Written by: Vicky Bullen, CEO
Brands must continue to prioritise brand marketing fundamentals and avoid the temptation for a quick ‘dopamine hit’ that can undermine long-term objectives, writes Vicky Bullen, CEO of creative agency Coley Porter Bell.
When John Lewis announced it was bringing back its Never Knowingly Undersold pledge it wasn’t just about the resurrection of a familiar phrase, it was about a long-held core brand proposition that had been reintroduced and adapted for the modern age. This was a case of brand fundamentals modified to meet today’s shoppers’ requirements. The retailer was updating the expression of those fundamentals by making use of technology now available – in this case using artificial intelligence (AI) to match the prices (with 25 of the top retailers) on branded items, and this time across online as well as in-store sales.
It was a bold approach from John Lewis that while going to the heart of what it is as a business, ran against the grain of the way many businesses behave around their brand today. Because from Instagram likes to TikTok hashtag trends, social media is the dopamine hit that marketers are increasingly chasing. The instant measurability and shareability satisfaction that comes from social media communications means that marketers too often tinker at the edges instead of focusing on the brand fundamentals.
Long-term vs short-term focus
Today’s marketing toolkit is too reliant on tactics and execution, often neglecting the central brilliant brand idea. It is short-term at the expense of long-term – and there have been innumerable studies demonstrating why that is detrimental to growth and brand value. Just because it’s harder to measure the return on investment of an excellent brand idea than to measure clicks and likes, doesn’t mean it’s good brand practice.
John Lewis reintroduced Never Knowingly Undersold in September 2024, only a couple of years after it had dropped it, because it recognised the power and resonance of that brand promise and that it could be adapted to better serve the retailer today.
The memorability of those words is strong. It is an unusual phrase that cements a solid trustworthiness in customers’ minds. It almost does a Hoover. The phrase ‘never knowingly…’ can be applied to many things, and when used in conversation people now immediately think of the John Lewis brand. That is potent brand fame.
Read the full article here to learn more.
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