Warp-Speed Branding: The Impact of Technology on Marketing

Technology has changed everything. Product life cycles are shorter. Consumers are more informed, demanding, elusive. And brands can no longer afford to be crafted over lengthy periods of time. Instead, writes advertising guru Agnieszka Winkler, a brand can--and must--be built at warp speed. She continues:

With the advent of new communications technologies, it is now possible to spread the word, like a village drumbeat, to all corners of the world in months, weeks, or even days. The drumbeat is often carried by the users themselves--a more believable source of information in our jaded, skeptical society.

By profiling agile companies such as Apple, America Online, and Amazon.com, Winkler exposes the first myth of branding: "A brand is built over a long time." Another myth: "A brand is precisely crafted for a tightly defined target." Reality: "A brand is expansive." Myth: "Brand the product." Reality: "Brand a bigger idea." Myth: "The brand is a marketing concept." Reality: "The brand is a financial concept." But the most important industry trend may be the role of the Internet, which has become an integral link between producer and consumer. Winkler's "Just Do It" Internet approach isn't groundbreaking, but the online opportunities are made quite clear. The Internet also pops up in the 31-question "Warp-Speed Branding Quiz," which measures a company's readiness to tackle branding with warp speed. Marketers and advertisers who fail this test are well advised to get up to speed. --Rob McDonald