from mythmaker to gardener:

Understanding the World of Participatory Brands

“you’re invited”

“design your own”“submit a commercial”

“decide the ending”

“vote by text”

“submit product ideas and win”

“opt-in”

“become an advocate”

“join the discussion”“star in our commercial”

Interviews with experts on participation

Online bulletin boards with active people

Small-group workshops among digital champions

Wiki-based collaborative websites

Extensive secondary researchRecent

project work with clients

What makes people act in general? What makes people act on behalf of brands ?

Three approaches to branding and where they come from

Seven principles of participatory brands

Five implications for us as qualitative researchers

“All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and

cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby they

have made me glad.”

“Agencies used to create BS that

propped up and supported products

and services that had no rational

points of difference. People called

that emotional engagement and

agencies built mythical worlds that

brands could inhabit.”

- Ed Cotton, of Butler, Shine, Stern and Partners (US)

“I think it's an attempt to make

consumers feel more empowered

about their purchases. But to me it

is a false empowerment, and the

real power still lies with the

company/ advertiser who is getting

more influence than the consumer

is getting real choice or power.”- Sarah, Online Discussion Group Participant, Kansas City

Working hard to create something so valuable it naturally inspires others

Constantly planting seeds of substance and style

Creating a magnetic, inviting space that people want to take part in

People want the same things they have always wanted… Benefits of participation:

DOING ON BEHALF OF AN IDEA…

- Solve problems they care about

- Benefit themselves in a concrete way

rational benefits emotional benefits

- Belong and connect- Express a passion- Entertain themselves- Ego, reputation, status

Make and repeat monologues

Encourage and value dialogues

Seek interactions, not conversations

Strategy Blend of strategy and tactics

Tactics

Customers PartnersPlayers

Impress for action Inspire for actionIncentivize for action

MYTHMAKERbrand

GAME SHOW HOST brand

GARDENER brand

FOCUS

DESIRE

COMMS

APPROACH

The seven principles of participatory brands

Give people outside the brand team a role to play beyond making purchases- It’s more of a partnership,

growing the brand together

- And the dialogue is two-way and human

- Mature two-way communication: sharing, listening, reflecting, adjusting

Have a mission that extends beyond profits

Enthusiastically stand for something that will guide every decision - from internal culture to external communications

Seek synchronicity between inside and outside- Behave responsibly and

transparently

- “Who a brand is” matches “how the brand acts”

- Right culture leads to the right service

Answer a real need that isn’t being addressed

- Physical

- Emotional

Be fully dedicated to doing the right thing

- Individual

- Societal

- Environmental

Make yourself “worthy” of peoples’ time and interest

Substance Design Never cutting corners Always from the brand’s heart

“Have nothing in your house that

you do not know to be useful, or

believe to be beautiful” - William Morris

Create a culture that truly believes good ideas can come from anywhere

- Prizes openness, discourages politics

Everything becomes infused with meaningful creativity and innovation

- Intrinsically

- Extrinsically

A sensible framework to express mission

- Product

- Price

- Place

- Promotion

Successful brands focus on adding value to people’s lives rather than how to create participation- Internal brand focus results in brand magnetism- Compelling brands attract organic participation

Communications engineered specifically to create participation risk remaining outside of the brand context, so can lack meaning and power

“Brand First, participation will follow.”

Easy to be distracted by exciting participatory creative, “participation for participation’s sake”

In participatory creative development research : Is the creative idea aligned with the brand? What is it doing for the brand?

Does brand express theseven principles?

Apply qualitative to understand a brand’s inner culture- this plays a key role in its potential to be participatory

Get to grips with whether people perceive that what a brand says/does flows clearly from who it is

Parent companies matter!

Find out how people research brands they consider and how this influences perception and action

Create qualitative forums that people want to whole-heartedly participate in for benefits beyond cash incentives

Partner participants – not “respondents”- Provide context

- Be transparent

Offer a high quality experience that is truly a pleasant way to spend time- Comfortable, enriching,

ego-reinforcing, useful, human, offers sense of belonging

The age-old formula is more important than ever

To inspire someone to do things for/with you = understanding what makes them tick- Problems they feel need solving

- Sources of frustration and inspiration

- What they feel is truly important and worthy