I’m getting a cavity just thinking about how the Corn Refiners Association is trying to switch the name high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar.”

How un-sweet of them. But to be fair, I’ll pose the question: can a name change influence consumer behavior?

Of course. I’d rather buy Spanx over a Girdle Panty, but that principle only applies if I actually want to buy control top underwear in the first place. Rebranding via renaming is a common practice (see Altria, Qwest and the whole “timeshare” to “vacation ownership” transition), but in this case, it’s trying to put mineral-based lipstick on a pig. The Corn Refiners Association is banking a lot on consumer ignorance. It’s like calling cigarettes “flavor sticks” and expecting our mouths to water.

This might work in the short term, but a company can’t save a crappy product with this sort of shallow fix because today’s consumer has access to a lot of information. The internet and our social interconnectedness means a company can’t control the conversation like it used to.  So friends will tell friends that corn sugar (nee high fructose corn syrup) has all the problems it had before.

Markets are now driven by the people. And what do we the people demand? Alignment of values, transparency and to be spoken to as peers. We want companies to provide real value all the way down the chain.

This is wonderful. It means there’s a new imperative on companies to put out healthier products and work together toward improving our community as a whole. And it means that corn sugar won’t become the next Nike (originally Blue Ribbon Sports).

- Bianca Abate

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Just caught wind of kulula.co via this snopes.com article. What a hoot! This regional airline out of South Africa makes a bold promise and a big splash with their visual brand. From airplanes with engaging designs to their on-time performance website page (5 years worth of stats) to their coordinated travel options that get you from your door to your destination spot and back again, this company sets clear expectations for its customers (known as “jetsetters,” if you join their loyalty program).

Kulula’s mission is around “safety first,” ease of planning and travelling at “the easiest price,” “no bullshit” (their own term – really!) and having fun. They seem to be pulling all of this off nicely. Their challenge will be to keep it up and not let the brand slip into boring. Can they create new designs when they buy new planes? Will they meet their on-schedule goals? Will employees continue to provide a fun experience even as people get accustomed to their approach?

What does it for me is that this company has tapped into the way we consumers want to be treated and engaged, with honesty and a sense of humor—and as long as they stay on top of that, they’ll be in great shape.

Any other examples out there of companies taking a more down-to-earth approach to meet customers where they are? Please share!

Beth Woolley

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I was catching up with some industry blogs and found one on user experience design for the entire customer experience–not just the ones that happen on a website or on the phone, but all experiences a customer WANTS to have with you no matter what form they take. This caught my eye because this is something we’ve been talking about for years–the concept of integrated branding. The only difference is, today we are dealing with more devices and more ways for people to experience an organization (their people, their products, their stores, etc).

By looking at customers’ experiences through the lens of a device-less world that is technology agnostic, then, and only then, will we see the world through our customers’ eyes. People don’t shop at Target because they have a mobile app, they shop at Target because they want something they have and will use whatever device or mode is most convenient for them at the time to get it. We, as brands, just need to make sure we allow them to get it they way they want to.

This requires you dive into your customers’ shoes and figure out all the ways you can help them achieve their goals (which first assumes you know your customers and their goals). So, rather than first jumping on a specific device or platform’s bandwagon (iPad, iPhone, Facebook, Twitter…), start by asking yourself, “what is my customer trying to achieve and what are all the ways I can help them achieve it?”. It is both an eye opening and liberating exercise that helps you get beyond the technology of the moment to the technology solutions yet to come.

–Jen Travis

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