Brand Hacks

After a year of global disruption, brands that want to stay relevant are transforming the way they interact with their customers. Understanding what matters most to their customer yields groundbreaking results, and crafting a strategy using a customer mindset has never been more important. Every year, brands spend over $560 billion (and counting) to convince us to buy their products. Yet, consumers have become insensitive to most advertising and many easily forget brands and switch to another product on a whim. The good news is that there are ways to break this cycle. 

In Brand Hacks: How to Build Brands by Fulfilling the Consumer Quest for Meaning, Consumer Psychologist and Consumer Market Research Professor at UCLA, Dr. Emmanuel Probst reveals why most advertising campaigns fail by examining the personal, social, and cultural meanings that successful brands bring to consumers’ everyday lives and shows how to use simple brand hacks to create and grow brands that deliver meaning even with a limited budget. Supported by in-depth research in consumer psychology, interviews with industry-leading marketers, and case studies of meaningful brands, both big and small, Brand Hacks challenges marketers and business leaders to put their same-old tactics to rest and shows them an intriguing way forward.

Offering a fresh approach to brand strategy, Dr. Probst provides readers with relatable insights and innovative lessons including:

- Why most advertising campaigns fail despite the technology and advanced analytics available- The difference between a “meaning” and a “trend”, or even a “fad”

- Psychographics and micro-moments: What they are and how to use them- Brands can help combat loneliness by connecting with consumers and helping the local community.

- The importance of function, experience and symbols in marketing.

- Positive Psychology: How brands can leverage it through elements that convey pleasure, flow, and deep satisfaction.

- Influence in the marketplace comes more from intimacy rather than authority- Why brands and ads that try to fake authenticity are unmasked quickly and laughed at by consumers.

- Implementing nostalgia marketing: Finding the right balance between acknowledging heritage and being contemporary.

- The changes taking place in our culture and their implications for brand building

- Why Social Media Influencers often fail to deliver on their promise to drive traffic and sales for brands they endorse- Patagonia and Nike’s Brand Purpose, Dollar Shave Club’s Storytelling, Spartan’s Positive Psychology: using case studies for best practices

- And More! 

About the Author:

Dr. Emmanuel Probst’s background combines over 15 years of market research and marketing experience with strong academic achievements. As Senior Vice President at Ipsos, Emmanuel supports his clients by providing them with a full understanding of their customer’s journey. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including consumer package goods, retail, financial services, advertising agencies, and media outlets.

Dr. Probst teaches Consumer Market Research at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Emmanuel holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and a Doctorate in Consumer Psychology from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom.