When the writers at Seasame Street worked with master puppeteer Kevin Clash (if you haven’t checked out the documentary Being Elmo, you should) developed the character of Elmo, they created a beloved little red puppet adored by kids everywhere. In turn, the lovable little guy turned into a megabrand with never ending product extensions – but the overall brand message never changed – it was all about love.
At this point it’s become a cliche to say that brand marketing has changed. With the proliferation of social media, consumers really own the brand and the messaging. Marketers can only hope to create a brand tool kit that creates more evangelists than distractors. It’s enough to make marketers go crazy…
…speaking of crazy, consumers these days could dress up as your brand; head to Central Park and spit anti-semitic remarks while scaring kids.
(via Gothamist)
