The world is knowing and performing at same time while keeping distance with loved ones. The screens which used to emit blue light now produce ideas based on visual consumptions of desires and aspirations. The meaning of emotions is limited to emojis. The brands have lost their green sheen in COVID-19 lockdown as lack of on-ground performance punctured widespread community involvement and support.
The causal layered knowledge dissemination questions the implications of current discourse and is becoming research amplified by keywords with digital spent producing avatar on screen. Sometimes it’s important to comprehend why possessions led life is creating more sustainable outcomes while having access to so much karmic diversity we forgot to appreciate human past and teachings.
Today, both brand & business failed in a year long nil revenue time. The shift has already happened and now it’s the honest understanding that is required towards misconstrued concepts of luxury, handcrafted, rare, sustainable, rooted experiences (with or without being authentic). Over last few years these words command premium and during COVID-19 crises lost their true reflection of being sustainable. The dynamic experience of legacy showcase is misconstrued by forming brand visions of endowment that each generation receives and passes on and digitally amplified by environmental thinkers and corporate social responsibility custodians.
The competitive itch of sellers was mitigated by exclusive access-based networking events which brought commitment of future booking scenarios giving high margin profit. The marketing and sales are not new concepts, Philp Kotler, Al Ries, Jeffrey Gitomer, Michael E. Porter fed us well in past decades, the MBA was a must-do however, ease of slipping through relationships for self-gains, swiftly responding to sudden and massive overturn opportunities through digital means made everyone a key spokesperson. Those who kept the fight of being original with their diverse portfolio of strengths perished in outlets of hide-post options which garnered views and not likes.
The brand does not die, branding does because of financial sentiments intrigued by social movements. For those who feel they are sharing experiences, it’s only knowledge sharing. It takes time to understand social causes around a destination, create scenario-based delivery framework and process strategic insights for customer delight. The constitutive discourses have to be target wisely for future resilience which is leveraged through digital transformation. The mix of old world has unlocked talent and only creative insights are driving real emotions satiated by ultra-unique delivery promise.
True value of human connection has to be reconsidered when adopting analytics to create data centric marketing strategies. The growth showing graphs rise due to regenerated alternatives that are not true or are boosted by activities which are not ethical. The brand always re-skill people for consumer adaptive behaviours and when training stops brand style diminishes. The world order is now defined by protection and safety while brand management is now more about innovating ways to penetrate in the desired target segment by embracing change. The critical phase to claim brand redemption is a thought through process based on vision boards which cannot be dissuaded by cloud tools or less competent sales force.
The competitor is the messiah who distracts and get the brands on path. The problem is when the chase is done on competitors’ numbers by adopting third party tools. Plus, the organisations detract from the goals when well-influenced sales teams tend to become the ears and eyes of the market situations. The fast-paced training scenarios adopted by brands to go-to-market gives competitor an edge of being human ultimately creating delight by solving problems and becoming a winner. As per the old saying the first one to invent fails and second one wins is only because first one got emotions mixed up with failure just like blunders of today when business start believing that perception is reality. Brands are emotions and reach salvation levels on customer adoption. As mentioned by Epictetus “Don’t seek for everything to happen as you wish it would, but rather wish that everything happens as it actually will—then your life will flow well.”
The social experiences specially in case of tourism the purchase of travel services will become expensive and will be governed by digital security measures. There will be less of human touch and traveller situations will drive a trend of exclusivity or becoming a new luxury definition. The brand and businesses have to contemplate on the intent of entering the industry. The cerebral of flamboyancy, glamour, asset ownerships, access to company purchased amenities brought the word passion on several resumes while embracing digital platforms but failing to understand the true meaning of experiences. People failed in understanding that the passion of economics is a two-faced spot which can reverse hidden potential by making an entrepreneur into an employee. The present times require agility, new skills to shape future role.
The salvific brands & their respective business propositions allow a range of transformative actions in the marketplace. The rejuvenation is done by alleviating consumer research and social analysis of customer behaviours. The trusted brands are pushing rule books which are positioned as disclaimers. The garnering of trust in handling customer is done through white space visuals. The new age brands are digital focussed and cleverly processing information from thousands of accounts on social platforms. The tagging takes the form of engagement without a clear and practical vision document leading to existential destruction. As per Marcus Aurelius "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."
The competitive itches are strong and always working at odd hours for select few who drive change and their intent is to consume industry by becoming more powerful by acquiring customers. Let’s take a step back to understand an example which is somewhat true to maintain consistent customer centricity ‘you cannot win a marathon or race without sporting outfit similarly you cannot lead a brand to salvation till you get it intellectually networked, capitalized or protected’. Take pride, be slow and move keeping honest intent with yourself, with employees and with customers. There will be many thought leaders enroute who will come to meet over coffee with spirited intent of gaming your business and it’s only the gut of business owner which decides fate of success or failure with them. Diamonds are forever but they change hands, and brands can stay relevant when they evolve with people.
Today’s brand impact is about community fulfilment and discretionary management of service offerings with experiential approach and priority delivery. Shifting focus will bring distraction and caution will be required while adopting guidance of those who have disoriented objectives. In the present circumstances retaining brand relevance is the only proposition while fine tuning business perspectives with stakeholders’ group. The brand personality will be managed by employee behaviour and customer feedback. The consumers are seeking emotional relationships and can also lead brand to success in the times of altered urgencies. As mentioned by Seneca “No person has the power to have everything they want, but it is in their power not to want what they don’t have, and to cheerfully put to good use what they do have.”
The brand authority works for business holders who influence coalitions and value multiplicity to bring diversity in the business. The exalted examples will be cherished of brands which pollute less and combine incubated environment of low consumption, low carbon exposures. The travel and hospitality sectors can never be experiential without on-ground human impact. The entertainment will be guided through telepresence robots. In these low revenue times because of pandemic the success will remain with the doers who look out for healthy long-term cost efficiencies.
The salesperson mindset of give and take and then again give in form of top-up or upgrade to the customer will be nullified. The sales have to be secured by each employee within organisations and they have to be inclusive in their business vision integrating health & safety at all levels. The customer connect is an emotion which is not driven by financial position but is guaranteed contentment. The brand representation has to be channelized internally and business models have to keep the strength of visualization.
The distribution of the vaccine is amplifying the hope for ‘desperate field traveller’ who is looking forward to meaningful travel. The present times are forming life changing disruptions every day and being a brand means to maintain social connectedness in a knowledge economy.
As mentioned by Steve Jobs, of Apple Inc. “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close, that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves”. At every step linking customer loyalty and attachment will lead brands to salvation. The truth is that the recovery will remain slow, and brands have to do more than digital engagement looking both inward and outward.
About the author – Dr. Sachin Bansal, is the Founder and Chief Explorer® of ‘City Explorers® a Private Limited in India’ and he has multiple flagships functional in the tourism industry. As a destination branding specialist, he has coined the conceptual acronyms and led the co-creation through ‘Experiential Delivery in Tourism (EDiT)™’ and ‘Resonating Experiential Delivery Outcome (REDO)™’. You can reach Dr. Sachin Bansal on help@cityexplorers.in
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