The antidote to brand fatigue is design
Our digital way of life gifted us many things. It gave our curious children access to astrophysical discoveries. It united communities in the wake of tragedy at extraordinary speed and scale. It forced Big Industry to hold itself accountable.
What it also did was equip us marketers to ruin brands.
When ‘modern marketing’ burst to life, we suddenly found ourselves with the unfathomable power to be in 100 places at once, blindly operating from the confines of our dark data towers. It became a feverish hunt to be in as many places as possible, and this obsession quickly took over the desire to be interesting. Inadvertently, we created a monster: Brand fatigue.
So here we are today, surrounded by, scrolling through, clicking past mounds of information – and yet how much of what we experience is inspiring, compelling, thrilling? And how much of it do we just impatiently skip, waiting for the actual entertainment to start?
I believe there is the antidote to help us all navigate through – and stop contributing to – today’s epidemic of brand fatigue. The antidote is simple as it is complex:
Design.
Because design is the secret weapon that brands need in order to play a meaningful role in culture.
Exhibit A. In stark contrast to the quiet and submissive roles that convention dictates, category definers such as Nike (below) are using design fantastically to shape an iconic visual language for women empowerment. The surge is particularly noticeable in Asian countries (relatively latecomers to the global conversation), where there is now a boom of bold, loud and unapologetic design, intended to challenge, to rally and to unite.
While crucial to creating visual identities for specific causes, design can also help ancient cultures find their identity once again in the modern world.
According to what modern Chinese aesthetic is telling us, there is an emergence of Chinese homegrown brands using design to break out of the shadows of its past (and Western counterparts) to define a unique identity for modern China.
Exhibit B. China’s oldest beer brand Harbin Beer’s rebranding (below) signals a shift to define what modern Chinese design is – a concept as elusive as the fast-moving culture it strives to represent. Instead of modernizing traditional elements, Harbin instead chose to harness the power of design to capture the spirit of the young Chinese generation, “translating” their sharpness and boldness into a visual language that can be universally recognized.
Exhibit C. With its recent success at New York Fashion Week this past February, Chinese sports brand Li Ning (below) brought modern China’s newfound confidence to life, drastically transforming “Made in China” from an indication of low quality to a point of uniqueness and pride, fit for the global stage.
Li Ning
Last but not least, Exhibit D. Coca-Cola (below) is the master of using design to continuously reinvent itself to stay relevant. The key to their success is the enviable rigor they’ve maintained in building their now iconic white ribbon. Having developed an unchallengeable design asset with infinite potential, they now have the space to focus on playing with it to keep viewers engaged across touch points, using clever design to deliver disarming commentary on cultural and societal issues.
Through cases like Nike, Harbin Beer, Li Ning and Coke, we get a glimpse into how design is the antidote to brand fatigue; when harnessed well, it can ultimately elevate your brand to play a meaningful role in culture. And at that level, what your brand delivers is no longer an advertising message, but instead, it offers moments of solidarity, delight, and inspiration that can leave a lasting imprint.
Nina Kong is senior strategist at JKR René and Yolanda.