THE HYPER-INDIVIDUAL VS COLLECTIVE CRISIS
IS THE ERA
OF SELF-EXPRESSION OVER?
We saw the ‘you’re either in or you’re out’ days of tribalism. We’re living through the heady days of self-expression right now. But there’s rumours of a return to homogeny and safety in numbers, with the ripples of post-expression lapping at our feet.
The constant battle between wanting to be our truest selves while also being in with the in crowd will enter a new phase. So, in a marketing world that’s been promoting the freedom to be whoever you want to be, and brands touting themselves as the vehicle to do so, what do you need to know now?
THE KNOW #1:
AUTHENTICITY HAS EVOLVED
We’ve long been banging the drum about the influencer ick. The girl-or-guy-next-door-with-a-ring-light has fallen from favour as brands have pillaged relatability in exchange for access. The ubiquity of #ad and #sponcon means no one can be trusted not to shill, and the realness of real people has lost its sheen as the socio-economic climate around us spirals ever downward.
Enter the uptick in absurdity and performativity – authenticity has transformed into originality. The rise of quirky ‘anti-fashion’ moments like Balenciaga’s whole schtick or Moschino’s Celery handbag is a rejection of the status quo, and a richer form of expression that embraces the edges.
THE DO #1:
OWN YOUR POINT OF VIEW
Despite ‘bold’ being a value in seemingly every brand’s book, ‘bravery’ has taken a step back in recent years as cancel culture looms in the shadows. One big move and your hard-earned heritage could all come crashing down.
But the fear of raising your profile above the busy parapet of the rest of the category could be doing your brand more harm than good. Sure, safety in numbers (herd mentality) and loss aversion are strong scare factors, but the same old stories told in the same old ways aren’t turning anyone on.
Dust off the oft-neglected brand manual, and dig into the what and why behind your brand. It stood for something that no one else did, it answered a need that no one else was offering, it had something to say that no one else was voicing… your originality is your real ‘authenticity’. Dramatise that, not a hackneyed reflection of monoculture.
THE KNOW #2:
THE STAR POWER OF STAR PLAYERS
Jude Bellingham. Sha’Carri Richardson. Paige Bueckers. Athletes, yes, but most importantly, individuals. Multi-faceted individuals who are peeling away from the sanitised single-narrative stories of what it means to be at the top of their game or part of a team, and putting their own voice and experiences out there, in their own inimitable way.
They’re becoming the centre of their own solar systems, drawing the power and influence away from the brands and businesses they’re affiliated with, and onto themselves and their wider, cross-cultural interests.
THE DO #2:
LEAN INTO YOUR MULTIPLICITIES
Brands are different things to different people, so a one size fits all approach to storytelling is never going to fly. And yet, brands are still clinging to their core to maintain a form of control – despite any output being the start of the conversation in culture, and not the end of it.
The smartest brands exist as universes of interconnected solar systems, borrowing behaviours from those savvy individuals who keep a foot in various cultural camps. They weave multiple narratives – whether through story, stealth or scale, and using cultural tactics like partners, experiences, products and activations – across macro interests, giving them sharper, more creative ways to be part of the conversation and part of culture, not just looking in.
THE DO #3:
ALONE TOGETHER
The way we dress, the music we listen to, the sports we watch or play, the places we travel to, the drinks we order… they all form our identity – and signal status, whether we want it to or not.
As the meaning of community has shifted beyond just physically existing in proximity to a coming together of shared values, interests and minds wherever we are in the world, it’s opened up new ways of being ourselves within a collective. From ‘solo’ sports like surfing or skateboarding to hobbies like knitting and birdwatching, we’re more able than ever to indulge our interests and agendas on our own terms, while still feeling part of a crew.
THE DO #3:
EMBRACE THE LAYERS
We hit on it before but community dynamics are constantly in flux. From casual interest and fringe fandom, through to die-hard stans and splinter cells, there’s degrees of interest, involvement and how much of themselves people put into something – and no cajoling or corralling from brands will change that.
So rather than pushing people down your brand’s (often sales-based) agenda, meet them where they are – in their happily on-the-edge mindset, or with their all-in energy. To sweat our universe analogy some more, knowing that there’s different degrees of gravitational pull towards a personal interest or reactional push away from typical social expectations around them, giving people the space to form their own relationship and identity with and around your brand is the secret to keeping them in your orbit.