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Consumers with limited time, plus the rapid emergence and popularity of mobile apps equals a new class of service-oriented “brand butlers,” according to consumer insights firm trendwatching.com.
The folks at trendwatching.com define brand butlers as brand-building efforts that assist consumers in making the most of their lives, as opposed to the traditional branding model of selling them a lifestyle or identity.
A splitting of hairs? Maybe. But it’s a good and timely read when you consider the proliferation of iPhone apps.
Here are some quick examples (from the article) of how major companies have implemented this idea of becoming a brand butler:
• MasterCard’s ATM Hunter iPhone app allows users to find their nearest ATMs.
• Domino’s Pizza Tracker allows customers to follow the progress of their pizza order from preparation through to delivery via a web interface.
• Beck’s Gig Finder app helps users find local music gigs.
• IKEA’s Covoiturage allows the furniture giant’s French customers to arrange car-sharing to and from their stores.
So, what do we think of these brand butlers? Simply cool tactics or an emerging new approach to branding as trendwatching.com suggests?
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July 6, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
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Jacoub Bondre
July 6, 2010 @ 12:24 pm
I believe that this is a great example of brand adapting to a channel.
Application development, regardless of device, is becoming more accessible, and application usage is becoming common place among consumers. These facts affirm that apps are a viable channel.
Any application developer will tell you that the nature of an application is to service the user in some fashion. Therefore any brand communication through this channel should be utilitarian in nature.
my 2 cents
Mobile, and The Quest for Brand Affinity | Engine Digital Inc. / Blog
July 6, 2010 @ 3:38 pm
[...] Hamilton at Grip recently wrote about ‘brand butlers‘, a term coined by the folks at Trendwatching.com to describe the role mobile apps play in [...]
Thom Antonio
July 6, 2010 @ 9:40 pm
I like brand butlers. I’d prefer my own personal butler but I’ll take a customizable butler app that makes my life (online and live) more efficient.
Does it need to be be attached to a brand? Not sure, but it does lend an air of credibility and allows me to pick familiar partners. It will be interesting to see if these become so prevalent that in three years we can’t remember how we lived without them.
Brook Johnston
July 6, 2010 @ 10:09 pm
I’m sorry, but how is this a trend? Brand makes application that is useful and enjoyed by consumers… Well yes, I would hope so – that’s the whole point. That’s just criteria for being good.
A couple other hot trends we should keep an eye on:
1) Movies that people watch
2) Hot dogs that fit in buns
dave
July 7, 2010 @ 9:12 am
@Brook Johnston: Whether or not a trend? Possibly a fair question in the context of “is it going to fade away as people lose interest in favour of some newly emerging trend,” which I suspect is not the case. But, I think in the context proposed by trendwatching.com the question is “will building applications outside of, or as a value add to core business offerings become a sustained medium for brand building.
For sure the distinction is blurry on something like a pizza tracker for a pizza chain, or an ATM locator for a bank (though I happen to believe its banking and pizza that are analogous to your hot dog, rather than the apps).
A clearer example then is Oakley’s popular Surf Report app: they don’t sell surf (hot dogs) to fit with peoples love of summer leisure activity (buns) but they do sell a particular brand of mustard.
Brook Johnston
July 7, 2010 @ 10:20 am
I think there’s more potential and usefulness in leveraging apps to improve the business offering directly, like the Mastercard and Dominos ones do – though I wonder who’s in charge of tracking the minute by minute progress of my extra large pep-bacon…
If I was developing an app for RBC and had to choose between an ATM finder (which is useful) OR some kind of value added app (which is fun), I’d go for the useful one. After all, I already have way too many apps for amusement purposes.
That being said, I sure hope the value added ones (like Oakley’s) keep on coming, because it’s definitely an effective and unique opportunity for branding.
dave
July 7, 2010 @ 11:32 am
I agree you want to aim for apps that compliment the business, but I don’t believe a bias toward utility makes sense just yet. It may line up logically with category generalities, but not necessarily with the specifics of brand positioning.
An ATM locator for RBC makes a lot of sense. But would such an app be right for a Barclays or Harris Bank customer? I’m not so sure.
Along the same lines, I have a hunch that a ‘how to pack a suitcase’ app would fall short with Louis Vuitton customers, who’d be much better served by a vanity fueled, concierge style app. (Such an app would indeed provide utility, but in a way that draws a line back the the brand’s image, rather than it’s product, making it a value add.)
BTW – a fun example is the Urbandaddy iPhone app, which I discovered just yesterday… http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10250138-36.html
nik
July 7, 2010 @ 3:12 pm
I think it’s a smart move, and it goes a long way when brands have something useful to offer. It also follows the trend that marketing is becoming more of a 2-way conversation, as opposed to just pushing promotional material in the consumer’s face.
That said, I don’t think every single brand should push out an app for the sake of having one, just appear “innovative” to the target market. It might backfire (e.g. via App Store ratings).
- @nQuo