2012 may well be the year of super-massive online power shift demanding suites of branded experiences.

Consumers are more powerful than brands.

In a world of ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ — the rise of the ‘Prosumer’ (those evangelical brand fans that shape a product, service or organisations reputation) is going to affect the way branding is approached.

This year will see a clickover to consumer-driven communication hosted by brands on a massive scale.

Personal connections in physical locations are lessening.
The high street as we know it is dying. (Have you actually been in a branch of HMV recently?)

Colgate telling you it is trusted by dentists is less effective than a dentist telling you – and you then telling friends – and then people you have never met reading your positive response. The opinion of a person you’ve never met about a product you’ve never bought from a brand you’ve never heard of is more important than what that brand says directly to you.

Brands and branding needs to move away from the one-way mirrored-glass of logo-based branding (where all they can see is themselves) and towards a user/consumer/people powered series of choices.

Mass-customisation.

Adaptive BrandWorlds will become more important than ever to host these conversations.

Deeply crafted.
Beautifully made.
Interesting.
Involving.
Useful.

A café for ideas, a second digitally powered enlightenment – not solitary confinement for one average idea repeated ad infinitum.

(sm)