The theme of art and science in marketing continues with an examination of “the new rules of marketing”. Today’s 24/7 news cycle has combined with the relative informality and popularity of social media to create opportunities — and dangers — for brands.

The opportunity is for brands to associate with trends that can strengthen or re-position them positively. The threat comes from making mistakes in strategy and tone that do just the opposite — potentially alienating customers and destroying brand equity.

Listen in as the team shows marketers the keys to evaluating trends and knowing when to leverage or ignore them. The discussion covers specific, scientific steps that can be taken to capture opportunity and eliminate missteps.

In this episode you will learn:

• How to know which trends really matter to your customers
• Why needs-based segmentation is the greatest guide to effectively handling trends
• Why clarity regarding your brand aspiration is critical to your trend strategy

Here’s some quotes from the team’s discussion:

“Do an ‘assessment of fit’ when evaluating trends, asking ‘what are the implications to our customers?’, then ‘what are the implications to our company?'”

“Don’t look at trends in isolation, but in terms of their resonance with the needs of your target segments”

“The world is moving so fast that you have to have a pre-thought framework for evaluating trends — otherwise you won’t be nimble enough.”

We hope you enjoy the discussion and gain some helpful insights!