Comments on: Brand fiction and the case of Mad Men

By: Anjali Ramachandran

Anjali Ramachandran — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:30:38 +0000

Thanks for your comment, Giulia. I think SOME digital natives (not all), do in fact understand how technology is breaking new barriers. There are of course those who focus on using the technology with scant attention to how it is changing behavioural patterns, but the former breed do exist and I like to think that I am one of them. Maybe you are too. It is definitely easier to create narratives around a product that is based on characters like Mad Men, but that’s why it should be immensely satisfying if someone can pull it off successfully for a brand without that advantage. I’ll wait with bated breath!

By: Anjali Ramachandran

Anjali Ramachandran — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:26:57 +0000

Hi Leo – the Art of the Heist is an interesting example indeed, thanks for bringing it up. And you’ve summarised the preconditions very well. I think it doesn’t really matter where it is done – digital/traditional agency or a place like the Brand Fiction Factory – what is important is that these ideas come to life and thrive. It’s what excites me about working in this industry (broadly) – seeing so many new ideas (with some crap ones, but let’s dwell on the positive) come to life. A brand like Nike which has a fandom arguably, as you say, or Apple, would probably lend themselves to this smoothly – but I somehow feel that it could even work for a smaller unknown brand, because they can build the fandom from scratch, just like Mad Men did. Thanks for the comment!

By: Leo

Leo — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:26:54 +0000

I am with you on this. The preconditions it seems to be are;
a) a fandom i.e. people prepared to follow and shape the story. Easy for TV shows, but many brands have fandoms too.
b) Someone to own the process – someone to develop the story universe. Is it something digital/ad agency creatives are able to do? Is it down to TV production companies? Is the mythology developed by some smart planners? All of the above probably.
Finally c) some evidence that it might just make the brand successful. Case studies seem thin on the ground. But try Audi A3 Art of the Heist or Jonathan Mildenhall of Coke who seems to talk a good game at least.
Anyone else got some practical advice on how to make this happen?
L

By: giulia baldi

giulia baldi — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:09:08 +0000

Brilliant post, thanks.

Love Mad man but wasn’t aware of the SM strategy around it. I agree that 60s adv execs stories are a lot more engaging than any meerkat story ever, still I think it’s definitely easier (i.e. not just a bit easier) to create narratives around a ‘product’ that is all based on narratives and characters, than to do it around a real ‘product’ with no character at all.
The future of marketing reserves interesting challenges, for sure…

Said that, what I was actually wondering is: do you really think that digital natives will understand better (than everybody else) the way social technology is breaking new barriers almost every day? I actually think that, not having much experience of how things were, their sense of how the technology is actually deeply changing behavioral patterns is probably lower, while it’s their instinct in using technology that is sharper…