Being bold is something to be championed but not a simple thing to do. How many times are we told that a brand ‘does things differently’ to actually find that they do it in very much the same way as everyone else in their industry?
Of course, an array of different factors come into consideration before a brand truly does something bold. This can range from things like shareholders’ opinions, organisational structure and business strategy, to simply the different personalities of team members working on a particular brand or campaign.
This makes it all the more impressive when bold strikes gold and a business sees the impact of its bravery.
So, let’s take a look at a few examples of brands who really broke the norm and see what we can learn from them.
Patagonia takes real action against climate change
In 2022, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, announced that the company would be given away to the Holdfast Collective – a nonprofit trust dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.
Prioritising the environment, Chouinard explained that any future profit not reinvested in running the business would go to the fight against climate change. Whilst retaining control of the business by holding 2% of its voting shares, the remaining 98% of non-voting shares were gifted to the trust.
Based roughly on current profits, this maverick move means that around $100m (£87m) a year goes towards the fight against climate change. A bold statement, included on Patagonia’s website and within their press release, read: “Earth is now our only shareholder.”
What can we learn? Well, some things are more important than profit. And, whilst we’re not suggesting every founder/owner gives their business away for the greater good, if they took just a slice of Patagonia’s bravery and applied it in their own way, they could really make a positive change and create exceptional stand out for their brand.
KFC ‘FCK’ it up (and recover)
When a brand faces a crisis, it’s common to go into overcompensation mode. Fearing the absolute worst, the first instinct is often to minimise, apologise and even sometimes grovel to save face.
Kentucky Fried Chicken running out of chicken. It doesn’t get much more brand crisis that that, does it?
That’s exactly what happened in 2018 when the fried chicken giant faced a UK ‘#ChickenCrisis’ which became international news. Due to a delivery problem, KFC restaurants ran out of key ingredients, forcing hundreds to temporarily close. Customers were furious and rival brands were quick to kick the Colonel while he was down. In reaction to this, what they did next was a bold masterclass in corporate crisis comms.
The brand settled on a widescale apology with a very key twist.
In a brave, ballsy and frankly brilliant ad, running in print media and shared across social, KFC rearranged the letters of its name to spell out “FCK” on an empty chicken bucket.
This was a complete break from the norm, which usually sees a statement of apology from a senior member of the business. Instead, KFC went bold and humorous with its response to the crisis, banking on the world seeing the funny side of things. Thankfully the approach worked, and chicken fans loved KFC’s response, which went on to win a number of awards.
What can we learn? Bravery, humour and transparency in the face of a crisis can really resonate with people. The fact that KFC didn’t skirt around the point, or play it down, meant they took responsibility for the ‘FCK up’ and customers appreciated that. People loved the creative work and respected the honesty, showing that the world does indeed have a sense of humour.
Coca-Cola gets personal
The Coca-Cola Company’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign first launched in Australia in 2011 with the aim of creating a more personal and engaging connection between consumers and the brand. This involved replacing the iconic Coca-Cola logo on bottles and cans with popular individual names, encouraging people to enjoy an ice-cold Coke with friends and family.
Replacing such iconic branding was a bold step; challenging modern branding practices. Whilst the product’s overall look remained the same, it was still a significant departure from its traditional can and bottle which helped generate the buzz around the campaign. In the years since its launch, the campaign has run in different markets across the globe and has proved to be a huge success.
What did we learn? The power of a left-field idea should be taken seriously. Whilst Coke had always done things a certain way when it came to its iconic cans and bottles, a concept which embraced community, personality and sharing was a winner that had mileage over several years and multiple markets.
Want to go bold with your next marketing campaign? Get in touch.
References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62906853
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/kfc-fcking-clever-campaign/1498912
