Lost in translation: is the digital age weakening brand meanings?
The essence of branding is the creation of value, and that value resides in a blend of function and emotional meanings. The digital age is diluting brand meanings due to an overemphasis on short-term activation metrics rather than investing in long-term brand-building activities. In the face of the frictionless shopping offered by Big Data algorithms that bypass marketing, brand-building is essential.
Manufacturers make products but consumers buy brands. The alchemy that effects that transformation from product to brand is the acquisition of emotionally based meaning - through advertising...