Rubber brands

Having been car shopping recently, a simple thought struck me (yes, they usually are!).

Good brands have more options. They have broader personalities, so broader appeal and more connections with consumers.

Revelation I know, but whilst this is so obvious, why are so few brands doing it?

Car brands especially are expert at it - within the same model of car, it can be tailored to become a sporty, masculine, youthful fashion oriented road beast, or a sedate, refined, elegant, mature, avenue cruiser.

In the same vein brands like Nike, Red Bull, Nokia et al have realised the scope for creating a more elastic brand position that can maintain its values and voice whilst adhering to an array of fragmented consumer groups in many ways. So why haven't more brands followed suit?

Chances are it's because there's a misguidance in the much revered Single Minded Proposition. Meaning, that the unifying thought or brand voice becomes the communication too rather than the thought behind it. When this happens you end up with one version of the same thing, said to different consumers in the same way - Dull!

But when you have a million ways of saying the same thing, each tailored to a different consumer group, you have a very powerful voice indeed.

Think of 'Coke side of life' for instance. So what's next? Maybe editing your own TV commercial in realtime online to create personalised communication for you or your friends? Nah, it'll never catch on.

Oh in case you're wondering, I didn't get the car, I didn't like the colour!