Disingenuous Branding or Good Story Telling?

This week's brand debate on BrandChannel focuses on the ethical/(perhaps) legal snare of disingenuous branding. As per BrandChannel, "It's not surprising that corporations are willing to bend the truth to gain a competitive edge. But at what point does manipulating the truth undermine the consumer trust that successful branding requires?" They also pose the question of whether the government should step in to provide regulation. (See the complete debate intro and reader comments here: http://www.brandchannel.com/forum.asp?bd_id=84).


The brunt of the ethical questioning was placed on advertising & packaging and the lack of truth found therein. In my humble opinion, the debate question itself is fundamentally flawed. Branding is neither advertising or packaging alone. The brand is a company's personality, its emotional tie with consumers, the humanizing factor of an otherwise faceless corporation. It's the experience you have every time you go to Starbucks that helps you rationalize paying $4 for a cup of hot sugary milk. The brand is your friend. And much like your friends it can be prone to exaggerating a story now and again.


Advertising is one of many communication vehicles for a brand, and it's meant to engage and entertain, often through exaggeration. Yes, advertising bends the truth, but so do sitcoms and films. I'm about as likely to believe that Jason Bourne is a real ex-CIA assassin running around New York as I am that drinking Gatorade will help me throw a football out of a stadium.


There is a big difference between exaggerating and lying, and this is where the lawyers step in. If an advertisement expressly states that a product will do something or provide a benefit that it does not, then you sir are a liar, and thus subject to a class action. If a Coke spot claimed that by drinking Diet Coke you will lose 45 pounds, well that's unethical and illegal. But when we see an empathetic tow truck driver moving a VW away from a red curb because towing the 2007 VW GTI would deprive the car owner of an incredible driving experience. That's telling a story, not claiming that buying a Volkswagen will keep you from getting towed. Well, according to my interpretation of the commercial.


And that's why advertising can be such a powerful tool in brand marketing. It can tell a story, showing off the lighter, wittier, human side of a company. It engages consumers in ways that even the product isn't capable of doing. For me, a company that can make fun of itself says a lot about the confidence it has in it's brand.

Back to the debate. I don't think its disingenuous to say that you've killed seven in one swat, you just have to make sure that in your message the listener sees seven huge flies.

It's important for brand managers to remain aware of the brand communication vehicles used and understand each vehicle's purpose and how it goes about creating impact. The retail experience, the packaging, the customer support must all be in line with the brand message, promise, vision, mission and all the other co prorate compass points - but it is also important not to stifle branded communications in the name of controlling the brand.

In the end it comes down to consumer. The moment I hear Tom Shane's droning voice in a Shane Co. radio ad I turn the dial; when a Budweiser 'Real Men of Genius' radio ad comes on I turn up the volume.