It can be a challenge for brands to effectively engage their desired audience. For many, it’s a highly creative process, but for others, it’s a bit more formulaic. That being said, both story and strategy are key components to a brand’s short- and long-term success. But how does one even begin building a brand? Let’s turn to the popular HBO series, Westworld, to help us answer this question.
Westworld is a T.V. show about a futuristic, Wild-West-themed amusement park of the same name. Android “hosts” live as characters in the park, and they are programmed to cater to guests’ every whim. Guests may interact with the hosts however they wish with no fear of consequence; the androids cannot retaliate to any physical violence, and their memories are erased between each scripted narrative loops. Ultimately, the park allows people to escape from everyday life into a hyper-realistic fantasy world infinitely customizable to their deepest, darkest desires. Below are six lessons in brand strategy from Westworld.
NOTE: For clarity and grammar, Westworld the T.V. show will be in italics throughout this article, while Westworld the amusement park will not.
1. Consider your desired audience.
“It’s not about giving the guests what you think they want. No, that’s simple. The titillation, horror, elation…They’re parlor tricks. The guests don’t return for the obvious things we do, the garish things. They come back because of the subtleties, the details. They come back because they discover something they imagine no one had ever noticed before, something they’ve fallen in love with. They’re not looking for a story that tells them who they are. They already know who they are. They’re here because they want a glimpse of who they could be.”
The above quote from Westworld amusement park co-founder Dr. Robert Ford, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins, points to an important piece of successful brand strategy: audience. The most effective brands understand those to whom they sell beyond the surface level. They ask themselves who their customers are, and how their product or service can add genuine value to their customers’ lives.
2. Tell a compelling story.
Humans have communicated through storytelling as long as we have existed, which makes it an incredibly accessible language for brands to use in engaging consumers.
The Westworld park creators understand and leverage humans’ universal grasp of storytelling, and they respond to it with an immersive simulation experience that allows guests to live out their own fictional stories. It replaces the “chaos” of the real world, as one park-goer puts it, with a predictable but adventure-driven narrative loop. It combines humans’ childlike love of fantasy with the more adult quest to discover life’s deeper meaning, and it does so in a space free of consequences and full of excitement
Who are my customers? What are their goals and aspirations? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their beliefs? These are just a few of the questions for brands to consider as they tell their stories and build strong identities. They must empathize with their audience members and connect with them on a basic human level.
3. Identify your objectives, and craft a mission statement that advances them.
Storytelling is one aspect of brand identity; taking concrete steps towards your business’s goals is another. In other words, what is your brand’s endgame? Establishing goals that are SMART, or specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely will keep you focused and allow you to track your success.
An important piece of the strategy puzzle, a brand's mission statement functions as its North Star. It is the message you sell in tandem with your product or service. To quote Simon Sinek, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” The Westworld brand doesn’t just sell entertainment; it sells consumers the opportunity to “Live without limits. Discover [their] true calling.” Delving deeper than the surface level, Westworld promises guests power that isn’t attainable in the real world; it promises the chance for people to unlock a more authentic version of themselves.
To provide a few real-world examples of equally powerful mission statements, Starbucks sells coffee, but it also sells the promise “To inspire and nurture the human spirit—one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Life is Good sells apparel, but it also sells its message of “Spreading the power of optimism.” Microsoft sells computer software, but it also sells its mission “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.” All of these brands identify themselves not just by their products or services, but also by an effort to make a positive impact on the world at large.
4. Find your secret sauce.
Pay keen attention to discovering your unique positioning, spin on the future, or impact on the market. Why will working with you be a unique experience? This differentiating factor is what sets your brand apart from the rest, or what you uniquely add to the current industry conversation.
Returning to Westworld as an example, the park offers an experience unlike anything else that exists. It is one universe that all the guests share, but it is endlessly customizable to fit the wants and needs of each individual. They choose how they interact with the hosts, how deep into the park they venture, and how intense their experience is. The guests demonstrate the power of personalization by making the simulation exactly what they want it to be.
Personalization is becoming an increasingly important differentiator as the business world becomes more data driven. According to an Epsilon poll, 80 percent of respondents reported that they were more likely to do business with a company if it offered personalized experiences. While these experiences could refer to customer service, we also live in an age where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, behavioral analytics, and machine learning help brands cater to their consumers’ preferences and make them feel appreciated. It’s the reason your email subscriptions typically greet you by name, or the reason you see an ad for AMC theaters after Googling Little Women showtimes. Brands want to deliver exactly what you want, when you want it.
Although personalization is certainly one way brands differentiate themselves, your secret sauce can refer to a number of factors related to product, service, price, distribution strategy, promotion, etc. It ultimately boils down to the reason(s) consumers would pick your brand over that of your competitors.
5. Practice active listening.
The strongest brands actively listen to consumer demands, but this process requires research. For example, Westworld park employees continually strive to optimize the guest experience, performing updates to make the hosts more lifelike, addressing simulation glitches, and working to deliver original storylines.
This process is not unlike the research businesses perform to discover their target markets, provide personalized ads, develop segments and personas, and map customer journeys. Marketing research goes towards answering many of the same questions that are crucial to good storytelling: Who are my customers? What are their goals and aspirations? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their beliefs?
A great example of a brand that listens to its audience is Nike. After suspicions of collusion against Colin Kaepernick in the NFL arose, the athletic apparel brand invited the former quarterback to serve as spokesman for their 2018 “Dream Crazy” ad campaign. Despite news of social media users burning their shoes or cutting the famous swoosh off their clothing, Nike received more than $43 million in media exposure in less than 24 hours after Kaepernick launched the campaign on Twitter.
The brand likely expected backlash in response to their association with Kaepernick and his controversial protests, but it understood and catered to its young, diverse target demographic in its messaging. Research shows that over two-thirds of both Millennials and Generation Z “crave brands that support social causes in an authentic and meaningful manner.” By selecting Kaepernick as the face of this campaign, Nike aligned itself with the social justice causes he champions and, therefore, spoke to the values and beliefs of its target audience.
6. Practice the values you preach.
Storytelling and strategy mean nothing if your brand fails to commit to its values in the long-term. It is this ethical legwork that allows brands to stand the test of time. Without authenticity, how can a brand gain or maintain its consumers’ trust?
Westworld raises a number of complex ethical questions, many of which lie outside the scope of this article. One that is germane to brand strategy, however, is the role corporate responsibility should play in a brand’s business practices. The confusion and lack of transparency that define the Westworld amusement park arguably contribute to its unraveling at the end of the show’s first season, as the hosts become self-aware and usurp the power originally promised to the park’s guests. Thus, the line between what is real and what is simulated becomes blurred, and a universe free of consequences no longer exists as the park’s creators originally intended.
Apple’s “Batterygate” in 2017 functions as a real-world example of when commitment to corporate values is lost. After several users found that their older iPhones became faster with battery replacement, the company admitted to intentionally slowing the processing of older models. Yes, this tactic prevented the older iPhones from crashing due to their batteries drawing too much energy; however, it was a software-based solution to a deeper hardware issue. By withholding this admission until after accusations surfaced, Apple broke their promise to bring “the best user experience…through its innovative hardware, software, and services,” thus betraying the trust of their consumers. Brands can learn from Apple’s mishap that transparency is crucial in the B2C relationship, and that trust is earned, not given.
In contrast, Patagonia functions as a great case study in commitment to strong company values. Founder Yvon Chouinard combined his love of rock climbing with his environmental consciousness to found Patagonia in 1973. The brand’s mission is to “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis,” which it consistently lives out in its product sourcing, environmental campaigns, employee activism, and messaging. Additionally, it remains privately owned to ensure a long-term dedication to its story, goals, and principles.
The ultimate purpose of brand strategy is to build an identity your consumers trust, meaning your story, objectives, and values must align. Given that today’s consumers are “less brand loyal, less trusting of brands, and conversely, more demanding,” it is more important than ever that brands practice consistency, transparency, and integrity.
So as a brand, tell your story, but do so authentically.