Challenging myths and busting stereotypes invariably lands the brand in a fresh space, argues Navonil Chatterjee, as he makes a case for brand positioning based on conflict-resolution.
“Without Contraries is no progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and Energy, Love and Hate, are necessary to Human existence.” – William Blake, English Poet.
The ancient Greeks believed in ‘dialego’, a process of dialogue or debate where a certain hypothesis or THESIS, led to a counter-point called the ANTI-THESIS, and the collision between the two led to a SYNTHESIS, which then became the starting point or thesis for the next round of discussion. And that’s how things moved forward, as even Blake seems to indicate.
Even Indian Mythology alludes to Samudra Manthana, which was an acute conflict between the Devatas and the Asuras to lay their hands on ‘Amrit’, that sweet nectar of immortality.
What can be safely deduced from these is that not all conflicts are bad and destructive – they can be creative and constructive too. Just as there is no ‘Amrit’ without a Samudra Manthana, brands too often need to go through a process of intense churning to resolve a conflict and thereby find their sweet spot or ‘immortality-nectar!’
So what are these conflicts that we are talking about? Usually they are about two things, concepts or entities which simply refuse to co-exist together – if you find one in a place, chances are, you won’t find the other there. Take taste and health for example. Healthy food is not tasty and tasty food is not healthy, right? If a brand can truly resolve this conflict and deliver on the ‘taste + health’ promise, chances are it will be hugely successful.
This refusal of two ingredients to come together and be compatible with one another, is what often gives rise to some social and cultural stereotypes or myths. Take the case of the shameful and absolutely despicable ‘dumb blonde’ stereotype. It is born from the widely held misogynistic belief that beauty and brains cannot coexist. And that’s a stereotype that Apple thankfully busted with its MacBooks. So what if they are intelligent devices, they can look good too!
Challenging myths and busting stereotypes invariably lands the brand in a fresh space.
And this is because the resolution of the conflict ensures that two hitherto incompatible things have now come together for the first time. And that’s where the novelty of the brand positioning stems from. The beauty of this conflict-resolution-based brand positioning is that it works for brands, for celebrities, for movies and shows, even for countries, cultures, races or communities.
What’s the conflict that Young Sheldon resolves?
What is the reason behind the meteoric rise to fame of Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the 70’s and 80’s? What made Lady Diana so special? Who resolved the time versus money conflict for us? Why is Djokovic actually the conflict-resolution between Federer and Nadal? Which conflict do fairy tales and fables resolve?
Here’s a look at how different ‘brands’ have hit the positioning sweet-spot by successfully resolving different conflicts. I hope it brings the point alive.
A good point to keep in mind: Wherever there is a stereotype, there is also an opportunity perhaps to resolve a conflict. So go ahead, embark on the quest for your brand’s nectar, because it is unquestionably a sure-shot potion for brand invigoration and rejuvenation.
Feel free to share your examples of brands, celebrities, movies, programmes or characters successfully resolving some kind of societal or cultural conflict in the comments section.
Navonil Chatterjee is the program custodian of UnlockBrands™ - a proprietary brand empowerment program offered by Flibbr® Consulting. You can reach him at navonil@flibbrconsulting.com 