In his book Brand Hijack – marketing without marketing, Alex Wipperfürth studies how Doc Martens, Napster, The Blair Witch Project and other projects/brands were able to rise above the noise of regular marketing tactics and use crowds to shape brand meaning and create buzz. One of the key take-aways from the book for me is that brand must be built into the DNA of the product. It’s amazing how companies can go through years of product development, only to bring in a branding and marketing guy at a later stage to make their product “cool”. All too often, it’s too little, too late.Here’s an excerpt from the book, highlighting the differences between Buzz and Hype:
- Buzz is genuine; Hype is fabricated
- Buzz is co-created with the market; Hype is autocratic, leaked by the brand owner; the market is an audience, not a participant
- Buzz travels through grassroots, peer-to-peer communications; Hype uses mass media and staged events.
- Buzz carries an authentic social message – it’s news; Hype carries a biased product message – it’s publicity.
- Buzz is seductive and spreads exponentially; Hype is loud and aggressive
- Buzz is trustworthy; Hype can easily be distrusted
- Buzz is a long-term learning model; Hype creates short-term awareness.
Brand Hijack is an outstanding read that is both entertaining and educational, and for that reason alone, it’s near the top of my list of essential business books. After reading this book, it’s likely that you’ll be inspired to create some new buzz for your company, something that is ultimately less expensive and more enduring than advertising.