Power Boosting Superheroes
<written for C2 Communications>
Half a decade ago, LinkedIn profiles were mere job descriptions; the very stuff you’ll find on business cards - CEO & Founder, Talent Acquisition Manager, Creative Director - but today LinkedIn can put Hall of Justice to shame. We see the emergence of a new breed of superheroes - Serial Entrepreneur, Funniest Man in Advertising, Cryptocurrency Enthusiast, Chief Visionary; you get the idea.
We are moving away from titles that define our positions and have started to inch towards a more authentic identification; one that doesn’t just tie us down to who we are at our jobs, but how we see us, and how we want others to see us.
If so, then why should WE be spoken to as a collective of employees rather than individuals?
WHO IS ‘WE’?
Brand managers need not bin their old thumb rules out just yet, but it could serve to remember that no one's happy about being pigeonholed into a one-size-fits-all description. 'We' doesn't necessarily refer to 'we' as an entire organisation, but instead 'we' as individuals carrying different viewpoints, goals and socialising styles, who are currently working together towards a common goal. If so, a genuine effort to engage and emotionally connect with individuals, can take brands and agencies further.
This is how we're introducing QINTRO, our latest product - a digital business card that offers a contactless and customisable solution to make a dynamic yet personal first impression. Instead of allocating hefty marketing budgets to run ads, the core team behind QINTRO has been leading a variety of discussions surrounding the product on their personal social pages. We’ve replaced ad-speak to casual conversations with friends.
ORGANIC CAN BE ORCHESTRATED
These ‘casual’ posts by the QINTRO team don’t appear on your screen at random. They are carefully crafted to reflect your personalities while matching them to the experience and expertise of the team who worked on the product. Content is also scheduled to maintain consistency and quality to reach you, if you're who we're reaching out to. Everything fits in into a larger narrative without looking force-fed.
NO TO SELLING PRODUCTS. YES TO SEEDING CONFIDENCE.
If we see performance, quality and usefulness as the functional qualities of a brand, then identity, love and trust will be the non-functional ones. And if a brand can embody both the functional and non-functional attributes to make their consumer feel more skillful, valuable and powerful, the brand is right where it should be.
Think Google Maps, and you have a mapping service that has you ‘navigating the world faster and easier. One quite literally feels anxious and lost without it. Think Netflix, and you have a leading entertainment service that keeps you tuned in and tapped in, so you are in the know about what’s going on.
Think QINTRO, and you have a digital personality that enhances autonomy by placing you and your abilities on the driver’s seat, rather than the branding of the business you're working for. It’s all about the freedom of picking out your own identity, by sifting through multiple perspectives that are being offered. This way, you can build and own your avatar.
GIVE SUPERHEROES WHAT THEY WANT
Communication of the next is all about discovering new ways to empower superheroes amongst us. How can we increase their visibility (or invisibility, if that’s their power)? How can we get them to be better in what they do? How can we say what makes sense to them? What’s our role in their mission? When brands and agencies start answering these questions, they won’t be just selling; they’ll be creating an invaluable authentic connection to those they are serving.
