A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Claim

If there's one phrase I have heard -- and detested -- in my 30+  year career in advertising, it's the one uttered by CMO's, Assistant CMO's, Assistant Assistant CMO's, Wannabe CMO's and girlfriend/boyfriend of CMO's. 

It goes something like this:

"That doesn't seem to be On-Brand."

When that's uttered, along with other well-worn useless maxims like, "that feels negative" or "I don't like it, I don't know why, I just don't", you can be sure Round 16 of the work will quickly turn to Round 17.

My problem with the On-Brand label is that it assumes there is an On-Brand. With the exception of a handful of companies, who, by the way, continue to enhance their brands on dusty old legacy media, there is NO on-brand. 

It stems from this amusing misconception that people are walking around with preconceived notions of what a specific brand is. Or even wants to be. They don't. 

They just fucking don't.  

Walk up to a total stranger on the street and ask them to describe the Tostitos Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips Brand. Or the Bounty Paper Towels Brand. Or the Hewlett Packard Laptop Brand. You will be met with blank stares. And if you conduct this little experiment in NYC, it could sound more like this, "get outta my face you frickin' hard-on."

Listen to what esteemed Ad Guy/Author/Well paid Speak Bob Hoffman has to say on the matter...

I had the pleasure of working for Lee Clow, who one might argue has the clearest understanding of brand in America and its role in the success or failure of a company. I think the folks at Apple would agree with me. 

Lee would often speak about how difficult it was to claim any real estate in the minds of consumers.

Consumers who are more often than not thinking about avoiding the traffic on the 405, getting their kids to clean up their rooms, fixing the latest leak on the roof or wondering why their husband has downloaded pictures of woman's naked bony feet on his computer.

To make matters worse, there are thousands and thousands of other brands competing for those few precious neurons that are precariously tied to the purse strings. 

In all, it's pretty daunting. It's a battle. A fierce one at that. 

But it can be won. 

Just not with timidity. Group think creative. Anodyne advertising that elicits feedback like...

"I love it. I like how you've managed to squeeze in the 5 RTB's and the urgent Call to Action. But it doesn't seem to be On-Brand. What else do you have?"

SFX: Forehead hitting desk