I’m currently reading a book by Rolf Jensen, called “Dream Society”. In this book Rolf Jensen tries to define the future society of the western world. In the past we’ve been hunters and collectors, we’ve been through the agriculture and industrial societies. Many would agree that we at the moment are living in the information society. Rolf Jensen though, is stating that we are entering the “Dream Society” or the experience economy as it is also called.

Rolf is definitely into something here – and why shouldn’t he be – he’s one of the leading futurologists. In my opinion the dream society is not only in the beginning state. We are living it.

You can define the dream society as a society, where we’re not only buying products, we are buying stories and dreams. We want a good story to accomplish the product we’re buying. That can either be the wine where you “know” who the farmer is, a product styled by yourself or any other story attached to a product. For the same reason individualism is becoming more and more relevant in product design. Many of the “old” brands is learning this the hard way. People are no longer satisfied with a pair of jeans or shoes that everybody else is wearing. They want a story attached to it. Nike, Burton and other companies has taken this into consideration and made it possible for their consumers to style their own products and thereby attaching a story to the shoes they are wearing or the snowboard they are riding.

So why am I writing this. I’m doing it to open your eyes for the new possibilities and to get on the train before it’s left the station. I would also like to recommend this book to everybody who’s interested in design and branding.

I know! We have all heard this before.

Nevertheless, I still think it is worth repeating over and over again, since it looks like many companies still don’t to get the message. Or at least are doing something whole-hearted about it!

So what is it I’m talking about. Well, it’s the experience you get when you buy a new Apple product. (And this has nothing to do with the never ending battle between Mac or PC.)

This is about something completely different. It’s about the feeling you get – as a consumer – from you open the designed package, read the designed manual, set up the designed product etc. Even when you connect the special designed plugs. The Apple feeling is there – all the way. And that’s unique.

It is the total user experience – and it is worth noticing – not only for the product design or features. Others may try to copy that – or make even smarter products. But if they don’t follow through – e.g. in packaging and communication – they will never succeed in getting that same feeling.

Nevermind that the white gets kind of dirty in the long run or that you can’t use all programs on you Mac. You will always remember that first feeling you got, when you unpacked your new Apple product. They made me feel that they did it all just for me!

Are you feeling it too?

Many companies use a communication strategy to target new customers. But one vital thing is often overlooked: alignment.

Alignment. The characteristic of honest people is that you can basically give them the same subject in different forms and their reaction is the same. If you link that to company communication, what does that mean?

Consumers form an opinion about and start building a relationship with companies. That’s why one drinks Coke and the other Pepsi. Attitude and behaviour determine your success and the level of loyalty you will receive from your buyers.

The problem with most companies is that they don’t seem to understand the importance of alignment in communication strategy. Showing the company/brand has a personality creates a relationship. Relationships are based on trust, whatever kind of relationship you’re talking about. So when you shift between one way of communicating (let’s say acting like an 80 year old) to another (say a teenager) you aren’t recognisable and therefore not able to build up or maintain a relationship.

A week ago I was talking to my dad about his decision to buy a new car. He was going over several brands and considering 3 different cars. None of which were a Volvo though. Then I started to make some jokes about him being in his 50’s and said, “Well, dad, what about a Volvo?” On which he answered me that he actually considered the C30. Now, you don’t know my dad, but he used to refer to Volvo’s as Vulva’s. I think that says enough.

My point: earlier this year we saw Volvo repositioning in order to introduce the C30. Volvo has chased away a lot of ‘old’ customers in order to promote the new ‘younger’ C30 to the targeted audience. Whether this was a mistake or not is another question, but it did raise a big question about who Volvo is. What do they stand for and, if you are an ‘older’ Volvo customer, do you still want to be associated with this brand that creates cars driving in fantasy worlds with gossiping eyes.

It blurred who Volvo is. Still does. My old association was safety, golf and golden retrievers. Now, I’m not sure whether I should see golfers on acid walking their neon green retriever or a very safe, 5 star NCAP all seeing eye which is on a gossip role. That might be a problem.

Repositioning isn’t a problem. But you need to make sure it’s intensive and has an immediate follow up. Just one campaign on a new product and then media silence for half a year blurs your image and effects the trust your existing customers have.

Alignment needs to be developed in a company itself. Internally the company needs to make sure everybody is heading in the same direction. People make a company and the end user considers them as the personification of the brand. They have their own input and attitude, no matter how strict your communication guidelines are. Make sure they too are convinced of what the brand is and does. Gut feeling needs to become company feeling – not vice versa.

It’s not what you think you are. It’s what they think you are.