Information truly is everywhere, whether it’s customer reviews on yelp or epinions, twitter, your brand’s site, or the site of your competitors-if there are some skeletons lurking, someone WILL find them. Remember the days of the Better Business Bureau? (which is still alive and running by the way. albeit on life support) Consider the WHOLE  CONNECTED WORLD as the BBB. Anyone can say anything about your product/service. Sure, it’s at an individuals discretion on who to trust, just remember that even the opinions of strangers are trusted more than advertising (39% versus 14% -weber shanwick).

We all learned early on that honesty is the best policy, well that is truer than ever for brands. While this should be obvious, skirting the truth, or downright lying will get you no where but a black list fast, countless brands STILL fall victim. Tools like Twitter makes word spread easily and quickly. And if you haven’t heard, bad news always travels faster than good news…

This takes us back to one of those basic principles of “modern brands” (from the kind, smart folks at Zeus Jones) modern brands don’t make promises (that can be broken). They act upon their beliefs. Creating empty promises that sell “the dream” may be what Mad Men was  about, but is a dated and myopic way to approach brands in a modern, transparent world. Brands must do their part to establish beliefs and consequent actions that LIVE up to the story of what motivates consumers, not wax poetic about what they “could” do. Those who stop short will be left in the dust of a twitter feed. Simply stated: being just a pretty face will get you nowhere fast.

So how does a brand navigate this wickedly transparent world? To be gravely simplistic, start by listening. Tools abound (twittratr, twendz, how sociable? etc) stop and listen into the conversations around your brand.  Next, as a brand, you have to have the “come to jesus” moment. What have I done in my life (as brand) that could possibly come back to haunt me? Run a worst case scenario on it and if necessary, expose yourself as needed. Better come from yourself than a stranger. Great example is Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles, where you find famously “good” brand, not being entirely “good” at all. They expose themselves and by doing so, gain credibility by showing how they are trying to make amends as well as take away the facade of perfection. Consequently, trust is established.

And haters listen up. Opinionated consumers aren’t going anywhere. They won’t be silenced. Social media isn’t a trend that will fade away-empowerment changed the game (yuck, marketing speak. Apologies). Twitter isn’t going anywhere, so no where to hide from the up to the nano-second updates of the modern world– it’s quickly becoming part of the “plumbing” of our digital ecosystem. Get used to it or go home.

One of the biggest reasons why I got into advertising was because of my fascination with products and why I could become SO enamored, if not obsessed with simple things based on well, the way they looked. I have bought plenty of inferior products JUST because they looked so darn nice.

But what is it about a perfectly designed package that is so intriguing? From the pretty silver Nordstrom boxes to Tokidoki patterned yogurt cups (thank you Yogurtland, we really needed that), to some incredibly off the wall packaging that surprises and delights. It’s that little pièce de résistance that makes a good product, GREAT. An easy example would be Apple, but they are just great all around, so almost beyond this conversation. Same to say about a brand like Method, who have become synonymous with artfully designed packaging.

An old example, is FRED water. Yes. I drink FRED water. And get laughed at nearly every day. But why? For me it’s yet another form of my style and design ethos. It’s about self-expression (realize this is water we’re talking about) . I won’t drink from a regular shaped bottle. Square bottle. Round peg, square hole conundrum. Other than just being somewhat of a rebel (drinking water), it’s just the right size of bottle for me. I’m a rather little person and it fits in my hand perfectly. Not to mention the horrified glances I get at the gym when people (rightfully) think I’ve got a flask rather than a bottle of water. And I love it.

Now this is no recent phenomena or burgeoning trend. It’s just a fact of consumer behavior. Often we like shiny things. Or at least interesting things. It’s not about a particular style, as different styles appeal to different people. The point is to HAVE a point of view. Whether you are coming from a highly sustainable place (100% compostable packaging like the new Sun Chips bag), or minimalistically designed with an incredibly modern aesthetic, or even designed with a retro vibe (like the new/old pepsi can), packaging can change the discourse of your brand incredibly easily-the incredibly ordinary can become extraordinary in one wonderful swoop.  As Richard Bates from BIG (Ogilvy) mentioned back in 2007 in Fast Company:

“Packaging has the potential to make or break a product.” He cites the iPhone and Chanel’s packaging as examples, explaining that the high sheen lacquer finish of the latter’s cosmetic product packaging “fingerprints like crazy: when I watch a woman hold a Chanel compact, she is constantly burnishing it and making it beautiful. The nature of the packaging engages the consumer with the product — the interaction just adds to the story.” He also surmises that the black polishing cloth included with the iPhone could elicit a similar consumer product relationship.”

My favorite spot to check out the latest in packaging goodness is dieline.com. Some incredible innovations and incredibly inspiring. Following is a smattering of some fabulous examples.  http://www.thedieline.com/blog/

Images via www.dieline.com

I’m Canadian and I’ve been infatuated with the Lululemon brand for the past few years (and have had pants last that long as well!). I was pleasantly surprised to see the NY Post offering up some sun salutations to the brand this weekend. Thursday night in Bryant Park, 400 women gathered to practice. And celebrate the joys of Luon (the fabulous fabric that makes your bottom just a bit more perky and your legs just a tad more skinny). http://nymag.com/shopping/features/58082/

Lululemon was born in Vancouver in 1998 and Lululemon went public in 2007, and in 2008, it sold $350 million worth of apparel in 113 stores. The brand continues to grow, reaching a market cap of more than a billion dollars. With apparel that’s both fun and functional, albeit a bit pricey for yoga clothes, they have built a little fabulously zen empire. Lululemon is a hit stateside. About 5 years ago I was back in my hometown of Calgary and saw lines to get into the newest store in Market Mall and thought, hmmm, this is interesting…but, yoga pants? Everyone in town was sporting them. Snow or not! The name Lululemon itself, born out of consumer research:

“The lululemon name was chosen in a survey of 100 people from a list of 20 brand names and 20 logos. The logo is actually a stylized “A” that was made for the first letter in the name “athletically hip”, a name which failed to make the grade.”

The company itself is a planner’s dream (ironically they do not work in any kind of traditional marketing/advertising). With ideals pure as their manifesto, of basic goodness and pure intent. Sales people are incredibly well trained and passionate about the lifestyle. They breathe and live the Lulu life. “Our goal was to train our people so well that they could in fact positively influence their families, communities and the people walking into our stores.” (Corporate Statement)

The greatest part is the general feeling of goodness associated with the brand. I’ll leave with my favorite part of their corporate mission statement:

Greatness

We create the possibility of greatness in people because it makes us great. Mediocrity undermines greatness.

Image via NY Magazine, July 26, 2009.

The luxury sector was down nearly 20% in Q1-2 2009, the Trading Up phenomenon has quickly been replaced by “trading down”. But not so fast. The luxury boom of the early 2000’s raised the bar for consumers across the board. Consumers now expect more from their shopping experiences and products. While the bling factor has dulled, people still recall the “good times” of shopping in a Nordstrom or Saks and being treated like a connoisseur rather than just another person in a cue. Consumers seek more in their shopping experiences–they want to be treated like people. And they don’t want to be reminded that they are living in a recession. How can we make things just a bit more rosy?

A great example of adapting to this in the light of our new economy is Target. Can’t afford those designers? Well, they have them for you in design collaborations. Lusting after a new Dror spin wall clock? It’s yours for only $25. Need some more designer duds? Recent collaborations with Richard Chai, Alexander McQueen and countless others are another reason to love this wallet friendly retail experience.  But it doesn’t stop at the merchandise itself.  Friendly sales people abound with straightforward answers, in a clean, brightly lit stores. This is the new luxury.

Replicating Target’s success is something many have tried. Few have succeeded in the same way. It’s an uncanny formula: reasonable prices + design + customer service + shopping experience = happy customers. While the numbers are lagging for Target behind the behemoth that is Wal Mart, its success is still loud and clear.

Jelli radio, is a completely user-controlled online radio station. In a time where Clear Channel owns much of the airwaves, this is a fresh and thouroughly interesting concept. There’s only one playlist, and it’s ruled by the votes of the masses, not just personal choices. “Jelli shows you the songs on its playlist, then lets you vote whether each song rocks or sucks. Songs move up and down on the playlist based on their overall vote count” (CNET) Enjoy your new job as DJ.

The next part of this “user generated” world, is that you start to lose control. Which is what makes this a scary place for most marketers and brand strategists. The unpredictability of it is frightening. Unless you chose to approach it completely head first. Leave it to Alex Bogusky of CP+B to do just that. Their new agency site is an information portal of ALL things CP+B. Good, bad, and otherwise. Scathing comments from people who hate their work. Awards they win. New work. It’s all there for EVERYONE to see. A ballsy move to say the least from a company that truly has something to say. And aren’t afraid to hear what other people are saying either. (the site is still in development, but check Alex on twitter for latest and greatest on it: http://twitter.com/bogusky)

Totally “modernized” the packaging, made it look cleaner only to face a backlash from consumers. Our take-away is that sometimes new and shiny (or clean and modern) isn’t always what’s best for the brand.

So the logo wasn’t “fresh and modern” as Peter Arnell would have thought. Now how did the brand hear about the intense backlash? None other than twitter my friends. Yes. Twittering is now making brand decisions. Advertisers and brands alike let’s start REALLY thinking about what “Web 2.0/3.0″ means, because our consumers are getting closer and closer-and it may just mean more than your creative director one day. Listen now and stay ahead of the curve.

(Image: http://www.johnmamus.com/designeverything/2009/01/tropicana-design-critique.html)