milkshake 9
will be noticed. Does it come with a cost?
There is a risk, and with risk comes the
possibility of failure. Be innovative. Test, test,
test, which will help mitigate risk and avoid
a colossal failure. Work with people who
think differently from you. If everyone is in
lockstep with your mindset, it might be easier
as a company, but you will most likely miss
something, an opportunity to think outside
the box.”
While it has been said a million times
over, it warrants repeating that in the war
for attention, everything in a consumer’s life
competes with everything else. And while
everyone gets burned out by it, Michael Cruz
believes that superior creativity is directly
connected to effectiveness as an outcome.
A partner and head of content at strategy,
creative and content boutique Summer
Friday, says brands that take the time to
think hard about how to make a small
difference in the day tend to earn the right to
make a case for consideration.
“It’s a consumer’s world; we just live in it,”
Cruz says. “Everything is a remix. Nothing
is now new and never can be again. And
that’s okay. All of the ways in how a brand
defines its own unique identity is really just a
different mix of color, form, message, tone,
visual narrative, experience design and so
many other facets, than other brands. But
please do try to find a point of difference.
Your audience will appreciate you for it.”
And while the theory is bantered about
often, Cruz believes that by embracing
discomfort, you give yourself more options.
The key is to understand what space in
consumers’ minds you have permission
to occupy and what things are happening
in their lives that can be opportunities.
“By being 100% consumer-centric in their
mindset, brands often find new ways that
are likely going to be difficult to achieve but
nothing worth doing is ever easy. Walk a mile
in your audience’s shoes. You’ll be surprised
what you find out. Never lose sight of what
makes you special and find new ways to keep
conveying that. People remember stories, so
tell a very good one.”
If you are keen to stay relevant in your
customers’ eyes, you will be able to follow
the trends needed to find and engage with
new ones. In the end, it all comes down to
the brand and what path it is willing to take.
Some brands are built around innovation,
continually seeking what’s next, so their
positions at the vanguard are expected.
Others may see decline in an older segment
and have to refresh their approach to keep
up. And some want to be perceived as
cutting edge because their competitors are
beating them to the punch.
“There are many reasons why a brand
follows the leader,” Cruz says. “But unless
your brand is true to its core values, it will be
seen as disingenuous and deliver an empty
promise. Wherever you choose to activate,
you should be framing your value proposition
in a way that’s true to the space.”
If you surround yourself with your
customers and the way they interact in
and around your market, your branding will
follow the path it needs to take—with you
leading.
THERE ARE
MANY
REASONS
WHY A BRAND
FOLLOWS THE
LEADER, “BUT UNLESS
YOUR BRAND IS TRUE
TO ITS CORE VALUES,
IT WILL BE SEEN AS
DISINGENUOUS AND
DELIVER AN EMPTY
PROMISE.”
— MICHAEL CRUZ, PARTNER/HEAD OF
CONTENT, SUMMER FRIDAY
April 2022