Brands=Trust

In a global and Internet-based economy, they [brands] build trust and reinforce value.

- Strategy: A View from the Top

Are brands dead? Have we killed traditional marketing? Are newspapers dead? Will television ads die?

In a simple answer: No. I wish I could say that this topic has been beaten to death (it has, really) but people keep bringing it up. With the influx of buzz around new media (read: social media and online marketing) there is always talk of how it’s ending everything. It’s not.

Instead, new media is bringing us back to our roots, marketing roots that is. We are leaving a world where we pushed out messages to consumers trying to catch the ones that were interested in our products, and maybe converting a few more. Consumers had little say in what messages they received. New media is giving that power back to the consumer.

The new marketing world is one in which consumers have a say, and marketers get to talk to those that want to hear from them. Word of mouth is more powerful than ever before. As marketers, we get to participate and help our brand advocates in their mission. This new world is one in which the best products win. You have to stand out to win. To get people talking about you, the “box” cannot exist.

So brands are not dead, in fact in this “new world,” they are more powerful than ever. Build your brand, talk to your customers, foster relationships – it’s these things that build trust. Your brand is what carries trust from one customer to another potential customer. Take the right amount of time to build that up.