#brandgravity

KLM is by far one of my favorite airline brands. Why? Because they are classy, use innovation to generate revenue and are laser-focused on a seamless customer experience. But I have to be honest: I am scratching my head right now. Their latest effort to promote the airline in the US is the kind of effort that may have deserved another round of ideation. Unlike the people commenting on YouTube, I don’t doubt the value of stating the obvious. But when recruiting new customers, you need to invite them to experience what it’s like to travel with KLM - as much as it’s possible through an ad. I get it. It’s a market where it’s hard to stand out. But my experience with KLM is that they always bring that differentiation through thoughtful ideas and just generally caring about their customers. 

And they seem to be able to pull of culturally sensitive customer acquisition campaigns that get the reach and positive reaction they are looking for.

There are 5 reasons I really like the Smart brand:

#1 Simplicity | Their communication is so simple. Because their benefit is simple. The product is simple. To identify who the audience is and where they are is simple. It’s easy to create simple briefs and simple work for them. Look at this case from Russia. Simply brilliant. 

#2 Maverick | They are the classic maverick brand archetype. They just don’t care. Some would argue that MINI is a rebel as well. But they have a sense of elegance and British (I know, I know) subtleness about them. But smart is proud of being ugly, proud of not being for everyone, they’re not trying too hard. They just hunt for buyers / users that share their mindset. And they have a certain sense of humor that I really like.

#3 Analogue | In today’s highly digital world where car manufacturers increasingly compete on other things than the body of the car, smart has one thing to show off: its size. This allows the brand to do stuff that isn’t as trendy anymore. Reinvent print. Reinvent outdoor. Reinvent ambient. Are they smart in digital? Of course they are. But they are massively present in the physical, analogue world which is the way to go for them.

#4 Relevant | Is this the car that you’re going to do extreme outdoor adventures with? Is this the brand that’s going to inspire you with its horse power and speed? Of course not. But ‘normal’ people today realize that there’s no road where you can go too fast, too furious (except for the German Autobahn maybe) and most of us unfortunately spend their every days in the city: commuting, not on family vacations. Relevance, people!

#5 Tied to the community | Smart understands that the people driving their cars are their biggest ambassadors. Because all smart drivers are different and they always get others’ attention, it’s important for them to celebrate that difference. Promote biking, and safety of bikers. Allowing for personalization of all cars. Being visibly different. Celebrating this diversity is crucial. Because these drivers - just like the brand - do not want to fit in...