Besides “failure” being a great teacher that teaches us to remember the pain, preventing us from experiencing the same hurt again, success is another important tutor that allows us to learn and build upon towards something better.

         To serve as a guideline for brand creators seeking ways to stand firm in a world where everything has changed, rendering old business textbooks not just outdated but seemingly discussing entirely different matters,

         there is no shortcut that illuminates the path better than learning and extracting lessons from the top global brands that continuously seek new strategies to establish their dominance. Here are 4 lessons distilled by John Steven, a columnist for Brandwatch, that are worth following.


         1. Redefine “Customer Experience”


         Two renowned brands that exemplify creating a brand that sits in the hearts of customers without being pushy are Apple, the tech giant and IKEA, the leading furniture brand, which have interestingly utilized customer experience strategies to create buzz around their brands, leading to word-of-mouth promotion.


         Starting with Apple, they previously launched the “unboxing Apple” or “unboxing iPhone” campaign, which sparked a new phenomenon online. Many users uploaded videos sharing their experiences of unboxing the iPhone, and social media users flocked to watch these clips. This was no coincidence; it was actually a clever strategy by Apple, which even created a secret room called Apple’s secret unboxing room to devise packaging that would provide the best experience for customers.


         Meanwhile, IKEA, the global furniture giant, defines customer experience by positioning itself as more than just a furniture store, but as a mini-space that includes a restaurant and play areas for children, making customers feel impressed and eager to return. It’s evident that the shared experience between IKEA and its customers can be created without needing to showcase furniture as the main attraction to entice customers back.


         2. Engage Customers as Allies


         A prime example of success using this strategy is Coca-Cola, the owner of the Share A COKE campaign, which first sparked in Australia before creating a global phenomenon, including in Thailand. This campaign brought smiles to Coca-Cola with its overwhelming response and garnered numerous awards, becoming a case study frequently discussed by marketers.


         The campaign began after discovering that teenagers in Australia were starting to view Coca-Cola as no longer a popular drink. Therefore, the strategy to attract this demographic back was to create a gimmick by printing the 150 most popular first names of Australians on Coca-Cola cans, along with designing cans with various words that convey feelings. They then encouraged everyone to share Coke with each other, resulting in an explosive response where over 500,000 images of people with their personalized Coke cans were shared using the hashtag #Shareacoke, increasing Coca-Cola's Facebook followers by 25 million and boosting consumption among teenagers by 7%.


         Similarly, Microsoft, when launching the IE9 browser, chose to create an advertisement titled The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator, allowing users to contribute ideas for the film's ending through an interactive hub that required the IE9 browser.


         As a result of this campaign, over 600,000 users visited the Brandon Generator website, and more than 1.7 million users downloaded IE9. Moreover, Microsoft was able to expand its market share of IE users beyond its initial targets.


         3. Brands Must Evoke Customer Emotions


         Maya Angelou, a writer, poet and human rights activist who has received numerous awards, once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Therefore, if you want your brand to be memorable, take a look at Nike's techniques in powerful communication that can inspire customers to feel as if the brand has a certain power to push them through obstacles towards success. Whether it’s using short, simple slogans that motivate like “Just do it” or choosing various athletes to share stories of ordinary people who refuse to give up until they achieve great goals, all reinforce the brand image that gradually encourages customers to feel that anyone can be great, and they are not just buying sports shoes but are purchasing hope and motivation to conquer their dreams.

        4. Keep the Brand Relevant at All Times


        Robert Greene, the author of the famous book The 48 Laws of Power once said that sometimes gaining attention, even if it’s negative, is better than being viewed as invisible. The same goes for brands; at least they will still have a presence in customers' minds as long as they are being talked about. For instance, Apple often has leaks before launching a new iPhone model. Who knows, that might be one of the strategies to attract attention in advance and pave the way for the brand.


         What about you? Which strategy do you think best fits the context of Thai society?