BL interview. Brands: Millennials’ focus stretches beyond the physical to spiritual

In the modern world, there cannot be a ‘brand-averse’ consumer or even a ‘non-brand’ campaign. A brand is nothing but a pre-defined feeling at its core and inherently explains the concept of Oneness that emerges out of the fusion within the duality of spirituality and physicality. The intangible brand feeling is the spiritual element of the brand. The logo, the colours, the typography, the brand graphics, etc. constitute its physicality.

No business can attract a sustainable set of customers continuously without a strategy. And no business is a business without customers. So, even if you do not use the physical attributes of the brand, you cannot be successful in business without using its spirituality. I feel the ‘no-brand movement’ takes the brand beyond its physicality to experience and feelings.

Millennials are the new philosophers of the world. Their thinking will take branding to a new level because they are seekers of experience. They are more concerned about the positions and stands that the brands take rather than their physical aspects like logo and colour. Millennials are more involved with the brand on a deeper level. They are touched by its spirituality. They are checking your strategy at the core and not the attributes on the periphery. Businesses that do not follow them will miss out the future.

This situation is a fallout of the fast media growth. With the progressive explosion of the media using new technology and people seeking content delivery faster than ever before, traditional usage of physical aspects of branding is not working.

Readers and viewers touch base with media for content at multiple touchpoints now. Business messengers need to send out the message in new ways and formats in which they can touch the modern man at a deeper level. Businesses must focus clearly and go deeper into the core of the strategy rather than delve in the physical realm. Strategy is the way forward.

Human behaviour hasn’t changed much fundamentally through thousands of years of evolution. People will go after new things because humanity progresses through change. So, it’s the business of the business to help its customers stay committed by accepting change faster and in the right way. Humanity will continue to hold brands to an even higher level of accountability in the future. Business leaders who cannot fathom this will perish. This needs to be factored into every strategy for every business in every market, small or big.  

I don’t think so. Covid happened out of the blue and the world was not prepared for it. Disruptions happen in many forms. Natural calamities and new technologies are the most familiar forms we know in the modern era. Nobody can actually be prepared for disruptions. So, the best way to be prepared is to practice the art of owning an open mindset and to be always current in whatever we are doing. Pragmatism, honesty, humility, and continuous learning are the pillars of this good mindset.

‘Zoom’ is a brand born out of the two waves - concurrent innovations in IT and Covid itself. It rode the crest and trough of Covid mostly but didn’t do much to grow out of this linear pattern. I think they will think and move into a non-linear exponential trajectory as Netflix did. I learnt this technology wave theory the hard way.

I had invested all my money, time, and energy into yentha.com, a neighbourhood portal founded in 2007. I put in all the investment in the latest technology at that time. The new smartphone market emerged in 2008 and mobile technology became the future. We were unprepared for this new technology wave. Technology brands need to watch for the ‘new technology wave’ every moment.

I think the equestrian sport will be a great example here. In a horse race, who wins - The horse or the jockey? Actually, both win because the horse rides fast because the jockey controlled it. Similarly, the heart must always be controlled by the head. Head is the jockey and horse, the heart. The heart (horse) has the energy but success happens because of the controls handled by the head (jockey).

Here, the concept is about the heart and head duality transforming into the Oneness of spirit. We may think emotions and egos are bigger because we see them first. We wear our emotions on our sleeves. Every brand and its business leader must address both the head and the heart simultaneously in the strategy framework. This head and heart rule is fundamental to the universe. If you make the fundamental laws of the universe to be the foundation of your strategy, you will be a great strategist.