By Michael Ruby, Creative Director, Stein + Partners Brand Activation

Apple & Nike At The Olympics: Brand Activation And Brand Expectation

In his post last week, my colleague Ted Kohnen published Part One Of The 2012 London Olympics Brand Activation Index (OBAI). The OBAI is a measure of brands whose broadcast ad presence during the first week of the Olympiad generated extended and positive engagement online. “Medalists” included Nike, Visa, and P&G. Sadly absent from our podium–but no less talked about in the press and blogosphere–was Apple.

Like German diver and new Internet sensation Stephan Feck in the 3-meter springboard, Apple’s trio of “Genius” ads hit the water with an embarrassing smack. The two big problems–as throngs of consumers and Apple enthusiasts alike have protested–are that the spots make Apple products seem hard to use, and they make everyday consumers look like total tools.

Although the spots are still featured prominently on the Apple Web site, the campaign has been pulled from the air. It’s unclear whether the campaign was intended as a short run or Apple yanked the spots due to the consumer backlash.

To be fair, many people do like the spots. And Apple has set the bar so high for itself that it's impossible not to slip a little from time to time. Ask any Olympian: It’s hard to get there and harder still to stay there.

More interestingly, though, all of this raises an important point about Brand Activation. Namely, that Brand Activation yields incredible Brand Expectation.

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Many marketers look to Apple as the paragon of branding. How many times have you heard someone say they want something to be “like Apple” or “Apple-esque?” Apple’s Olympic misstep reminds us that as Brand Activation increases, so do brand expectations.

The brand can’t be a slave to what customers expect. That certainly isn’t the Apple way. Steve Jobs famously said, “You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them.” That said, when you clearly know and understand what’s expected of your brand, you can be that much more effective in nourishing and growing relationships with customers and prospects.

As your brand becomes more and more activated, remember to consider the growing expectations of your audiences. Don’t be afraid to try new things, but vigilantly hold true to the ideals at the foundation of your relationships. Know and use your brand expectations to satisfy, surprise, and delight your customers and prospects.

Take Nike, another great, activated brand–and clearly one that knows and uses its brand expectations to powerful effect. Check out its “Find Your Greatness” spot, one of the ads that helped Nike take “Gold” in our OBAI. Consumers expect Nike to be all about self-empowerment and success, but they may not expect it in the form of an awesome 12-year-old boy who’s just doing it.

Read more: http://www.cmo.com/branding/apple-nike-olympics-brand-activation-brand-expectation#ixzz27b0S6rwG

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