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We live in an attention-driven world, but it feels shaky to rely on it as a strategy.
It's been fascinating (and slightly uncomfortable) to see a company like Jaguar gamble so much brand equity recently.
Not just gambling on a radical design (I know they're in financial straits, so a bold move is called for) but seeming to gamble on... well, noise as a strategy.
Sure, go ahead and rebrand your company. Sometimes that's critical for your business.
However, such a radical rebrand needs reasons that matter to... customers. It won't stick if you just shout very loudly to cover up the mess you're in.
An email from Seth Godin today summed this up perfectly, in just a few words:
"awareness is not desire"
And desire matters, if you're a luxury car company. I'm not convinced the desire part has been thought through here.
The main point here is that in terms of design, marketing and branding, desire and connection are far more important to success than awareness.
Of course, neither can be eliminated from the mix.
But however loud, the message is meaningless if there’s little behind it to convince enough people.
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