Cannes 2012 Live - The honest exchange

Sameer Desai

if you get time, google 'caine's arcade'.

check out how a small garage store of an 8-year old boy is financial success. a simple idea spread via twitter and facebook. not just sent one way. but also inviting people to participate.

check out 'Georges St. Pierre' - the canadian mixed martial arts sportsperson who is one of the biggest sports brands in North America and Europe - thanks to his connect via facebook and twitter.

check out the future of media in 'huffington post' and their soon-to-be-launched 'huffington live'. how viewers are collaborating in the way they consume news.

do check the PR Swedish story of 'plumbers without borders'.

So, what is the common connect? a meaningful idea, based on a consumer insight. then, do something that is genuine, which consumers will believe in you.

The mantra for branding, and all forms of communication, is to take a position. and then have a behaviour that is consistent to that position. the days of hoodwinking consumers, changing one's position as per convenience seem to be coming to an end. in a sense the engagement with consumers is becoming spiritual. an honest exchange in which if a brand fails / falters, consumers are willing to accept as long as the brand is upfront, accessible and honest.

one other movement is the increasing need and acceptance in the creative industry to embrace technology. the copywriter + art director team is being replaced by the creative director + technical director team.

finally, just attended an inspiring discussion of visa and tbwa on visa's 25 year sponsorship of the olympics. do check out the visa global cheer campaignhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif on facebook. this a 360 degree integrated campaign.

on the lighter side, cannes has a 'Darjeeling' brand lingerie store. wonder what does darjeeling have to do with lingerie?

:)...

About the author: Sameer is an entrepreneur at heart. After school at Loyola, college at Fergusson and an MBA from SIBM he did a stint in Sales and started Seagull Advertising in Pune. Wings For Profit, his agency's patent, is how he takes a client's brand to its customer, at a profit. Right now he is a stringer at Cannes.