Cultural Relevance, Relevant Brand name

It’s Got to Be Relevant The phenomena of long lasting, successful bands and brands can often be explained by cultural relevance. If a brand isn’t relevant to the people who are supposed to buy it, they don’t, at least not in the long run. When people say about a brand, “It makes sense; it fits into our lives and our lifestyles,” then they are on their way to describing a store or products as “my store” or “my brand,” assuming a sense of ownership and pride. A relevant brand name often becomes a descriptive word, such as a “Wal Mart kind of guy” or a “Tiffany’s kind of girl.” The musicians who become rock and roll legends are grippingly relevant to the cultural values of a specific group of people-their fans. Similarly, profitable businesses and brands are grippingly relevant to key market segments-those that are currently profitable or possess potential for future growth. The best of the best expand the relationship from one segment to become core, mass market branding successes. This is more likely to occur when the values and lifestyles linked to a brand are closely aligned with the behavior, whether actual or aspirational, of customers and their culture.

Verizon’s recent advertising campaign resonates with American culture today. The slogan “Can you hear me now?” in Verizon’s clever television ads reflects the sentiments of people frustrated by poor cellular phone connections. You can hear people waiting in airport concourses or walking down the street uttering the phrase as they try to maintain communication with the person on the phone. It’s a slogan adopted by the culture, as much as the phrase “Elvis has left the building. ” Achieving cultural relevance is the first phase in marketplace acceptance, but legendary bands will tell you it’s also about staying relevant to a culture, using core products to reinforce relationships with existing fans and attract new ones. Hence, the “greatest hits” albums.