MAKING OF A POP BRAND Yesterday I had a long series of exchanges with my friend who also happens to be a documentary director.  Actually, it was her influence in my life several years ago that helped me to rethink the notion of culture, at a deep visceral level.  At that time, it was my goal - If I had my choice and the chance - I would want to start over, fresh. However, the focus of this post isn’t about documentaries. The making of a pop brand requires the 4 Cs: 1) Context. 2) Content. 3) Connection. 4) Commitment to both subject and viewer of all media. Several key words and themes were bantered about in my chat with my friend who happens to be from Poland, and earned her MFA here in America: stereotypical, Absolutely nothing new, Endlessly predictable, contained in a white Euro-centric world view. Branded engagement is similar to a personal relationship. A corporation can’t start fresh until it fully understands who it is speaking with. Branding is not a one way speech, regardless of its goals, consumer needs or wants. People have a way of hiding, and deflect from all known buy messages when they feel like they are boxed in. And thus, there must be a mechanism that is trust worthy, it is then injected into the discourse, and relationship re_building equation. Jack Yan is my co-founding partner of MBC: three years ago he roughly said “best practice branding must be respectful, it is inclusive, and it removes the need to racially label groups in order to move away from marginalizing minorities” Jack continued ” Branding is the means through which an organization differentiates, symbolizes and communicates itself to all of its audiences. However, branding must have a responsibility if we wish our organizations to have a responsibility. It is the interface between that organization and its audiences. It can equally be an interface between a corporation and its consumers, or at least a way of thinking that can unify vision, strategy, exposition and image, with measurable end results” If the goal is to indeed start fresh and offer consumers the gift of recovery, it must create a framework and re_build relationships with critical mass. Below, you will find two branding efforts that successfully touch on the basic premise that my friend Alina shared with me yesterday.  1) A national campaign that uses the power of pop culture, media and community mobilization for outreach against domestic violence India has bagged the prestigious Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The ad campaign revolves around the slogan Ring the Bell which is depicted in several situations from asking for a cup of milk, to use the phone or to retrieve a lost cricket ball. The video above will be the guide of pop culture, and branding for this post.. because it touches a nerve and also, displays the power of cultural needs; simply it presents the old query: “GOT MILK”. SEE LINK/ POP CULTURE = Popular culture 2) Beyonce’s musical talent made her an international superstar, and her House of Dereon line has turned her into a fashion mogul. Now that the diva has her own eponymous perfume, fragrance industry insiders say Ms. Knowles stands to add to her ever-growing financial empire. _Beyonce’s Heat launched on Feb. 10, putting her on a long list of celebrities who have their own fragrances. Heat was the No. 1 selling fragrance at its launch, generating about $3 million in sales within its first month in Macy’s stores, according to Coty Inc., the company that produces Beyonce’s perfume. via_ /atlantapost.com

MAKING OF A POP BRAND

Yesterday I had a long series of exchanges with my friend who also happens to be a documentary director.  Actually, it was her influence in my life several years ago that helped me to rethink the notion of culture, at a deep visceral level.  At that time, it was my goal - If I had my choice and the chance - I would want to start over, fresh.

However, the focus of this post isn’t about documentaries. The making of a pop brand requires the 4 Cs:

1) Context.

2) Content.

3) Connection.

4) Commitment to both subject and viewer of all media.

Several key words and themes were bantered about in my chat with my friend who happens to be from Poland, and earned her MFA here in America: stereotypical, Absolutely nothing new, Endlessly predictable, contained in a white Euro-centric world view.

Branded engagement is similar to a personal relationship. A corporation can’t start fresh until it fully understands who it is speaking with. Branding is not a one way speech, regardless of its goals, consumer needs or wants. People have a way of hiding, and deflect from all known buy messages when they feel like they are boxed in. And thus, there must be a mechanism that is trust worthy, it is then injected into the discourse, and relationship re_building equation.

Jack Yan is my co-founding partner of MBC: three years ago he roughly said “best practice branding must be respectful, it is inclusive, and it removes the need to racially label groups in order to move away from marginalizing minorities”

Jack continued ” Branding is the means through which an organization differentiates, symbolizes and communicates itself to all of its audiences. However, branding must have a responsibility if we wish our organizations to have a responsibility. It is the interface between that organization and its audiences. It can equally be an interface between a corporation and its consumers, or at least a way of thinking that can unify vision, strategy, exposition and image, with measurable end results”

If the goal is to indeed start fresh and offer consumers the gift of recovery, it must create a framework and re_build relationships with critical mass. Below, you will find two branding efforts that successfully touch on the basic premise that my friend Alina shared with me yesterday. 

1) A national campaign that uses the power of pop culture, media and community mobilization for outreach against domestic violence India has bagged the prestigious Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

The ad campaign revolves around the slogan Ring the Bell which is depicted in several situations from asking for a cup of milk, to use the phone or to retrieve a lost cricket ball. The video above will be the guide of pop culture, and branding for this post.. because it touches a nerve and also, displays the power of cultural needs; simply it presents the old query: “GOT MILK”.

SEE LINK/ POP CULTURE = Popular culture

2) Beyonce’s musical talent made her an international superstar, and her House of Dereon line has turned her into a fashion mogul. Now that the diva has her own eponymous perfume, fragrance industry insiders say Ms. Knowles stands to add to her ever-growing financial empire. _Beyonce’s Heat launched on Feb. 10, putting her on a long list of celebrities who have their own fragrances. Heat was the No. 1 selling fragrance at its launch, generating about $3 million in sales within its first month in Macy’s stores, according to Coty Inc., the company that produces Beyonce’s perfume. via_ /atlantapost.com