Converting Brand into Bond

Recently, I've been doing some work on how social media can be used to enhance the school's brand, and that pushed me to a new idea on the relationship between a brand and it's fans/consumers/supporters.

What makes a brand a Brand is the level of commitment, the level of buy-in, from the users of the product or service. It's all the small things that add up to the difference between an Apple devotee who will proudly put the little sticker that came with an iPhone on their car and a Dell user that perhaps wouldn't go to battle for his beloved computer.

How do we translate the brand into that kind of bond? This is the heart of foundation and booster group work for colleges and universities across the country. People want to be a part of the team, and social media is a perfect way to build and enhance that bond.

Along with interactive social media -- like Facebook, but especially Twitter -- showing, not just telling, the brand's story is vital.

Today's NYT provides a perfect enhancement to my theory. The story of the rise of Vice as a multimedia trendsetting publication juggernaut (hmm, could that be too many exciting modifiers? read the linked story and you tell me) includes this nugget from Vice co-founder (and no relation) Shane Smith, which is the Twitter-away line of the story:

"Mr. Smith said Virtue's approach is simple, 'All brands dhouls think of themselves as media companies.' "

Virtue is the companion advertising agency to Vice, and they are blurring all the lines between editorial and advertising; breaking the rules for using their own staff as the engine for concept and content rather than running back to the client. Mad Men? Hardly. The future? Oh yes.

Remember, you heard it here first -- as early as last year -- that there is a reason why all those media companies are eager to snatch up college and university rights for what seem to be large amounts of money.

It's because they have figured out they can make even more money with the content.