PICA #003

Brand building is teaching.

Think of it as a process and create a curriculum.

A management coach I worked with told me this about the process of learning: “The first phase is the introduction, in which you learn of the existence of a subject and it’s basic facts. For example, you learn about fishing. The second phase is the investigation and comprehension of the subject. You learn to fish. The final phase is the introjection of the accumulated learning and experience. You " become a fisherman.”

Unsurprisingly these phases correspond to the main phases of brand building. “Learn about fishing” is awareness. “Learn to fish” is comprehension and retention. “Become a fisherman” is acquisition and comprises advocacy.

Phase 1 - involves the broadest audience, conveys the least amount of information and uses very widespread and simple tools. The audience attitude is mostly distracted, disengaged.

Phase 2 - involves a subset of the broad audience, conveys a large amount of information and uses very specific and sometimes sophisticated tools. The audience attitude is actively engaged and motivated.

Phase 3 - involves an even smaller subset of the broad audience and conveys rich information experientially. The audience attitude is emotionally engaged and rewarded.

This is a simple framework that requires adaptation to specific scenarios which is a large part of it’s value, it puts you in a frame of mind that makes you consider the audience journey. If you consider branding as a learning process, considering different kinds of aptitude and speed of learning you can imagine a curriculum that builds from 101 to Masters Degree. This framework for thinking can help brands avoid the common mistake of trying to convey too much, all the time, in every channel.