FUSE 2017 provided a wealth of valuable industry insight by showcasing how today’s brands are not only surviving, but thriving. While each scenario presented unique challenges and obstacles, one constant seemed abundantly clear: brands must create a human connection between themselves and their consumers. Humanizing brands reinvigorates (or, in some cases, generates) a level of trust from consumers that is currently eroding.
Speakers at FUSE highlighted a few specific examples of ways companies have successfully altered their strategies to include this humanization. Read on for a summary, or check out the full article from our President Ron Voigt via Brand Packaging.
Rely on What Makes Us Human
Cheryl Swanson, FUSE Co-Chair and Partner and Managing Director at Toniq LLC
Since 80% of the human experience is filtered through the eyes, color is the primary reason consumers buy a certain product. Cheryl connected this human experience to both individual consumers and designers. Just like consumers rely on their eyes for purchase, designers rely on color as they seek to realize their creative vision.
Keep Your Brand True to Yourself
Ron Burrage, Senior Director & Head of Global Design at The Hershey Company
Authenticity is a key piece of what makes brands thrive. Emphasizing originality, industry knowledge, fearlessness, and specificity, Ron posed questions that made marketers think, “What really makes my brand stand out?”
Make Moments Extraordinary
Vince Voron, Vice President & Executive Creative Director at Dolby
When Vince spoke about “Extraordinary Moments”, he spoke directly about in-house creatives and their ability inspire innovation. As a topic familiar to the X-Rite team (see Ron Voigt’s article about “Why Designers Are Leaders”), Vince struck a chord with the X-Rite audience.
Act It Out, Now
Peter Horst, Former CMO at The Hershey Company; Martha Stewart, Lifestyle Brand Icon; Stephen Webster, Vice President of Brand & Design at Mary Kay, Inc.
Peter, Martha, and Stephen discussed how approaching business with a “people-first” instead of a “consumer-first” attitude has changed their brands for the better. Highlighting how respect, evolution, willingness to adapt, and innovation are imperative for a brand’s success, these three keynote speakers emphasized how marketing in today’s competitive landscape demands “existential thinking.”
Why is this important to X-Rite?
Since emotion is (consciously or subconsciously) dependent on color, getting a brand’s color right isn’t just our business – it’s our responsibility. By facilitating precision and accuracy throughout the supply chain, we’re not only helping companies maintain color consistency; we’re also helping preserve brand heritage, intention, and authenticity.
Read the full article Making Your Brand Human: Four Lessons Learned.
