Having a strong brand is key in building a competitive and scalable content platform, says Kristiina Ahonen, Senior Content Designer at Kuudes.
Last night, Finland’s representative Käärijä made it to the Eurovision Song Contest final with his song “Cha Cha Cha”. Not only have Liverpool and Finland been buzzing about the artist, Käärijä has been all over traditional and social media for the past weeks. We’ve seen people (and pets) in neon green bolero jackets, social media content with their own twist on the lyrics, not to mention the countless press articles featuring the artist himself. It seems like everyone wants to be a part of the story. So, what’s behind this? Why are we witnessing the hype surrounding Käärijä? And moreover, why are content producers loving Käärijä the brand, and what can brands learn from all this?
Though content plays different roles for brands, what is common for all is that without a proper brand baseline, the content quickly falls short. From a content perspective, three things stand out that explain the success for Käärijä the brand, and what brands should have in place when considering the application of content for customer experience and growth. Does your brand tick these three boxes?
1. Clear, relatable message
Käärijä has a message that resonates with people. Were it the song, lyrics, his appearance, the performance – it’s clear that Käärijä stands for something, and that something has found its audience. The message evokes emotions but there’s also a relatable rationale behind it. His message of overcoming your fears (whatever they may be) and breaking free is not only relatable but human. And the best part, you can find your own twist to this message. Whether you want to loosen up and break free at the next meeting or show your true self for a new special person in your life – we all have fears and many welcome breaking free of them. And those who don’t, will opt for something else. But on the other hand, the ones who engage, don’t solely listen but also contribute to building the narrative.
Take-away for content: When the brand message it’s clear, content can spread and strengthen that message in different interactions with customer.
2. Stand-out tone of voice
Käärijä’s message of freedom and worry-free days is not solely about the words he uses but also how he brings this message through: he has a tone of voice that stands out not only in his lyrics and performance but his presence from media interviews to social media. If given a quick analysis, Käärijä’s tone of voice could be described as carefree, no-nonsense and cheeky. The tone of voice is something unique and something that stands out in its context: the Eurovision Song Contest. Although the original “Cha Cha Cha” lyrics open up only for the somewhat restricted number of Finnish speakers, you don’t even need to know the lyrics, but the feeling comes through. A true measure of tone of voice at play?
Take-away for content: When a brand has a clear tone of voice, the brand personality comes alive in every piece of content. ”It’s crazy, it’s party”.
3. Strong, scalable visual identity
In addition to a clear message, position, and tone of voice, Käärijä’s visual identity is on-par with his message. It is recognizable but also scales to different channels and applications. From a content perspective, this brings about countless opportunities whether it’s using the recognizable visual elements such as the neon leather bolero jacket, pink straps or bowl haircut. The visual elements also something that can be adopted by not only the Käärijä team but also by the audience itself.
Take-away for content: Content isn’t solely about text; it’s a fusion of visuals and messaging. At best, visual design and content work together for exceptional experiences like seen in the work of Käärijä’s team.
Although the ultimate win of Käärijä at the Eurovision remains to be seen this weekend, from a phenomenon perspective Käärijä’s success is already evident. However, this is not to say that any brand should adopt Käärijä’s strategy. This comes down to business goals, positioning, and the role brand and content play within your category. Regardless of those goals, to be able to turn your brand in to a content platform, you need to know yourself, your strengths and find your position in the market. Once in place, not only will your content producers love you, but you can tap into endless opportunities for sustained growth.
If you want to discuss how your brand could create a competitive content platform that speaks to your customers, cha cha cha cha cha chast drop a message.
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At Kuudes, we use content design to bring people-centricity into practice as a strategic development tool. Read more.
