Designing Strategy: Why Being Subjective is Good

Designing Strategy: Why Being Subjective is Good

One’s perspective is not always the best indication of reality. As much as we’d like to believe we hold the key to the truth, we remain subjective and irrational beings victim of our own biases. As strategists, acquiring data is necessary to formulate bulletproof strategies.Markets are becoming more fragmented and consumer needs ever more divergent. A proper brand strategy must account for short-lived realities and unpredictable events. Knowledge then forms the basis of good planning: the more data, the better.

“Contemporary culture has become one of reality by proxy: there is no longer a need or requirement for depth or perspective; today, the real and the imaginary are confounded in the same operational totality, and aesthetic fascination is simply everywhere.”
— Jean Baudrillard

Why Brands Need to De-Institutionalize Their Communication

Why Brands Need to De-Institutionalize Their Communication

Skeptics like John Oliver believe that native advertising  jeopardizes the credibility of established media corporations. He believes that, recently, the “integrity of news has become harder to protect” as publishers resort to advertisers to find new sources of revenue. With the advent of digital media, print publications especially have struggled to sustain their businesses and are now forced to accept advertising money in the form of brand publishing. 

How is Johnnie Walker Conforming to the New Codes of Luxury

How is Johnnie Walker Conforming to the New Codes of Luxury

The latest Johnnie Walker Blue Label ad/campaign is a great example of masterful storytelling. Behind the appeal of Jude Law lies a well-crafted strategy aimed at reinforcing the luxury positioning of the brand. In this ad for its most premium products (Blue Label), Johnnie Walker is conforming to the new codes of luxury and behaving like a true luxury brand.