MEANINGFUL MARKETING
EXMA 2016
DONATE NOW
www.brandhomefoundation.com
MEANINGFUL MARKETING
EXMA 2016
ERIK SAELENS
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR BRANDHOME

41 YEARS

LIVE IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM

MARRIED, 2 DAUGHTERS
HOBBIES
PART 1: WHAT IS A BRAND?
PART 2: INFORMATION OVERLOAD
PART 3: IS THIS MEANINGFUL MARKETING?
PART 4: THE MEANINGFUL MARKETING PROCESS
PART 5: STORYTELLING
PART 6: MEANINGFUL MARKETING MESSAGES
TOPICS
PART 1:
WHAT IS A BRAND?
A SMALL ELEMENT CAN SAY A LOT
ABOUT A PERSON
ANGELINA JOLIE &
BRAD PITT
BOB MARLEY
OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN
& JOHN TRAVOLTA
LADY DI
A BALD MAN :)
BUT THE SAME CAN BE SAID
FOR BRANDS
GREEN & COFFEE BAR
RED & SPORTS CAR
COLOUR
AROMA
AROMA
BRAND?
PACKAGING
SOUND
SOUND
PLACE
A BRAND CAN BE ANYTHING
MUCH MORE THAN A NAME

MUCH MORE THAN A LOGO

MUCH MORE THAN AN ADVERT
BUT A BRAND IS MUCH MORE
A BRAND IS
A BELIEF SYSTEM
WHERE PEOPLE
REWARD YOU WITH
LOYALTY IF
YOU KNOW HOW
TO BE MEANINGFUL
TO THEIR LIVES
PART 2:
INFORMATION OVERLOAD
How many commercial messages
do we receive every day?
3500
3500 messages equals:
4 messages
every
minute
1 message 

every
15 seconds
=
How many of you sleep with your
smartphones on nightstand?
COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE
COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE
COMMERCIAL MESSAGES ARE EVERYWHERE
90% of all data in the world has been
generated over the last two years
TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
90% of all data in the world has been
generated over the last two years
28% of office workers’ time 

is spent dealing with emails
TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
28% of office workers’ time 

is spent dealing with emails
THE GOOD NEWS: OUR CAPABILITY OF PROCESSING
INFORMATION HAS INCREASED
1950
consumable content
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 …
OUR BODIES ARE EVOLVING TO ADAPT TO OUR CONTEXT
OUR BODIES ARE EVOLVING TO ADAPT TO OUR CONTEXT
OUR BODIES ARE EVOLVING TO ADAPT TO OUR CONTEXT
THE BAD NEWS: WE CAN’T KEEP UP WITH THE IMMENSE
INCREASE OF INFORMATION PRODUCED
1950
consumable content
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
availablecontent
perceived
opportunity}
actual
opportunity}
…
*Davis; 2014
INABILITY TO ABSORB 

AND PROCESS ALL 

THE INFORMATION TO 

WHICH WE ARE EXPOSED
INFOBESITY
Stress-related illness contributes
up to 30 sick days a year
INFORMATION
OVERLOAD
THE FACTS Information overload costs the 

U.S. economy $900 billion a year
42% attributed ill-health
to this stress
INFORMATION

FATIGUE

SYNDROM (IFS)
IF GIVEN TOO MUCH INFORMATION, 

WE TEND TO SHUT DOWN
INFOBESITY
INFORMATION FATIGUE SYNDROM (IFS)
BURNOUT
POOR 

CONCEN-
TRATION
TRANS-LIKE
STATE
COMPULSION
TO STAY
CONNECTED
LOWER
IMMUNE
RESPONSE
HOSTILITYDEPRESSION
EVENTUALLY, WE WILL FIND
A CURE FOR CANCER
BUT, WE WON’T FIND 

A CURE FOR IFS
ARE MARKETERS RESPONSIBLE?
“What if we don’t change at all… and something magical just happens?”
€ 200 000 000 000
= the budget spent on overloading people with information
ARE MARKETERS RESPONSIBLE?
FIND A WAY TO MAKE PEOPLE DEAL WITH 

THE OVERLOAD OF INFORMATION
DECREASE INFORMATION IN QUANTITY/
INCREASE INFORMATION IN QUALITY
QUALITY > QUANTITY
PART 3:
IS THIS MEANINGFUL MARKETING?
Savings have become more important than ever,
so people will proactively search for it.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED,
AND SO HAS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
If the price is acceptable, they are 

still loyal to their favourite brands.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED,
AND SO HAS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
A lot of consumers trade down and buy cheaper brands or private labels.
If they do, they often don’t go back to the first ones.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED,
AND SO HAS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
They are selective splurgers.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED,
AND SO HAS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
They don’t stick to one channel.
THE CONTEXT HAS CHANGED,
AND SO HAS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Up to 75% of digital
advertising is NEVER seen
Up to 75% of digital
advertising is NEVER seen
How do we prevent this waste of money?
HOW TO PREVENT WASTE OF MONEY?
BUILD BRAND MEMORY STRUCTURES
IN THE MINDS OF YOUR CONSUMERS
COMMUNICATE QUICK
STICK TO THE CORE OF YOUR MESSAGE
BE EASY TO RECOGNIZE
MENTAL
AVAILABILITY
HOW TO PREVENT WASTE OF MONEY?
PHYSICAL
AVAILABILITY
WHICH LANDSCAPES ARE ALREADY SATURATED?
DON’T GO THERE
BE WHERE THE BUYING IS
- ADVERTISE CLOSE TO YOUR SELLING POINT
- BE PRESENT WITH YOUR PRODUCTS
CLOSE TO YOUR (DIGITAL) ADVERTISEMENTS
HOW TO PREVENT WASTE OF MONEY?
=meaningful
marketing
MENTAL
AVAILABILITY
PHYSICAL
AVAILABILITY
DON’T NARROW TARGET AUDIENCE
TARGET IN DIFFERENT WAYS
GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE &
TARGET ON LIFESTYLE
… NOT ON DEMOGRAPHICS OR
SEGMENTS
WHAT MAKES
MARKETING MEANINGFUL?
MEANINGFUL MARKETING
=
BEING MEANINGFUL IN YOUR MARKET
READ: USE YOUR MARKETING IN A MEANINGFUL, TARGETED WAY 

IN ORDER TO CONTRIBUTE OR IMPROVE YOUR CUSTOMERS’ LIFE,
THE COMMUNITY, SOCIETY AND THEREFORE YOUR BUSINESS AS WELL.
WHEN IS MARKETING MEANINGFUL?
IF THE MESSAGE RESPONDS TO THE NEED A PERSON IS EXPERIENCING
WHEN IS MARKETING MEANINGFUL?
IF THE MESSAGE HAS THE RIGHT TIMING
IF THE MESSAGE RESPONDS TO THE NEED A PERSON IS EXPERIENCING
WHEN IS MARKETING MEANINGFUL?
IF THE MESSAGE HAS THE RIGHT TIMING
IF THE MESSAGE RESPONDS TO THE NEED A PERSON IS EXPERIENCING
IF THE MESSAGE ADDRESSES YOU IN A PERSONAL WAY
WHEN IS MARKETING MEANINGFUL?
IF THE MESSAGE HAS THE RIGHT TIMING
IF THE MESSAGE RESPONDS TO THE NEED A PERSON IS EXPERIENCING
IF THE MESSAGE ADDRESSES YOU IN A PERSONAL WAY
IF THE MESSAGE IS NOT ABOUT THE SENDER, BUT ABOUT THE RECEIVER
SO…
IF € 100,000 IS SPENT
HOW WOULD YOU SPEND IT?
Spend it on 

online banners

for bottled water?
Build 10 water wells 

in poor African
villages?
If you were a drinkable water brand, would you:
Spend it on print
advertising
in magazines for
running shoes?
Organize free courses
to educate people
how to exercise and
run healthy?
If you were Nike, promoting running shoes, would you:
Spend it 

on advertising in
newspapers
for banks who sell
mortgages?
Organize workshops 

to teach young people
how to deal with the
financial aspect of
living by yourself?
If you were a bank, would you:
Invest €100K in
promoting jobs to find
the right skills?
Invest €100K in people
to make their skills
match the needs of the
market?
If you were a HR company, would you:
Spend it on 

a TV campaign for
your detergents? Clean up 5 km2 of the
City of Bogota?
If you were a detergent manufacturer, would you:
Brandhome foundation:
‘Adopt a boxer!’
€ 200 000 000 000
= the budget spent on overloading people with information
IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE WE COULD MAKE…
PART 4:
THE MEANINGFUL MARKETING PROCESS
CONTENT
TELLING
STORIES!
IS ABOUT
DISTRIBUTING
CONTENT
IS ABOUT
MEANING-

FULNESS
PART 5:
STORYTELLING
EXAMPLE
TOMS SHOES
STEPS FOR BUILDING A STORY
storyline
story
storylining
story
storystorymining
storytelling
storyselling
storybuying
storyliving
story
story
mining
storyline
story
story
story
story
mining lining telling selling buying living
story
liningstoryline
story
story
story
story
mining lining telling selling buying living
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
story
telling
story
story
mining telling selling buying living
concept
story
story
story
story
lining
story
selling
mining selling buying living
concept
lining telling
story
buying
mining buying living
concept
lining telling selling
story
living
mining living
R
lining telling selling buying
RR
PART 6:
MEANINGFUL MARKETING MESSAGES
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO CONTRIBUTE 

TO CURE OUR SOCIETY?
#1
BE A RESOURCE
OF INFORMATION
THAT HELPS
PEOPLE SOLVE
THEIR PROBLEMS
#2
BECOME A
STRATEGIC PARTNER
FOR BUSINESSES
THAT COMPLEMENT
YOURS
#3
REWARD YOUR LOYAL
CUSTOMERS BY
SURPRISING AND
DELIGHTING THEM 

WITH SPECIAL GIFTS 

OR OFFERS
#4
GIVE PEOPLE
THE ABILITY
TO DEFINE
THEMSELVES
TOWARDS OTHERS
#5
STAND FOR
SOMETHING 

MORE THAN

YOUR PRODUCTS
OR SERVICES
#6
COMMUNICATE
IN A
RELATABLE
WAY
#7
PLAY A ROLE IN
IMPROVING
YOUR CUSTOMERS’
QUALITY OF LIFE
AND WELL-BEING
#8
TAP INTO SOCIAL DATA
TO DISCOVER CUSTOMERS’
WANTS AND NEEDS
AND CREATE TARGETED,
PERSONALISED
CAMPAIGNS
#9
COMMUNICATE
AT THE RIGHT TIME
AND PLACE AND 

MAKE YOUR 

MESSAGE RELEVANT
#10 

DON’T BE
A PIPELINE,
BECOME
A PLATFORM
1.Be a resource of information that helps people solve their problems
2.Become a strategic partner for businesses that complement yours
3.Reward your loyal customers by surprising and delighting them with special gifts or offers
4.Give people the ability to define themselves toward others
5.Stand for something more than your products or services
6.Communicate in a relatable way
7.Play a role in improving your customers’ quality of life and well-being
8.Tap into social data to discover customers’ wants and needs, and create targeted, personalised campaigns
9.Communicate at the right time and place and make your message relevant
10.Don’t be a pipeline, become a platform
PART 7:
5 TAKE AWAYS
TAKE AWAY #1
MEANINGFUL MARKETING = WIN/WIN
CONSUMERS = MORE HAPPINESS, LESS STRESS
CORPORATES = LESS WASTE, MORE ROI
TAKE AWAY #2
IT IS TIME FOR BRANDS TO
TAKE UP THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
TAKE AWAY #3
TRADITIONAL MARKETING = DEAD
TAKE AWAY #4
THE NEXT 5 YEARS,
MORE WILL CHANGE THAN
THE PAST 50 YEARS
TAKE AWAY #5
MEANINGFULNESS CANNOT BE DEFINED.
IT IS INDIVIDUAL FOR EVERY SENDER,
AND EVERY RECEIVER.
BRANDHOME’S KNOW-HOW IS NOW AVAILABLE ON
WWW.BRANDHOME.COM/BOOKS
THANKS TO
DONATE NOW
www.brandhomefoundation.com
Brandhome @ EXMA 2016

Brandhome @ EXMA 2016