A web research outfit, Globalwebindex, has published its "Wave 5 Trends" study. It suggests that Facebook my be going out of style. Oh my.
"Despite massive global user growth, active participation on Facebook is falling and we are increasingly seeing a slow down in existing Facebook users. This is particularly true in the U.S. and in other English speaking countries where Facebook has been prevalent for longer and has shifted growth to emerging countries."
Speaking of popularity, much of the report uses the increasingly popular language of "brands" and people's relationship to "brands" as a way to gauge the pulse of the planet.
"Online consumers want brands to provide services that fit with their lifestyle. Most importantly they want brands to listen and their comments wherever they are posted ....More and more consumers are expecting brands to improve their knowledge in specific areas and connect them with other similar-minded brand users."
This rapidly spreading blight upon the language now infects descriptions of our economy, social life and politics. In the White House, for example, there are now grave concerns that the once robust brand "Obama" is withering as voters/consumers look for more exciting and satisfying "brands." The worry is not not that his leadership is flagging, but that his "brand" is sagging.
Evidently, among the world's most urgent problems right now is this:
Are my brands listening to me?
"Brands" is simply a clever euphemism for corporations, companies, businesses.
ReplyDeleteA "brand" is a second level abstraction, an artificially construed personality imposed upon a product or product line, and it is invented by an advertising agency.
The word "brand" thus acts as a cloaking device, to soothe and make the public feel good. It often refers merely to the colors, design artifacts, messaging, and feelings that they hope are invigorated within a customer as they shell out their hard earned money for crap.
The true definitions of "branding" is "that mental impression that is burned into the consciousness of a customer as they use a product to solve a problem or enhance a lifestyle."
No matter what "branding" campaign and slogans the ad agencies sling around, the mark that is "branded" on the hide of the consumer's mind is the only thing that really matters.
I revised these remarks and expanded upon them, relating them to "brand Obama", in this post on GooglePlus: "The Truth About Brands and Branding".
ReplyDelete