BRANDED
UTILITY
the (already happening)
th ( l d h i )
future of marketing

http://twitter.com/pthei
a special thanks to
PAUL KOCH

every presentation needs a few
CAVEATS

A FEW DIFFERENT NAMES
• Not quite interchangeable, but very similar:
– Branded Utility
– Marketing as Service
– Marketing with Meaning

SPLITTING HAIRS
• Often used interchangeably, I prefer a distinction between
“Branded Utility” and “Branded Utilities”. My definitions:
• Branded Utility: An overarching concept focused on
providing meaningful marketing that improves people’s
lives and adds value to the user
• Branded Utilities: Tools and the actual implementation of
the overarching concept “Branded Utility”

the part where i use others to make me look smarter
WHAT IS
BRANDED UTILITY?

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
GENUINELY USEFUL
“ Brands being genuinely useful to their customers,
employees, suppliers and the people they touch.
”
- Johnny Vulkan – Anomaly
www.psfk.com/2006/11/branded_utility_1.html

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
RELATIONAL
“ [Branded Utility] is where the brand creates a commitment
to a relationship. It’s where the brand creates something
useful to you, something that’s a utility in your life. The
consumer will feel more confident with the relationship if
the brand will continue to be part of your life.
”
- Benjamin Palmer – Barbarian Group
http://www.slideshare.net/shuubys/interactive-mobile-marketing-the-new-branded-utility-wave-omnimedia-group-presentation/

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
INTERESTING
“ We’ve got to stop interrupting what people are interested in
and be what people are interested in!
”
- Axel Chaldecott – JWT
http://www.thedrewblog.com/index.php/tag/branded-utility/

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
CREATIVE
“ Advertising becomes less about screaming ‘Beans are
good!’ and more about finding ‘100 ways of using beans
that your kids will love’…rather than saying ‘our home
insurance is cheaper’ why not o≠er an application that
allows you to find the real value of your house contents…
and use that to drive higher value quotes.
”
- Simon Andrews – Mindshare
http://simonandrews.typepad.com/big_picture/branded-utility/

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
HELPFUL
“ That is the key on the web. It is very user driven so it is not
so much to say ‘let me get my message across’, as saying:
‘what do you want to do?’ Find some things that people
want to do and then give it to them and they will take it.
”
- Jakob Nielsen – useit.com
http://art-bin.com/art/anielsen.html

WHAT IS BRANDED UTILITY?
INTERACTIVE
“ A central role of advertising is now to invite interaction…
”
- Drew Neisser – Renegade
http://art-bin.com/art/anielsen.html

cool…but…
NOW WHAT?

IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THIS…
“ For the same budget and energy as we expend on current
forms of advertising, we could be making something more
tangible, useful and reusable that plays a more integral
part in the consumer's life.
”
- Benjamin Palmer – Barbarian Group
http://simonandrews.typepad.com/big_picture/branded-utility/

AND THIS…
“ …With the right content and the right approach they can
create their own audience – where quality is much more
important than quantity. So branded utility sits alongside
branded content and brand-curated content as part of the
smart brand’s arsenal.
”
- Simon Andrews – Mindshare
http://art-bin.com/art/anielsen.html

i get it…but…do you have any
EXAMPLES

sure…just one more
CAVEAT

these adjectives should permeate branded utilities…
GENUINELY USEFUL
INTERACTIVE
HELPFUL
INTERESTING
RELATIONAL
…but they aren’t the only end goal…

…the goal is also to invoke and convey brand attributes…
invoke HAPPINESS
create RELAXATION
convey CARE
prove EFFICIENCY
be SUPPORTIVE

…and to…
catalyze ENGAGEMENT
increase PURCHASES
attract CUSTOMERS
inspire SHARING
change THE WORLD =)

for real this time…some
EXAMPLES

ORANGE:
TEXT ME HOME TENT
• Orange is a mobile communications
company
• In time for the 100k person Vale of Avalon
Music Festival
• With a simple text, your tent lights up

MINI COOPER:
RICKSHAW
• 2008 Beijing Olympics – Mini Cooper
• Says something about their desired
impact on the environment

NIKE
NIKE+
• A runner’s dream come true
• Inspires a new way of running, training
and interacting with other runners

APPLE
IPHONE APP STORE
• Enough said…

CAMPBELL'S
CAMPBELL'S KITCHEN
• Grab recipes,
coupons, nutrition
and wellness info

DOMINO’S
DOMINO’S PIZZA TRACKER
• Pizza tracker shows you
where your pizza is in the
ordering process

CLOROX
CLEANING ADVISOR
• Walks you through a step
by step Q&A of what you
spilled
• Outputs the required
product and instructions
to remove the stain

JOHNSON & JOHNSON
BABYCENTER
• A social network for new
parents
• Useful info for parents
and kids from pregnancy
to nine years old

STARBUCKS
MY STARBUCKS IDEA
• Share your ideas
• Vote on others ideas
• Influence change in
Starbucks

in case you’re not bored…
A FEW ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES

MARKETING AS SERVICE
“ Marketers who continually support their customers through
the course of life, providing value in each communication,
will score big in 2008. The value exchange can take many
forms, but only if the marketer understands the needs and
aspirations of its target and commits to a genuine dialogue
at every point of contact.
”
- Drew Neisser – Renegade
http://chiefmarketer.com/multi_channel/direct/top_ten_marketing_2008/

MARKETING WITH MEANING
“ For decades we have annoyed them with more than 3,000 ad
interruptions per day… But our model of interruption and
annoyance is ending, especially due to digital technology. In a
world where consumers can choose to avoid our interruptions, in
order to survive and thrive, we must create marketing they
actually choose to engage with. We call it Marketing with
Meaning.
”
- Bob Gilbreath – Bridge Worldwide
http://www.marketingwithmeaning.com/about/

JOSH CHAMBERS
THANKS FOR READING
• Work: http://viget.com/engage
• Personal: http://joshchambers.com
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/joshchambers
p j

IMAGE CREDITS
http://cache.gizmodo.com/archives/ http://www.theinsider.com/news/
images/orange_text_tent.jpg 1289497_Apple_Donates_100_000_t
o_No_on_Prop._8
http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/
http://arthur.sewanee.edu/sandecb0/
nike_system_coming_to_iphone_plu
Projects/iphone.jpg
s_gets_wifi.php
http://www.healthylivingnyc.com/article/ http://www.dietitians.ca/public/content/
256 eat_well_live_well/english/
nutritionmonth/2006/sponsor/
campbell.asp
http://www.healthylivingnyc.com/article/ http://www.stockdaleco.com/Mfg.
256 %20Logos/Clorox%20Logo.jpg
http://store.apple.com/us/product/ http://dayneshuda.files.wordpress.com/
MA368LL/B 2009/05/starbucks-logo.jpg
http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/
nike_system_coming_to_iphone_plu
s_gets_wifi.php