I have to admit that I'm not a marketer. But I am a consumer, occasionally a conspicuous one. And it is with that perspective that I read Alex Wipperfürth's book Brand Hijack, which is all about "marketing without marketing," or, perhaps more accurately, about marketing without appearing to be marketing. And it is with the eye of the intrigued consumer that I found the book's insights into good marketing strategies, the "cults" of branding, and the current socio-cultural trends among consumers to be both compelling and somewhat unsettling.
A "brand hijack," according to Wipperfürth, is "the consumer's act of commandeering a brand from the marketing professionals and driving its evolution." The book's premise is simple: traditional marketing isn't working, or isn't working as well as it once did. The author points out that professional marketers have always been able to revert back to the seemingly "immutable laws of marketing:" that branding is the most critical element of commercial success, that you simply need to identify a compelling connection between your product and the target audience, and you create an "aspirational image" associated with the brand to create the connection between audience and product. Indeed, the traditional marketing suggestion isn't just that I'm buying a car; I'm buying into the image associated with the car (young and hip if I go for the Honda Element, Nissan Xterra, or Mini Cooper, powerful and virile with the latest sports car, established and successful if I opt for a Lexus, Mercedes, or the like).
But Wipperfürth contends that the past decade has seen some remarkable brand launches that completely ignored the traditional rules and instead stand witness to the idea that consumers, rather than marketers, are often dictating a brand's success based upon their own perceptions rather than the splashy marketing. He notes that Starbucks and eBay both built successful "brands" without the typical "quintessential advertising campaign" and that both Palm and Red Bull seemingly ignored customers' stated desires and yet produced new product markets. And he points out the seemingly incomprehensible fact that Pabst Blue Ribbon became the fastest-growing domestic beer after years as an industry also-ran - even though "it tastes like backwash and hardly can be said to offer aspirational benefits."
Article comments
1 - Kevin Holtsberry
Good review. There is a missing close to a hyperlink, however, that is messing up the formating.
2 - Bill Wallo
Thanks, fixed it. :)
3 - Michael
This new pattern occurs because buyers are more sophisticated, so they're buying more PBR? Um.
4 - Bill Wallo
The fact that consumers are more resistant to marketing or more savvy about blatant efforts to get into their pocket doesn't prevent them from chasing "hip" or occasionally lacking taste buds. :)
5 - Eric Berlin
I always get sucked right into your reviews, Bill. This one especially interests me as I'm just finishing up William Gibson's Pattern Recognition and its heroine "cool hunter." Great stuff.
This book review has been selected for Advance.net. You�ll be able to find this and other Blog Critics reviews at such places at Cleveland.com�s Book Reviews column.
6 - Bill Wallo
Eric -
Thanks for the kind words. I take it you enjoyed Pattern Recognition? I haven't read it yet, although I've picked it up more than a few times.
7 - Eric Berlin
It's actually the first Gibson novel I've read, surprisingly enough. It starts off slightly slow but picks up speed throughout. All in all it's great fiction -- fast-paced and taut and interesting.
8 - marie
I disagree with the comment about people buying pepsi, because, it is in Jeff Gordon's contract. Nascar fans are very loyal to their drivers and my family will buy merchandise supporting our drivers over anything else.
9 - GOMEZ
Ok, the products quality is key... he dosent say that`s not true, if you re-read the book you will find out that he explians that consumers, besides, knowing about marketing strategy they understand that the quality in some products is not far from each other. (coke and pepsi, etc)
you cant use this kind of marketing in every product or service, you have to create a new strategy for every one, that includes all the instruments you can, to get where you want.