It’s in our collective nature to look forward. We ask: What’s ahead? Where are we (and our customers) going? And how do we best engage with them when we get there? The fact is, we all tend to think more about where we’re going than where we’ve been.
While the tendency to keep “eyes forward” is part of our collective culture, Google, through Project Re:Brief, has taken the time to look back; though targeted primarily to marketers, I think you’ll find it interesting if not valuable to see what happens when the most iconic advertising of our era is reimagined for the digital age. After all, when was the last time you recall a brand engaging their audiences with messages as resonant as these?
- “We Try Harder”
- “I’d like to buy the world a…”
- “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”
In short, Project Re:Brief has captured a story I’d suggest you invest the 60 minutes to watch – because there are implications for anyone charged with better understanding and engaging with their customers. In it, Google’s partnered with five “old school” advertising geniuses to reimagine their best remembered work from decades ago, for the web.
Essentially, this is a story about the need to think creatively even as customers get smarter, and the pace of disruptive, technology-driven change continues to accelerate. It’s about the message and the process, not the tools.
At the end of the day, each of us is in the business of connecting with people. Regardless of who you want to reach, the common thread is this: customers engage with the things they care about. And while tools have changed, the ability to connect with or engage customers is based on a concept as simple as it is universal; we need to understand what those customers want and need, and how can we best to meet or exceed their expectations in this regard.
By reaching back and bridging the digital divide in a human and compelling way, this video exposes a key secret of customer centricity: It’s based on the ability to put yourself in the minds of your customers, and communicate creatively no matter whom you’re trying to reach.
This blog originally ran on CMO.com, where Michael Hinshaw writes the weekly “Get Customer-Centric” blog.
