Orient - The Official Magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore - Issue 66 May 2018 - Page 43
(contd.) B2B BRANDS AND THE POWER OF WHY By Poppy Robinson, Regional Director, Bray Leino Singapore
millennials continuing to represent a large proportion of the workforce, the need for brands to be clear and genuine about their ‘why’ is an accelerating trend in B2B. Three quarters of millennials believe businesses should be cultural benefactors, while nine out of ten millennials and gen Zers feel brands should do more good, not simply be ‘less bad’.
There’s a classic, often cited, example that illustrates this. John F. Kennedy, on a 1961 tour of NASA headquarters, stopped to speak to a janitor who was mopping the floor. When Kennedy asked him what he did at NASA, the man replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon”. “Putting in long hours for a corporation is hard,” says Tesla founder Elon Musk. “Putting in long hours for a cause is easy.” People who work for Tesla are driven by the brand’s ambitious purpose, “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”. Customers buy Tesla’s products because the brand’s purpose is clear and relevant to their lives. At Bray Leino, we help businesses define their ‘why.’ Often, it’s about helping them to articulate what they contribute, to their industry, to society, to sustainability, or environmental and social issues. But this isn’t just CSR. Most often, it’s about what they contribute to their customers. Many B2B brands become so focussed on what it is they want to say, they forget to look for what it is their customers want to know, the information that will really make them engage with the brand. The fact is, customers often aren’t interested in what brands want to tell them. They are concerned with the details of their own business. Brands become relevant when they align with these interests and individual goals, so it’s essential to ensure you know what they are. Establishing brand purpose is an exercise that touches every part of an organisation, and the big challenge with B2B clients is understanding the differing needs of the various stakeholder in the business, and ensuring that the message is relevant and appropriate for all. You can’t fake it, or you risk projecting dissonance where words and actions contradict each other. In today’s world, where feedback through social media is immediate, public and indelible, the spotlight quickly shines on organisations that don’t live up to their own values. A clear ‘why’ is a thread that runs through everything you do. It’s the rule of thumb that every decision and strategy can be measured against, product strategy, NPD, even M&A activity. It’s the sanity check that ensures all the integrated components of your communication strategy are aligned and working in harmony. Your ‘why’ is your reason for existence. State it clearly. Act upon in, and give your customers something to connect with; something to trust.
In 2014, Poppy Robinson brought Bray Leino, an award-winning communications agency, to Asia; starting the journey in Singapore, but before long expanding around the region. Poppy and her team work with a range of clients from SMEs to MNCs spanning many different industries from banking and finance to marine and energy, keeping life interesting. Her love for travelling around Asia combines nicely with her expertise in traditional media, digital and events to enable her, and the team at Bray Leino, to deliver integrated B2B and B2C campaigns for clients all around the region.
Bray Leino is an integrated communications agency with creative, branding, digital, training and events under one roof, creating campaigns for clients like British Airways, Castrol, Allianz and Visa. Headquartered in the UK, with offices in the US and across Asia, Bray Leino’s integrated approach enables B2B brands to articulate complex products and solutions in a way that makes businesses stand out. We’re also part of the Mission Marketing Group, a UK publicly listed communications group consisting of 13 specialist creative agencies giving us the scope and resources of a large network, while offering the personal touch of a boutique agency. To find out more about how Bray Leino can help your business to express your ‘why’ please visit www.brayleino.co.uk/asia or contact us on [email protected]