My 2014 New Years Resolutions for Brands

While writing my last post about my predictions for 2014, I couldn’t help but think of things that I hope to GOD brands start doing. At first it was just a couple of things and by the time I decided to write them down I had a full page. That’s when I knew I had to write this post. Don’t worry I knocked it down to 5 main things that brands should resolve to do in 2014. Let’s up our game as advertisers.

1. Real-time Marketing, In the Moment Marketing. Whatever you wanna call it. Let’s do more.
   Towards the end of the year, brands started trying this thing where they would talk about current events. Some failed miserably (see Kenneth Cole, SpagehttiOs) others did a great job (Oreo, Digiorno’s, Ben and Jerry’s). The jury is still out on Charmin. (see this tweet)This is absolutely nothing new. Ever try and live tweet an event the next day? By then the conversation’s dead. Brands need to be able to be on top of current events to be able to best utilize things for their brands. Oreo jumped to the top of social media for one reason. They monitored and reacted to the Superbowl last year. All you need is one moment for your brand to be the example for the year. It’s worth it.

   PRO TIP: A lot of memes and internet jokes start on Reddit. Wanna be the first to crack a joke? Wanna get props from the nerdiest of internet nerds? Make sure you monitor Reddit for opportunities to jump on an internet meme before it becomes mainstream and carries your brand with it.
   

2. Learn how to create high quality social video.
   Everyone knows that video is the next frontier for brands. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depends on how you look at it) this is an undiscovered frontier. People aren’t sure what resonates and what exactly works. So experiment. Get out there and create different types and styles of content to find that sweet spot. You may just find the new standard and wouldn’t that be great earned media!
3. STOP with the click bait titles.
   Ok, this is more just one my pet peeves. Click bait titles are all the rage. Just peruse your Facebook feed and you’ll see a ton. Each of them follow a very specific formula: “See what happens when____, it’ll blow your mind(change the way you approach life).” Just don’t. This kind of stuff is terrible and cheesy. It’s the stuff your teacher sent back to you and wrote “OH C’MON!!” on in big, red letters.
4. Give value in your interactions.
   Social media is just that, “social.” This means you need to interact with consumers. Brands like to still use social media as another platform for them to stand on and broadcast from. The best brands on the other hand, create dialogues between themselves and their consumers, fostering relationships and creating brand loyalists. Every interaction with a consumer brings them that closer to advertising for you, and we all know how powerful word of mouth is.
5. Try something new.
   It’s a new year. Clean slate. Let’s try something new. Innovate. Trail blaze. You’re never gonna be the talk of the town following the popular kids around and mocking them. Make a name for yourself. Doesn’t matter what your business is, there is always an opportunity to be creative and ground breaking. Allow yourself to go there.

Let’s not treat these like normal New Years Resolutions and actually stick to them and make this one of the best years of branding and advertising. It will definitely pay off if you do.