Social, Cultural, And Technological Impact On Brands And Advertising

As society evolves and technology

advances, what brands stand for and the

manner in which they are advertised will

also change...

There is a reason why a trademark is the only

Intellectual Property which can last for time

immemorial. It’s because once a brand is

created, it stands for something. Companies

spend millions in creating brands, millions in

marketing them, and further millions in protecting them.

One may choose what a brand stands for. It may stand for

quality, safety, a set of values, customer satisfaction, etc.

There are no boundaries on what a brand can achieve in

terms of what it stands for, and over time, the message

which a brand carries may also change.

But brands also need a vehicle to reach their consumers,

and that vehicle is “advertising”. Advertising carries

the message which a brand wants to convey to people in

different forms, through different media, and to different

audiences. There is a reason why companies spend

mammoth sums of money on advertising. It’s because

through such advertisements, the message which the brand

wants to convey is achieved. This may play a significant

part in a brand’s growth strategy and development.

Brands and advertising are heavily impacted by social

requirements and changes as society changes itself. One

may remember, may be a decade ago, or slightly more, it

was very normal for families to sit together before or after

dinner to watch some television. Watching television not

only meant watching a good program, but also spending

some quality time together with family. Hence, at that point

in time, television advertisements may have been considered

as one of the most effective means of advertising. When we look back, millions of people remember the famous

advertisement of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate where a

young man hit a six during a game of cricket and a young

woman (his partner) came running onto the field dodging

the security guards and shortly thereafter dancing her heart

away expressing her joy and love for the protagonist of the

advertisement (the guy who hit the six). The advertisement

of course displayed both of them eating a chocolate at the

end of the advertisement. The advertisement is available

on Youtube (this is just to help you get nostalgic or enjoy

one of the most remembered advertisements of all time, not

intended to be a marketing stint).

Different people remember that advertisement for different

reasons. A budding cricketer may have been inspired

to have a similar moment of glory. A teenager may have

remembered the free-hearted dance displayed on the cricket

field by the young lady. But in the middle of all that fun

and frolic, there was a message being conveyed to the

wonderful consumers all over the country. It was the first

time that chocolate was being viewed as something which

could bring joy not only to children but also to people of

older ages, thereby expanding the range of customers.

Coming back to the social aspect, this was one of the

most successful campaigns which was brought through

the medium of television. However, social patterns have

now changed, like many things in the world over the

decades, and now, may be not too many people would

watch television in the same manner as they would before

the influx of everyone having access to smartphones and

high-speed Internet. This change in social behavior brought

about a new reason to bring advertising through another

platform… the smartphone, or a tab, or a laptop. Today,

people may be sitting in the same room, but statistics show

that people look at their mobile phones once every ten

minutes on an average (if not more frequently) throughout

the day. This has brought about a change in the manner

and mode of advertising due to change in social needs,

behavior, and values.

Culture is also not something which can be left out in the

myriad elements which may impact brands and advertising.

One may agree that in India, it has always been customary

to give sweets during festive occasions. Sweets in the

traditional form may never be totally replaced by chocolate.

However, today you have an entire range of chocolate

which can be given as gifts, with or without customized

messaging, to a loved one, family, friend, etc., not only

at any time of the year but also during festive seasons.

Festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Diwali, Holi and occasions

like Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day, etc. are all avenues for

extending a viable option to consumers to spread moments

of joy in addition to what traditional sweets may offer.

Technology is again one of the biggest factors which have

a direct impact on brands and advertising. Today, digital media has placed the world on a platform where you can

be connected every second of the day to products, services,

offers, occasions, etc. It’s given the expression “Sky is the

limit” a new meaning altogether and is truly limitless.

Marketers see this as a great opportunity. The other day, I

was using the elevator making my way down from the 22nd

floor. Just like me, there were about 10 others making their

way down after office hours. The elevator was pin drop

silent, not because the occupants of the lift meant to be

anti-social towards each other, but because each one peered

into their phones scrolling or streaming something or the

other on their handsets. Now for me, it’s not necessary that

an amazing idea may have popped into my head like a bolt

of lightning. However, for a marketer, it may have been

an “Aha” moment and viewed as an opportunity to take

advantage of how much time we spend today on phones,

and how involuntarily we do it. Today, smartphones and

high-speed Internet (at extremely affordable prices) have

brought about a paradigm shift in advertising opportunities,

modalities, and reach to consumers. Technology has been

an enabler to things which were beyond the imagination

and reach of people a decade ago and has opened up a new

playing field for brands.

One must remember, nevertheless, that in the middle of all

this change and limitless opportunity, organizations have

to be more careful than ever about compliance with laws,

respect for each other’s intellectual property, and must truly

value the increasing awareness among consumers about

regulations and their ability to voice grievances freely

through multiple channels. That, however, is a whole new

discussion altogether and is perfect substance for another

article.

Disclaimer - The contents of this article are personal views of the author and not intended to be a statement or a view of Mondelez.