it and apply the knowledge in the future. Do not forget, Obama had used this channel before in a different version.

Improve and Innovate: Obama had use the word Runaway for Change for this concept before. Today, change as come so the repetitive use of that one may not strike the cord again. Hence the need for innovation and creativity in concept development and execution this time around.

What can you do right now to improve on your brand communication effort?


Yinka Olaito is happy,excited and passionate Brand Communication, Social Media expert, Trainer and speaker. Yinka Olaito helps brands(Profits and Non-profits)with effective communication and positioning for premium service delivery and returns.Yinka Olaito also has special interest in Development Communication and has consulted for noted UN Agencies. Yinka Olaito is the CCO of Michael Sage consulting and African Child Right Inc. Lagos Nigeria.

This article was originally posted on Africa Travel - Tourism

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