Shareable Killed the Strong Brand Star

"But, how can we make it more sharable?"

I fucking hate this question. Because, if you're asking it, chances are you don't really know what that means or what it looks like. Yet, here you are trying to be one of the cool kids, without realizing that the biggest mistake in any attempt to be like the cool kids is telling them you're cool.

You might get noticed, but, with everyone else trying to impress them too, you'll soon be forgotten. Pushed aside as they get distracted by another loser looking to impress. It's a losing game. Honestly, just be your great fucking self. If you're not great, get great, and then be that.

Maybe it's because of this movie that when I think of people asking me how to make something more shareable, I think of a middle aged woman doing her best to fit in at high school by being terrible versions of what she thinks is cool, rather than being her cool self.

Shareability in Campaigns for New Brands

Putting all your focus on shareability as a new brand is a mistake. No one knows you yet. The content will be more noticed than your brand, and that content will be replaced by the next shareable thing to come. An easily understood message from a great brand will reach more people through time, rather than a fleeting piece of shareable content.

Shareability in Campaigns for Established Brands

Congratulations, you're already well-known. The brand is already alive and breathing, so this shareable stuff is just it's fart in the wind. People will smell it, know where it came from, and then it will blow on. The key here is to keep it coming and in an identifiable, easy to grasp way. A one-off is cool, but doesn't stick as much, and it doesn't do much for your brand. Just for the Internet. Let's look at a real-life example...

Which brand did the "Like a Girl" video? Nothing? Didn't think so.
Which brand makes funny content about being manly? Did you get this?

Need more convincing? Just ask these guys.

What Millennials Don't Know They Want

image via Ed Yourdon

The Fact
Whole Foods is opening smaller stores that will have a more limited selection of products at value prices. Why? To attract millennials.

The Takeaway

Be hard to get, and easy to find.

Why are farmer's markets are so big with this generation? Why are we rushing to music festivals like a teen to a tampon? It offers something that is usually hard to get, but makes it easy to find (locally grown food, experience.) It nearly tricks the shoppers to thinking they are getting something that is hard to get and hard to find, but, by making it easy to find, the shopper is able to obtain it, obviously. So, be or offer something that is usually hard to get, but make it easy to find.

Also, be cheap. Millennials want this hard to find valuable shit at a good price. Good luck.