Brand platform or relationship platform?

To keep it short and simple

We can say that a brand platform aims to guarantee a unified discourse for the brand. It answers the question "Who am I really?

A relational platform answers the question "But how do I talk to my friends, my parents, my yoga teacher, my dog, my kids, my neighbors, my boss ? 
It takes an in-depth look at the target audience , enabling us to adapt our approach.

While the brand platform is already well established in the minds of marketing departments as a legitimate need, the relational platform is a little more neglected.
And yet, at a time when all brands want to develop close relationships with their consumers, fans and members, it's becoming a real challenge if they are to carve out a place for themselves tomorrow.

Navel syndrome

The vision of brands is also changing.
Having been knocked off their throne for several years now, it is still difficult for many of them to refocus on the consumer and understand that talking only about themselves or their offer no longer has the same impact on the consumer.

And it's the arrival of native brands that is beginning to shake things up a little.
Often created to facilitate some aspect of everyday life, these new brands are built 100% around the needs of consumers, whom they embrace more easily.

The target vision

It now seems essential to tackle the activation of brand platforms in order to build relational platforms and develop a customer-centric discourse.

Because that's what it's all about: knowing who my customers are.
Working on a relational platform therefore requires knowledge of the target. And here we are in the wonderful world of data. A qualified, analyzed database and personas are important for identifying the main profiles of our targets, so we can talk to them more effectively.

Next comes the expression of relational territory:

• How do I talk to my targets?
• What personality will emerge from my relational approach?
• What evidence do I need to support this relational discourse?
• And finally, what is my relational promise?

Generations are constantly evolving: X, Y, Z, Alpha...
And each comes with its own expectations and ways of working. For some, they will be the creators of tomorrow's brands, and will undoubtedly approach their relationship with their consumers very differently: ultra-participation, co-creation as a basic principle, the end of mass advertising.

All these questions remain unanswered today, but it's clear that we can 't allow our brands to stagnate in their approach.