New technologies and branding

This book has been designed and written with the objective of providing you with the necessary key factors to know and analyze situations of conflict that may involve your brand, and act

New Technologies and Branding

Coordinated by Chantal Ammi

First published 2018 in Great Britain and the United States by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers,

or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licenses issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned address:

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017962519

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-78630-197-0

Contents

Prologue xi

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 What is a Brand? 1

1.1 The brand: a concept built from relationships 1

1.2 The brand is anthropomimetic 3

1.3 The brand as merchant 4

1.3.1 Exaggeration 4

1.3.2 Celebrity 6

1.3.3 A matrix for modeling celebrity? 7

1.3.4 Fallibility 9

1.3.5 Exaggeration, fame and fallibility: the trio from hell 11

1.4 The Brand exposed 12

1.5 All Brands are controversial 13

1.6 Leader? Tough luck! 16

1.7 The Brand is not set up for conflict 18

1.8 The Brand is not always agile (and that is an understatement) 19

1.9 The irrational reactions of the Brand 21

Chapter 2 Conflict 25

2.1 Etymology of conflict 25

2.2 What is a conflict? 26

2.3 When is there a conflict? 27

2.4 Conflict is complex 27

2.5 Experts of a small piece of the whole 28

2.6 Conflict can be an asset 29

2.7 The words of attackers are traps 29

vi New Technologies and Branding

2.8 The words you use are also traps 31

2.9 (Here) conflict is not 32

2.9.1 Conflict is not latent hostility 32

2.9.2 Conflict is not an accident 33

2.9.3 Conflict is not a judicial procedure 34

2.9.4 Conflict is not a game 34

2.9.5 Conflict is not a crisis 35

2.10 The characteristics of conflict 36

2.11 What do you think of when someone says conflict? 37

2.12 When someone says conflict, what should you think about? 38

2.13 What Sun Tzu has to say 38

2.14 What Simmel thinks 39

Chapter 3 The Players in Conflicts 41

3.1 The five agents of conflict 41

3.2 The “attacked” is the Brand 42

3.3 The attacker 43

3.3.1 Deciphering it in 12 points 44

3.3.2 Who are they? Are they isolated individuals, connected individuals or aggregate groups? 45

3.3.3 What is their level of cohesion, unity? 46

3.3.4 What are the official reasons presented? 46

3.3.5 What is their expected benefit? 46

3.3.6 What is their strategy: destroying confidence, preventing activity? 47

3.3.7 What are their beliefs, and how deep do they go? 48

3.3.8 How intense is their commitment? Are they ready to “go all the way” with it? 48

3.3.9 What is their history with the Brand? Among the critics, are there any who have been employees, customers or competitors of the Brand? 49

3.3.10 What is their level of interconnection or differentiation with the Brand? 50

3.3.11 What are their supports, their backers, their alliances? 50

3.3.12 What are their strengths and their means (financial, intellectual, media, etc.)? 51

3.4 The expected benefits 51

3.4.1 Weakening (winning is a failure) 52

3.4.2 Obtaining the recognition of harm 53

3.4.3 Obtaining reparations 54

3.4.4 Revenge 54

3.4.5 Correcting 55

3.4.6 Prevention 55

3.4.7 Destruction 55

3.4.8 What the attacker wants to damage 56

3.5 Allies 57

3.6 The audience 58

3.6.1 Immature humor, more than ever 59

3.6.2 Do not touch the nice ones 61

3.7 The arbitrators 62

Chapter 4 Hostility, from Yesterday to Today 65

4.1 The places, times and forms of conflict 65

4.2 The competition 65

4.3 The public square 66

4.4 The court 67

4.5 The borders of conflict: between separation and the contact zone 67

4.6 The temporality of conflict 68

4.7 What do the conflicts that engage the brand look like? 68

4.8 Guerrilla warfare and terrorism, excellent value for money 69

4.8.1 The fly’s strategy 70

4.9 Scandal 71

4.10 Alert launchers 74

4.11 The social dynamics of conflict 76

4.12 Skepticism and modernity 77

4.13 Conspiracy theorizing 78

4.14 The scapegoat 79

4.15 The mystery of herd behaviors 83

4.16 Rumors 84

4.17 The crowd 85

4.18 Lynching 87

4.19 Trust, the first victim of conflict 88

Chapter 5 The Techniques of Conflict 95

5.1 Old methods “botoxed” for the digital age 95

5.1.1 The trap hoax 95

5.1.2 Denigration 100

5.1.3 Petitions 101

5.1.4 Boycott and buycott 102

5.2 New digital techniques 105

5.2.1 Astroturfing 105

5.2.2 Persona management 110

viii New Technologies and Branding

5.2.3 Google bombing 110

5.2.4 Trolling 111

5.2.5 Denial of service attacks 114

5.3 Databases as a tool for scandal-mongering 115

Chapter 6 Preparing for Conflict 117

6.1 Building a strong brand 117

6.1.1 Brand ladder 120

6.1.2 Identity prism 120

6.1.3 The pyramid of qualities 120

6.2 The narrative scheme 121

6.3 Stabilizing opinions 125

6.4 The art of the reply 127

6.4.1 Managing conflict from the start 129

6.4.2 Knowing the forces in play: the absolute obligation 129

6.4.3 Organize yourself 130

6.4.4 You have a point of view Say it, loud and clear 131

6.4.5 Train your teams 131

6.4.6 Take charge on social networks 132

Chapter 7 Acting in Conflict 135

7.1 Five possible reactions to attack 135

7.1.1 The silent expectation 136

7.1.2 Indifference 136

7.1.3 Negotiation 136

7.1.4 Commitment 137

7.1.5 Capitulation 137

7.2 Can we refuse to acknowledge that we are wrong? 137

7.3 Apologizing costs less than it pays 139

7.4 Apologies and low points 141

7.5 The Streisand effect 142

7.6 Are you going there? Keep zen and in control 143

7.7 Keep a conflict journal 145

7.8 Orchestrate engagement techniques 147

7.8.1 Public debate 147

7.8.2 One-upmanship – the fatal embrace 148

7.8.3 Exhaustion 149

7.8.4 Make jokes, not war 149

7.9 Tell a story that is stronger and more appealing than the attacker 152

7.10 Tweak and revise your actantial model 153

7.11 Imagine the actantial model of the attacker 154

7.12 Adopt your assertiveness, even by forcing yourself a little 155

7.13 Conflict is a theater of improvisation 157

7.14 Prepare to be spontaneous 158

7.15 Attention to detail 160

7.16 Seven tips and tricks to improvise without fear 162

7.17 The semiotic square: judo instead of boxing 163

7.18 Moving conflict onto new terrain 165

7.19 The merchants of doubt 168

Conclusion 171

Epilogue 177

Appendix 179

Bibliography 183

Index 185

Index of Brands 187

Prologue

The door had just slammed shut, the noise still resonating all across the floor In the seven years that Véronique had been the general manager of VheTech, she had never felt such a violent burst of anger Her serenity, her unassailable composure and her incredible ability to take a step back from things won her admiration, and her employees saw this as a major reason for the company’s success

Véronique was furious “From a success to a fraud”, read the title of the long article dedicated to VheTech in a widely circulated magazine Two weeks earlier, she had agreed to speak with a journalist who was very interested in the sector, especially the recent, incredible innovations happening at VheTech But this article showed a perplexing bias It was an outrageous scandal The day after it came out, the content of the article was then picked up by many other media outlets How did things get to this point? There is no way that woman could be a journalist Journalists do not do things like this Who, then, was behind the poisoned pen that wrote this piece? Who ordered this stream of lies?

A competitor? It was a carefully set trap It could not have been anything else That afternoon, an emergency meeting was called with her closest staff They urgently needed to react Her communications director suggested an immediate response on social networks There, the controversy was blowing up

at a rapid pace

The tweets repeating the details of the report multiplied They were becoming a real tidal wave And every time, or almost every time, they set off a discussion And ultimately, discussion was not a big enough word

Rather, it was a loaded process where words like “crook” and “impostor” were thrown around, along with other insults

“We can’t let our reputation go up in smoke; we need to respond.”

“Of course, but how?”

“Our most aggressive detractors are mainly on Twitter; they even started a hashtag.”

“We’ll create a Twitter account and respond to everything.”

“We know them.”

“We don’t care That’s not really the problem.”

Two weeks later, the results were in But they were nothing like what was expected

The 30 or so tweets published by the firm were the subject of many retweets mocking them, and the page was bombarded with derogatory and even frankly insulting comments The top ten puns also went around on a few news sites Véronique was beset by a profound sense of failure How could she get out of this situation?

“I’ll write to all our clients and I’ll do a press conference It’s a standard response, but at least we will be stepping up to the plate with tools that we know by heart.”

The letter was sent The writing was superb, crisply argued and with a heartfelt conclusion that called for renewed confidence, the same confidence that had always allowed for strong and lasting relations between VheTech and all of its clients and partners

Now, she just needed to focus on the press conference

A new and more elaborate argument, preparation for questions and answers, live training, etc This press conference had to show impeccable professionalism, in order to put a definitive end to this conflict that was beginning to plague the company from within People spoke very little, got

After a week of intense preparation, Véronique was ready for her press conference The journalists had responded overwhelmingly to the invitation, all too happy to snap up a few more juicy details of what was beginning to become an “affair”

Véronique’s presentation went perfectly The preparation paid off: her speech went off without a hitch The journalists paid scrupulous attention Then came the time for her to take questions Véronique could finally breathe easy; she had proved she was up to the task and had been able to make her arguments calmly but firmly

Then came the questions The questions were pointed and challenging And that was fine Feeling at ease, Véronique gave the floor to a number of different speakers One last question before leaving? The young man asking did not seem at all deviant But what he asked was not a question; it was a trap No, not a trap, just a question that had not been answered yet Or rather,

an answer that was not great What did it mean for him, this story of values and actions? Response was needed – and right away

Véronique felt a wave of dizziness come over her A few seconds passed Véronique was looking for an answer that was both a dignified way out, and also worded simply, with appropriate arguments These few seconds lasted

an eternity Véronique was flummoxed, flabbergasted When she finally answered, it was with awkwardness It was not her, that was not what she meant That was not what she should have said In one second, she realized that all the work that had been done during the press conference had just been wiped out The reporters went out quietly Véronique remained motionless at the desk, rattled

She did not have to be a fortune teller to know that her little swerve was going to make headlines in all the newspapers As it turned out, the go-getting general manager of VheTech did not really know anything about

VheTech Or rather, she preferred not to speak about this one particular aspect of VheTech, which she preferred to keep hidden away She had effectively gone from a success to a fraud

The months that followed were particularly painful for the company Its image had been deeply scarred, and everything the company said or did was scrutinized by journalists with unrelenting suspicion The pressure on employees was very strong, and there was a widespread sense of shame that had crept into the teams, as if it were difficult to work for such frauds

A wave of resignations continued to further slow down the activity All the sectors of the company were affected, and there was no indication that the conflict could have any outcome other than the complete destruction of everything Véronique had tried to build over the last few years

None of the clients bothered to respond to Véronique’s beautiful letter

Introduction

Are you tasked with the heavy burden of keeping the beautiful and delicate machinery of a brand in motion? This book could be very useful to you, because today no brand is immune from an attack of “anti”: anti-successful brand, anti-your profession, anti-the way you do things, anti-your beliefs or anti-your way of changing the rules of the game All of these detractors existed in the past, but their voices were only heard if they had the means to gain access to the media (journalists or advertising space sellers) Today, destroying a brand is almost free; the Internet has become a finely tuned machine for people to speak ill of their neighbors to the world at large, and without any cost

Allow us to provide you with three tips before you begin to dig into this book:

– build yourself a strong brand right off the bat, and if possible, during a time of peace;

– learn about conflict, and practice confronting it before it hits;

– do not become paranoid

Our experience working alongside brands suffering from conflict has taught us to detect and be wary of representations, even those we have just used Indeed, the disease these brands suffer from is representation However, it is difficult to do without representations Conflict is highly complex A metaphor is a very convenient shortcut But like all shortcuts and approximations, it only portrays part of the reality However, resolving

only part of the conflict is not really resolving it at all, and instead allows it

to be amplified in the places where nobody is looking

Though metaphors and mental representations of conflict can be misleading, they are necessary So what can we do? Simply learn how to spot them so as not to be a victim, and correctly associate them at a later time

The essential skill for being able to deal with conflict is the ability to multiply the points of view on and interpretations of the conflict This skill is crucial in order to avoid falling under the spell of experts (whether genuine

or self-proclaimed)

Experts swarm, but all of them (and this goes for all specialists) give only one aspect of reality, the one that has to do with their expertise An expert on digital monitoring will tell you that online reputation is the key indicator An expert in bad buzz will emphasize the need to set up real-time alerts A crisis expert will suggest you prepare more and more for managing the crisis A theatrical improvisation expert will explain how to take the stage and improvise a solution with your employees

All of them are right, but only within their own fields

These specialists complement one another, and optimal management of the conflict comes through an ability to detect all dimensions and interconnect them

Conflict is complex, branching out through time and space In order to control conflict, we must know ourselves, know all the stakeholders and know the nature of the conflicts and the way in which they behave The first moment of conflict control primarily involves knowledge But this is only the first moment It must be connected with reflexes

This book has been designed and written with the objective of providing you with the necessary key factors to know and analyze situations of conflict that may involve your brand, and act accordingly

Throughout the book, we strive to show you the effectiveness of a broader vision of conflict, because the most formidable weapon for combating conflict is remaining focused on the crisis and its climax, and it is essential to act upstream as well as downstream

Introduction xvii

These keys can be summed up in a few major skills that structure our book:

– accept conflict, and seize it as an opportunity;

– master rhetoric and the public’s imagination;

– know the social springs that fuel conflict, the effects of crowds and persecution;

– know how to react and understand the tools of conflict management From improvisational theater to foundational myths, from the Vietnam War to the trade war, we offer an original – and hopefully useful – analysis that will definitively change your perception of conflict

1

What is a Brand?

1.1 The brand: a concept built from relationships

A brand is a construct, invented by a company or an organization, to establish a strong and productive relationship with the individuals who will allow it to grow

We are aware that this definition given here is hardly the first definition

of a Brand, but it is useful in that it highlights the essential purpose of Brands, which is to create and maintain a social contract based on a relationship with individuals

Another virtue of this definition is that it leads us to a discussion on whether it is necessary to create Brands as complicated as they currently are Not so long ago, we were content with the fact that companies design, manufacture and sell good products, in the right places, at the right prices and that organizations (parties, unions, federations, associations) should correctly structure their ideas and implement the actions for which they were created

Today, we demand that Brands behave as a kind of superhuman entity, equipped with a lavish personality, cultivating a look and a style that distinguishes them; speaking with a unique voice; setting themselves apart with coherent, constant and, if possible, admirable behaviors; pursuing a great mission; nourishing a vision of the world; ambitions and convictions grounded in clear and superb values; emphasizing their good qualities with owning up to their faults and maintaining friends and enemies

New Technologies and Branding, First Edition

Philippe Sachetti and Thibaud Zuppinger

© ISTE Ltd 2018 Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc

2 New Technologies and Branding

This change that has taken place over the last 30 years is staggering, to say the least Brands have become focal points of society, and their survival depends on the judgment of the people who consume their products, regardless of the form this consumption takes

There are a number of reasons why this staggering form of tyranny is inflicted on them:

– the level of competition that only continues to grow, and, at the same time, the power held by the consumer that brands compulsively seek to place

at the center of everything (where was this power before?) are the simplest reasons, and perhaps the most simplistic;

– the pandemic of defiance and distrust that has spread to all aspects of social life is another, more complex reason, and a more worrying one as well We will make sure to return to this point in our analysis;

– the abandonment of the major authorities is an argument which, although it is frequently challenged as being conservative and perhaps a bit reactionary, is nonetheless difficult to question

The philosopher Chantal Delsol describes this phenomenon well: we, the active members of this society, have been trying for 50 years, and particularly during the social upheavals of the late 1960s (such as the revolution of 1968 in France), to progressively stifle our main authority figures: parents, teachers, bosses, the army, churches, political parties, trade unions, etc In getting rid of them, we have also lost the moral commitments that come along with them, that have allowed us to make sense of life But giving meaning to life requires finding something that we value more than our own selves as individuals

One example from politics can help us to understand: at one time, communism was spreading aggressively People could be for it or against it, but they were practically required to at least have an opinion, take sides or even fight As the philosophers observed, this fighting spirit disappeared when communism disappeared

Individuals, when they are no longer experiencing suppression, find themselves like boxers without an opponent in the middle of the ring And a boxer alone is ridiculous: no longer able to put on a show, he is worthless and his audience flees in dismay (or “disenchantment”, to use the current lexicon) His presence in the ring no longer makes sense to him

This experience of suppression has left an opening that consumption is uniquely suited to fill But the fact remains that consumption is an activity that is personal, individual (or nearly) and it is an act of “I”, not “we” And thus many of our contemporaries are turning toward consumption to give meaning to their lives This is much like considering that “the one thing that

I value more than myself is me” This is impossible, terrifying, mortifying; this moral dead end would lead to the conclusion that consumers are expecting Brands to fill the void left by the major authorities that have now been toppled

GAP: we can't even dress the way we want!

On October 4, 2010, the brand Gap presented its new logo, which sparked significant pushback on its Facebook page Consumers rejected this change The most vehement of them resorted to outright ridicule of Gap’s new idea Some even saw it as an attempt at diversion, to conceal the accusations made against their highly objectionable methods for producing clothes Seven days later, Gap announced the return of its original logo, thus avoiding a conflict that could have caused significant damage This example illustrates the extent to which consumers are able to build a strong relationship with a Brand, to the point where they make it part of their “personal life”

Volkswagen: not too many apparent wounds The brand is one of the leaders in society It has its own set of values that the community

of consumers adheres to On the basis of this, in a scandal such as the events of Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate”, we see that the conflict that has emerged goes beyond the mere disappointment felt from being deceived The Brand had patiently built its image as the embodiment of reliability, to the point where it could lay claim to being at the very forefront

of this area When the news broke of the company’s falsification, it did not simply tarnish the image of the company, but it affected its many claims to reliability, honesty and the trust that customers could have in its oversight measures Commercially, Volkswagen is doing well, but this will remain in the consciousness of consumers – not the falsification itself, but the company’s ability to deceive This resentment may give way to resignation, which is even worse

1.2 The brand is anthropomimetic

Glorified in this way, Brands find themselves with responsibilities that go far beyond the organizational functions used to create them

In describing these phenomena, we constantly attribute human characteristics to these Brands The Brand is a contact point for consumers

4 New Technologies and Branding

Human beings can only enter into a relationship and maintain this relationship with a living being – a being like themselves The brand is anthropomimetic

Over a brand’s existence, it takes on human characteristics that will be worked on, chosen and specified in the processes of brand construction, to the point of establishing strong, admirable personalities that encourage consumers to discover, recommend, follow and defend them

This anthropomimetisism does not imply anthropomorphism, which would instead be the incarnation of the brand in the form of a mascot or a human being (in some cases, the founder) The link between an individual and a brand is therefore very similar to an interpersonal relationship As a result, this relationship is not balanced As we have seen, the individual demands a great deal of Brands, and our purpose here is to study the conflicting consequences of the actual or perceived shortcomings of brands with regard to the demands imposed upon them Why allow individuals to exercise this tyranny? Why accept it, let alone work to maintain it? Because the link between the individual and the Brand is a connection that is essentially commercial in nature The brand sells, while the individual chooses to buy or not to buy The transaction can apply to anything that can

be subject to a commercial exchange: a product, a service, a commitment, a membership, a boycott, even a vote

The brand is a merchant, and thus it takes on the characteristics of one

We discuss here three of these characteristics due to their indispensable nature for the purpose of optimizing trade and for their major contributions

to the processes of conflict: exaggeration, fame and fallibility

1.3 The brand as merchant

1.3.1 Exaggeration

Merchants are required to exaggerate In order to increase product advantage, they therefore need to do a better job of selling them, for an increasingly longer period of time This exaggeration forms part of an extended gradient that ranges from paying close attention to the presentation

of its commercial offering, to outright lies The choice of the level of exaggeration done by merchants is regulated by their own morality, by the

awareness of the acceptability of its potential buyer and by the risk that this exaggeration would backslide into abuse

Exaggeration reaches its limit when it is rejected by customers, and every merchant knows how to walk the line between the effectiveness of exaggeration and the risk of doing so excessively This balancing act allows for a delicate regulation of commercial activities

This phenomenon had already been analyzed as early as the 18th Century During that time, the kind of economic liberalism that was beginning to take hold promoted the idea that the market regulates itself better than if state-imposed regulations are imposed on it It was an innovative idea to consider that a natural equilibrium point would be more

effective than the artificial balance set by laws In The Wealth of Nations,

Scottish philosopher Adam Smith (1723–1790) wrote:

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”

Furthermore, exaggeration is a natural part of a process of seduction – a complex social phenomenon that takes many forms, whose purpose is to arouse the desire of others and the preference that will allow for commerce

to take place, understood both in the sense of transactions and of relationships

The phenomenon of seduction continues to mobilize researchers, some of whom claim that it is indeed a sexual concept Men tend to favor action, initiative and demonstration, and women tend to prefer appearance, attitude and behavior

We will not take the risk of judging this overly brief description of sexualization here, but we must note that Brands often take advantage of both of these tones This seductive exaggeration is expressed in the appearance of the things being sold (the design of the products and their environment) as well as in the actions of the seller and in its communications, including advertising, marketing campaigns, civic actions, etc

6 New Technologies and Branding

The difficulty of this practice of attraction and seduction is that it never really achieves total success, and that the temptation of emphasis, for the purpose of efficiency, can damage it

1.3.2 Celebrity

Celebrity is a special level of recognition given by an audience for acts that are out of the ordinary: remarkable achievements, originality, uniqueness or preponderance of social position and performance

Celebrity is framed by fame, which is of a lower degree, and glory that is heaped upon an exceptional success These different social positions differ in their consistency and durability Fame is not very sensitive to variations over the short term, just as glory that, due to the lingering nature of memory, is easily embellished Neither of these two disappears abruptly, but they can fade

On the other hand, fame has a fragile, precarious status, difficult to maintain over time Fame is a public exhibition The general public, considered as a whole, is not particularly generous Far from it, in fact: it is quick to be admiring, but equally quick to be jealous or envious; it is passionate, and thus versatile; it is curious, in both the healthy and unhealthy uses of the term; it is forgetful, leading it to pounce shamelessly and at the slightest provocation from one emotion to another, as its whims dictate The merchant – and therefore the Brand – can in some cases be showered

in glory More frequently, brands want to be able to count on a certain fame that opens the doors of celebrity to them, but that also exposes them Fame is also a legitimate quest for the brand that sees it as a condition for its success Naturally, it invests and invests to climb higher on this ladder of success

It is easy, and yet rational, to consider that climbing the ladder remains a dangerous action and that the fall is all the more severe once greater heights are reached Celebrity is easily broken down into notoriety and image, and understanding the progressions of fame means following the evolution of both notoriety and image, which have long been studied by communication professionals in the form of a matrix

1.3.3 A matrix for modeling celebrity?

The image/notoriety matrix is therefore nothing new It is remarkably easy to understand, and is thus taught very early in some courses that focus

on companies Its drama was quickly forgotten in favor of more sophisticated modeling which was thus more rewarding for users

This is a pity, because its power of evocation and power to project the future are eminently useful to anyone who has ever sat at the helm of a Brand This matrix involves a vertical spectrum of notoriety ranging from “I don’t know it at all” to “I know it very well” perpendicularly crossing a horizontal spectrum of the image that ranges from “I hate it” to “I love it”

Figure 1.1 Notoriety/image matrix

Thus, this matrix is a great asset for evaluating and modifying the position of an individual within the minds of its audience, the place of a brand or a product within the hearts of its consumers or its observers, or an idea in the minds of people who interact with it

The four quadrants, managed in this way, lead to situations that contrast one another, to say the least The lower left quadrant is certainly the worst

“I don’t know it, but I still hate it”

Ever hear of the Swedish cannery Höga Kusten (“High Coast”)? Ever

hear about one of their most famous specialties, surströmming? Even

8 New Technologies and Branding

without knowing anything further, the mere mention of “canning” and

“Swedish” brings to mind a rather positive mental image

But once you find out that surströmming is a dish made from rotting

herring, inedible even by most Swedes, which releases a stench so vile that the cans can only be opened outdoors and quickly (because there is a real risk these cans might explode), swarming with countless colonies of

frightening bacteria, you are a lot more likely to place surströmming and its

unusual manufacturer in the lower left quadrant

The next quadrant, directly above this one, is hardly more enviable In many cases it is even more disastrous

“I know it, and I hate it”

The ones that are here cannot go back down, of course, and they will have a hard time sliding over to the right, because this movement, as advantageous as it is, would imply the destruction/restructuring of the existing image in a similar way to a conversion

Together, these two quadrants are often considered to be “the valley of despair” We can understand why Let us move to a happier area, on the lower right

“I don’t know it, but I already like it” It’s a dream come true!

Brands – and more specifically, product brands – occupy this quadrant, where products that are still unknown (whose release date has been announced) thus benefit from an idealized image of the brand under which they will be created

Examples could include – with no bias intended, but merely for illustrative purposes – the next Spielberg movie or the new version of the iPhone from Apple This is a paradise for brands, and not yet overcrowded Now let us move upward, to the far corner of the top-right quadrant, where all brands dream of being

“I know it well and I love it”

This is, without a doubt, an excellent place to be The peak, the summit, the promised land – to be reached by sustained efforts aimed at optimum performance

As you may already be able to tell from this description, the summit is not often a place that can be maintained over the long term Consensus holds that after reaching the summit, the only thing that can follow is a fall Indeed, being able to stay in this little corner is unlikely; just remaining in the quadrant in itself is no small feat We mentioned previously that the notoriety/image matrix is a management tool

At a given time t, a Brand may be placed more or less objectively on the

matrix, and its movement to a better area at a given point is decided by its manager(s) The matrix is a tool for visualizing brand kinetics

Recently, we have become accustomed to establishing as many Notoriety-Image Matrices (NIMs) for a single brand as the brand has particular types of audience: customers, non-customers, suppliers, employees, partners, shareholders, future hires, detractors, etc The tool, when put to use to identify actions that will optimize/improve the placement

of the Brand on the diagram, is a veritable gold mine

During a conflict, objectively situating a Brand on the NIMs of its various audience members is a difficult task It requires approximations, but also makes it possible to design actions that will facilitate turning the tables

1.3.4 Fallibility

This word is practical, since it touches on both the idea of an innocent mistake and actively committing an error Streams of ink have been poured out on this topic, in writings on the obvious fragility of man and his great capacity for failure, which keeps him so far away from his gods

So then, why make this an important feature of the merchant if this natural peculiarity is inherent to every human being?

10 New Technologies and Branding

Because merchants are inevitably tempted to fail Curiously, trade is a practice that succeeds in constantly brushing up against truly reprehensible things

It is a bit like in sport, where champions inevitably are faced with the temptation to dope, or in gaming where, in a frenzy to win, some people consider resorting to cheating Good merchants are those who do a better job

at selling That is, selling more to more buyers, and buying, manufacturing

or producing more cheaply, or selling at a higher price

In each of these cases of maximization of commerce, deviations, excesses and abuse can follow close behind excellence Selling more or selling at a higher price can be subjected to advertising pressure that can spin out of control, turning into manipulation Selling to more buyers may include selling to buyers who do not need what is being sold to them, or even those who should not even be customers in the first place Buying cheaper is often done at the expense of the producer; suppliers who cannot give up a market that is unfavorable for them Producing or transforming at a cheaper rate can devolve into the exploitation of the manufacturers or producers

Therefore, the merchant and the brand, in their progression and success, are subject to numerous reprehensible temptations to which they may yield

in part or outright, in specific instances or throughout their existence, consciously or unconsciously

When one is fallible, failure is then not a surprise It is a given

The problem is that brands, as we have said, are a social reference point – and that as a model, we imagine them to be perfect, or at least in line with the level of morality that we imagine they should have Their indiscretions, whether small or large, are thus magnets for controversy Though the Brand

is a single, indivisible entity, those working for the company behind it are numerous, and individual An error or breach committed by the company’s workers is always held against the brand above all else The brand’s image is therefore dependent on human failings within the company, and the justice system or investigative media must identify the guilty persons so that the Brand can extricate itself from the responsibility (or even guilt) that has been assigned to it

Rana Plaza: whose fault was it?

On April 24, 2013, the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh left 1,130 dead and nearly 2,000 wounded The day before, an alert had been given regarding disturbing cracks that had appeared on the building This alert was suppressed, since it would have resulted in a prolonged shutdown of the five garment shops, which employed 5,000 people in hellish working conditions The five workshops in Rana Plaza produced clothing for major brands: Mango, Benetton, Primark, Camạeu, Auchan and Carrefour, among others

Were these brands guilty? Responsible? Is it impossible to consider that they may not have known? But who within these companies knew? Does the fault lie with just one person,

a few people or is it the fault of the organization that they work for? Is the rule that says you have to buy at the lowest price a common sense rule, or a criminal one?

The drama of Rana Plaza made for an instant scandal, and of course this scandal has set off many conflicts that have still not died down

Many brands, whether they were involved or not, contributed to aid funds for the victims, which washed the Rana Plaza blood stains from their hands But it did not erase them After the drama of Rana Plaza, British designer Carry Somers, active in ethical fashion, founded Fashion Revolution Day Every April 24th, Internet users are invited to take a photo with a garment whose label is clearly visible and to post it on social networks with the hashtag #whomademyclothes

The movement for solidarity was admirable, of course, but while it originated from genuinely humanistic impulses, it also serves a sector that has found in this tragedy a new opportunity to instill lasting suspicions that may fan the flames of conflict during a subsequent scandal

1.3.5 Exaggeration, fame and fallibility: the trio from hell

Exaggeration does not inspire confidence; fame arouses admiration that can turn to envy in the blink of an eye, then jealousy, then hatred; errors are not always forgivable, and negligence much less so

The merchant and the Brand are spoiled for distinguishing characteristics Yet these entities are rarely the subjects of studies within organizations This only occurs when conflicts arise That is a shame, because, as

12 New Technologies and Branding

always, reactions are more complicated, more costly and more random than prevention Brand managers would have every incentive to consider these three characteristics of the merchant in greater depth, in order to make them the subject of regular debates within the company, seeking to find their complete relevance in the work drawn in this way from the social responsibility of the company

For instance, it would be interesting for executives, previously presented with the three characteristics of the merchant – exaggeration, fame and fallibility – to work once a year on situating their organization in relation to each of these three themes, starting with a few simple questions:

– where do we place our communication and our messages, on a scale from enthusiasm to falsehood?

– have we changed in one direction or another, and what is the position that we should adopt (more or less exaggeration)?

– who perceives us as annoying or arrogant?

– is this potentially a risk? A risk we are willing to accept? A risk that we are prepared for?

– do we know who in our organization is taking risks that could lead to a conflict?

– how do we situate ourselves on the scales of notoriety and image when

we consider each of our internal or external audiences?

To deal with these topics, it must be established that this is not an act of paranoia, and that this exercise will be productive if it is undertaken, if not within a relaxed atmosphere, then at least with a bit of a playful spirit

1.4 The Brand exposed

As we have pointed out, the Brand is a public figure, and like any public figure, it voluntarily puts itself forward in order to promote its actions and initiatives, to defend its ideas, or to test and launch its projects It exposes itself to communities that are extraordinarily mixed in nature, and pays the costs of public opinions that are not particularly subtle Plato was among the first to complain about the superficiality and rudeness of public opinion, which had been manipulated by the Sophists

And not much has improved since Plato’s time Public opinion is less nuanced than the individuals who voice it The judgments, opinions and beliefs that rise to the top are those that are the most imposing, the loudest, the most intense and the most excessive The ease with which messages are spread digitally has largely enabled the amplification of this phenomenon, which combines violence with immediacy

Those within the Brand who are involved in the conflict must be aware of

it in order not to overreact In the heat of the moment, it is not always easy to keep in mind that public opinion is not the opinion of the majority, and that the attacks suffered may not have been intended by a large number of people involved Though it is difficult to do so in practice, it is crucial so as not to blow events out of proportion

1.5 All Brands are controversial

You read that right All Brands are controversial They are all prone to generating or provoking conflicts of various scales and levels of destruction and permanence

Of course, a scandal that leads to the loss of a company hated by 99% of the population is not in the same basket as an informal community of 10 customers outraged by lengthening delivery times

Is that reassuring? Unfortunately, conflicts, regardless of their nature, can always escalate Small conflicts only seek to become larger

Obviously, when dealing with a Brand beset by attacks, there is a great temptation to see potential conflicts everywhere and to consider that, all in all, all brands are potentially in conflict Consequently, our subject is propelled to the top, as it is of extreme interest and is an absolute and universal emergency for all brands

Our observations of many conflicts involving brands allow us to candidly assess the nuances of the subject It is undeniable that any brand may come

to experience an episode of conflict sooner or later, but it is worth distinguishing mere bouts of criticism or an isolated denigration from

“guerrillas” that plot over the long term to destroy the entity that they are attacking

14 New Technologies and Branding

There are two main reasons why conflict is a permanent threat The first

is that collective consciousness has progressed with an unprecedented level

of speed and intensity Junk food, resource depletion, global warming, health scandals, cynicism about the financial sector, indifference to inequalities, etc We could cite many such “problems” that were only known to well-versed insiders yesterday that have become widespread concerns today The second reason (is it the chicken or the egg?) is the extraordinary deployment and democratization of means of communication, and above all their capacity to provide a platform for everyone, while at the same time uniting people This issue has been analyzed extensively by many experts, and we will not add anything further except to note that digital networks have become gigantic and powerful machines for denigration, denouncement and sometimes even metaphorical lynching, creating hellish maelstroms of collective, fleeting emotions

Any brand can find itself in the middle of a conflict But not all brands start from the same position No one is perfect If this aphorism is true for humans, it is just as true for Brands What this implies is that imperfection comes in many degrees

Brands may be heavily at fault, to blame for severe acts of negligence, failures, larceny, slip-ups or misjudgments The way in which the conflict plays out will bring to light the severity of the misdeed

Common sense (even though this common sense is not as sensible as might be said) will certainly recall that brands should not be shocked to see conflict However, a terrible crime does not necessarily have to have been committed for a brand to come under attack

An irresponsible purchase of raw materials, considered by the managers

of the Brand to be a minor detail but loudly decried on the Internet which receives neither an answer nor excuse, is a situation that some might consider as benign, but it has a high potential to generate controversy

We will look more closely at the case of Michel et Augustin, which illustrates the way in which a very moderate error can be furtively stoked into a blazing crisis

This is far from the villainy that companies like Monsanto or Nestlé are involved in on a daily basis, but in many cases all it takes is a single spark to start a fire In any case, detractors may appear and take action They claim for themselves the weight of morality, honesty, virtue and fairness, and put themselves forward as the correctors of wrongdoing, which gives them a further advantage in addition to the fact that they “strike first”

On the other hand, there are cases where a Brand that generates a conflict

is not necessarily in the wrong

If the Brand is perceived as hegemonic, this can give rise to jealousy and resentment We have described this before

The case of Mars After the discovery of a piece of plastic in a chocolate bar, the Mars group undertook a massive recall of all its products, all brands included This decision seemed somewhat disproportionate, given the fact that the danger appeared to be low, and the risk was very limited (it would appear that this piece of plastic was an isolated case) In this case, it was not a scandal that was revealed, but a simple accident Consumers know that despite taking all possible precautions, accidents are always possible What they look for is the brand not to have committed any acts of negligence, and to take responsibility for the reality of the problem And that was in fact what happened here So, where did this intensity come from in this communications crisis, with a recall on this scale? Was it just a PR overreach? In reality,

we need to take a step back and analyze the environment where the crisis took place

A crisis in itself is not conflict The discovery of a piece of plastic is a crisis It is a specific instance But this is only a partial analysis Indeed, identifying the crisis is only a small part of the problem This is where the analysis grid comes into play in terms of conflict: it makes it possible to visualize the broader situation

The food industry has become the target of many media attacks, particularly against groups offering more pleasing, fatty or sugary foods Although these different brands have not recently had any scandals or been accused of dishonesty, they are nonetheless prone to controversy

“When faced with this growing suspicion, the food industry has not always adopted the right position It has often withdrawn, or even walled itself off with silence or avoidance, out

of fear of suffering even more attacks and criticism By reacting in this way, it has unfortunately only lent credence to the image of a cynical and opaque industry among the different audiences involved It has also sometimes generated a gap in the way it is

16 New Technologies and Branding

perceived, between the polished advertising materials for its products and the less glamorous industrial reality” 1

Thus, in a context of conflict, the option to act decisively and with great fanfare to reassure the consumer takes on a whole other meaning

1.6 Leader? Tough luck!

When a sector of activity is attacked, it is important for its detractors to personify it – to give it a name – and it is the market leader who naturally inherits this honor

In fact, there are few conflicts whose primary objective is to attack a Brand itself, for the simple reason that the Brand does not really exist It is a symbol, covered with characteristics and attributes, all of which are fictional The brand is a fictional being – effective, but fictional nonetheless

At the root of the conflict – and this list is not exhaustive – is a sector of activity that is quite diverse (as is the case with the fast food sector), the way

in which a company treats its employees (e.g firings, infernal rates) or an industrial accident (e.g an oil spill) But the strength of the Brand is also its weakness

To alert public opinion to the horrors of a given sector or to a scandalous situation (whether proven or alleged), it is easier to mobilize citizens against

a Brand Indeed, if the Brand has a strong presence in a territory, it has associated itself very strongly with the ideals it helped to create

If a scandal breaks, then a hostile community can take shape Anger or indignation therefore plays the extraordinary role of creating bonds between individuals who do not necessarily share a common background and do not belong to a pre-existing community And this new community needs symbols, emblems and imagery, in order to be recognized – symbols to designate themselves, but also to designate their cause and, of course, to define their opponent However, it is the leader of the sector who will thus crystallize the collective unconscious, even if it has not made any difference

in the conflict that has just erupted That is why it is all the more important

1 de-com-de-crise-et-ca-repart

http://www.leblogducommunicant2-0.com/humeur/retrait-des-barres-de-chocolat-mars-un-coup-for the leaders of a given sector to anticipate and prepare http://www.leblogducommunicant2-0.com/humeur/retrait-des-barres-de-chocolat-mars-un-coup-for the conflicts that may arise, since the leader is naturally more exposed than all the other players

IKEA vs Cash Investigation

On January 24, 2017, Cash Investigation presented its report on the wood sectors,

entitled “Wood raids: promises by furniture giants” 2 The report did not specifically target IKEA, but rather looked at all subsets of the wood sector The purpose of the report was to attract attention and denounce outlandish certifications and the industries producing wood illegally; the wood sector provides materials not only for furniture, but also for much of the paper, packaging and decoration industries (including wallpaper, etc.)

However, in order to organize the events into an easily relatable story that is able to stir people’s emotions, they needed to create a character And so IKEA ended up becoming the villain of the story, because it is known worldwide Commentators have pointed out that though the actions presented in the report were quite accurate, their level of occurrence is quite low (the area of wood burned is about 10 ha, for instance), and that the charges against IKEA are rather broad and concern the entire sector

But still, the spectators were drawn into the story Heightened emotions and indignation brought strangers together around a common goal, which allowed them to act as a group The following day, petitions and calls for boycotts multiplied on the Internet

A victim of its own notoriety, the furniture giant was targeted and held responsible for the ills of an entire industry – ills that are indeed reprehensible under the lens of current major societal concerns

Lactalis

In 2016, a new crisis shook the news cycle involving the price of milk, which quickly became known as the “Lactalis scandal” This is a classic example in terms of conflict, because it brings together many of the points we have identified as dynamics that are unique

to conflicts

This new episode in the milk crisis served as a tipping point, bringing up a long-standing conflict once again Let us recall here that crisis and conflict are not synonymous They do not share the same notion of time A crisis – an occurrence that has been subjected to extensive study – is an initial or recurrent peak of activity within a conflict

The news surrounding Lactalis gives us a good example of this, regularly making the front page of the papers But trying to manage the crisis that occurred in October 2016

2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJgwaDeSgN4

18 New Technologies and Branding

would only be treating a symptom that is part of a chronic conflict that already had prior occurrences, and where the conditions that led to this crisis had not yet been resolved

In a sense, all of the ingredients came together A tightly controlled communications strategy, one that was almost silent, left more room for opponents to express themselves A level of control (very calculated in this case) of silence Whenever Lactalis made a statement, it generated silence for people to listen to it and echo its message This is all the more valuable since it is so rare This gave Lactalis the opportunity try to reverse the trend

by framing the issue so that Lactalis was no longer some capitalist monster, but instead had been singled out as a “scapegoat” A bold strategy, but one that did not prove to be entirely successful Indeed, as powerful it was, the metaphor was not entirely appropriate In reality, the problem was the one we have dealt with below: being the leader is not always an enviable position This becomes clear just looking at the name that was given to this issue A milk crisis was turned into the “Lactalis scandal” This is also the analysis presented by

Laurent Pinatel in an interview given to L'Express: “It’s very reductive to only consider

Lactalis, when there is a crisis of overproduction going on” Reductive perhaps, but it is always effective to give a name and a face to an issue, especially when the situation is complex This makes it easier to coordinate efforts A vague, blurred premise makes it impossible to operate effectively

Does this mean that this conflict does not concern Lactalis, the victim of its own position? This is obviously too simplistic a position, which leaves out an essential point If the leader of the sector is most often targeted in a general crisis, this is because it is expected that the leader, due to its status, must set an example It is no longer an issue of guilt, but of being a good role model By pressuring the largest of the players, the impact is all the more significant and will serve as a benchmark to measure the activity of other players in the sector

1.7 The Brand is not set up for conflict

As we have noted, no matter what it offers, the Brand acts as a merchant Whether it is offering products, services, ideas, ideals, commitment or anger,

it is a merchant The life of a merchant is not compatible with conflict, because conflict does very direct damage to the energies that allow for relationships and cooperation, and therefore commerce

Conflict is a situation that runs contrary to the activity of the Brand, which needs peace and enthusiasm as its conditions for growth Let us not forget that we have created a situation in which the end purpose of commerce and commercialization is happiness This point of view can be criticized – and is in fact increasingly criticized – but it nonetheless remains

a rather dominant thought within so-called consumer societies

Conflict and happiness do not mix This incompatibility transforms any conflict into the Brand being put on trial Conflict is destabilizing, time consuming and costly, and has the fearsome ability to multiply within the organisms it parasitically infests: conflicts that enter from outside create secondary conflicts inside

However, fear of conflict must not diminish the energies at work in the Brand It must not make it lose its positive energy The easiest way for a brand to protect itself from this risk and not to turn any likelihood of a conflict (low or high) into a devastating obsession is to calmly prepare during periods of peace

1.8 The Brand is not always agile (and that is an understatement)

The Brand is always in the hands of a group of men and women And we can say without false flattery that these teams are (almost) always composed

of savvy, competent professionals, with rich expertise and experience allowing them to manage the Brand and drive changes among all its different audiences, especially the most difficult among them It is impossible for anyone to run a brand without skills, values and strengths

Simply put, brand managers are not necessarily mythical heroes, but they are always remarkable people They are the ones who bring the Brand to life, who make it evolve and who give it meaning and a unique appeal

This praise is sincere, but it also belies a much less glamorous reality Together, brand managers do very well in normal situations, the ones they signed up for in the first place But together, there is also a great possibility that they will be dysfunctional during conflicts

As we have said, conflict is destabilizing The analysis of situations of conflict is seldom clear, consensual or quick; teams that work so well together when operations are running smoothly suddenly transform into an uncontrollable mob, the previously balanced relationships are eroded by suspicions, the decisions to be made are called into question at every moment and the actions taken are rarely agreed upon, widely criticized and always too late

This is all detrimental, because conflict requires a great deal of responsiveness, complete coherence and no shortage of audacity and great

20 New Technologies and Branding

courage The brand, which was remarkable during the peaceful periods of its history for its positive interactions, can be transformed by conflict into a clumsy oaf, acting slowly and with great reluctance

The attackers, whom we will discuss later in greater detail, quickly find

an edge in this quagmire They can take advantage of it, and they can also be destabilized in turn (however, this last point should never become a reason to act foolishly)

Imagine you make a jab at someone you know to be quick and quite bright You obviously expect that person to respond with cleverness and poise But no: he looks at you, stunned, distressed and without uttering a word You would have to be completely malicious to continue an attack instead of the joust that he was expecting But – and this is something we will also come back to – if the attacker is a group or a mob, such malice is no longer a hindrance, and harassment can become a collective enjoyment What you just read is simply unbelievable We – the same people who have always been loyal defenders and reputable servants of Brands – have just treated the Brand as something with the potential to act like a complete fool

To redeem ourselves, the least we can do is to humbly offer a few tips to avoid this pitfall (the first three are rather obvious, but deserve to be brought

up, as they worth considering as essential):

– the first is to anticipate conflict during peacetime We repeat this often, but it is nevertheless clear to us that this precaution is rarely implemented, considered at best as superfluous and at worst as unnecessarily paranoid (once again we find ourselves mentioning this pathology that we absolutely want to avoid)

– the second is to appoint a leader Often the person with the highest position in the hierarchy holds this role Sometimes the “number 2”, or the boss of the Brand, considered to be better placed, intervenes if this is impossible The criteria are simple: the leader must be courageous and decisive

– the third is to reduce the team that will advise the leader to only a small number of people (and we will not insult the reader by explaining the merits

of this precaution) The many possible alternatives are inevitably transformed into impediments, or turn into disastrous manipulation contests

– the fourth is more difficult than the first three: it consists of “connecting the leader to the ground” in an ongoing way Removing the effects of sycophancy (our third imperative) is necessary, but not sufficient The

“street card” needs to be played, and the jester

The street card consists of going out, mingling with “the people”, discussing and challenging opinions and gauging the real lay of the land; in short, getting one’s own picture of things This is a good plan, but it is difficult to implement During a time of turmoil, staying behind the wheel is

an understandable reflex

And what about the jester? Let us explain

1.9 The irrational reactions of the Brand

A Brand can adopt absurd and damaging behaviors under the direction of its leader Although this can occur during more relaxed times, it is more common when the Brand comes under attack The leader has sufficiently exceptional abilities to mobilize, inspire, and give courage and stubbornness

at a sufficiently exceptional level to ensure the success of the Brand

Paradoxically, these remarkable abilities are the starting points of a pathological deviation that corresponds to a kind of cognitive confusion The oxygen at the summits of power and success becomes scarce with the high altitude, and we will not go to the trouble of explaining to the reader the effects of oxygen deprivation Thus, success has the unfortunate ability to intoxicate those who achieve it, and ultimately eliminates the boundaries for them between the possible and the impossible, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks, truth and fiction

This troubling cognitive confusion leads to actions and decisions whose absurdity or danger is incomprehensible to casual observers

Many examples have been widely publicized, such as Kodak or BlackBerry, that have largely suffered from sequences of decisions that snowballed into absurdity, and that are frankly incompatible with the stature, know-how and experience of those who made them

In the world of politics, the examples are even more numerous The case

of François Fillon is a textbook case of cognitive confusion Fillon, a

22 New Technologies and Branding

candidate in France’s 2017 presidential election, acted like a complete novice when he fell prey to a series of scandals, whose risk he could not have been unaware of Whether or not you support Fillon’s policies, it is impossible not to be stunned by the amateurism of a man who obviously knew that his actions would catch up with him How can we explain the incredible gap between expertise and candor, if not by considering that it was a total disconnect with reality?

Manfred Kets de Vries [KET 95] has described this phenomenon perfectly Exploring the mechanisms of the leadership of organizations enriched by an approach based on clinical psychoanalysis, he demonstrates that leaders are driven by emotions and personal affections that have a substantial influence on the organizations they direct, and even manage to contaminate the people they work with according to the psychoanalytic laws

of transference The organization is not only an economical machine, but a psychic sponge

Kets de Vries describes how truly pathological behaviors of managers are transformed into similar pathologies within the company He reviews paranoid, compulsive, theatrical, depressed and schizoid organizations Our point is not to consider that all organizations and Brands are more or less guided by influences of the psyche of their leader(s) and are thus sick with the leaders’ illnesses Nevertheless, it is important to take into account that in an episode of trouble for an organization, such as the confrontation of

a conflict, these phenomena, which progress without making too much of a stir during more peaceful periods, can suddenly awaken and have a crippling impact on the reactions that could reasonably be expected from the organization

When the organization is faced with a conflict, the risks induced are fear, withdrawal, a tendency to wait too long or, on the contrary, violence and excessive reactions However, for the attackers, all these excessive reactions are like a gift from above Is there a way to answer? Kets de Vries offers one: the jester

Court jesters went beyond the role of entertainer that we know them for Their mission was to bring the king back down to a level of humanity, balancing out their isolation, protectedness and disconnect from reality

Where can leaders of an organization find their own “jester”? Presumably, one of their external consultants should be able to fill that role

It is still necessary for this jester to be able to count on the continued existence of his role over time, particularly in difficult situations History is full of stories of jesters who were removed for being a bit too honest This is true in the more recent history of organizations as well, which is a shame Brands are an explosive mixture Due to their strong symbolic status, their mastery of exaggeration and attraction and their presence in our daily lives, brands are very much exposed to conflicts of all kinds This exposure

is a goal for brands, but during times of calmer weather As soon as the climate becomes stormy, brands seem to be very clumsy in responding to accusations

This current era is extremely conducive to conflicts of all kinds, directed against brands In fact, new technologies have dramatically changed the techniques of conflict

2

Conflict

2.1 Etymology of conflict

Etymologically, conflict refers to the idea of confrontation Cum Fligere

means to clash against something Conflict refers to the meeting of opposing elements This definition forms the basis for the idea of a trajectory and a force that leads to the production of conflict

From the outset, all thought on conflict seems to be concentrated on the issue of energy and kinetics Conflict is more than potential energy, and above all, it only emerges in the face of an opposing force We will come back to this point, but conflict is characterized by a dynamic; a progression

It is not a state

This shock can be violent But violence is not always related to conflict Violence refers not to force, but to an abuse of force This is “overkill”, or an excessive show of force The idea of violence refers to the idea of imposing

its will, its strength (in Latin, vis, which means physical force in action)

In our approach, we will set aside the issue of violence, which can be understood as a malfunction of conflicts, to instead focus on this particularly important trait that is characteristic of conflicts: movement Our core premise, backed by our experience with Brands experiencing difficulty, by the works of Simmel and by our own research, is based on the idea that conflict can be understood as forces being put into action Thus, we will initially focus on the analytically distinguishing components that come into play in conflicts, before proposing a kinetic perspective where the various

New Technologies and Branding, First Edition

Philippe Sachetti and Thibaud Zuppinger

© ISTE Ltd 2018 Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc

components of conflict move nearer, confront each other, divide and reconstitute themselves

2.2 What is a conflict?

If we follow what is indicated by its etymology, conflict is a moment of imbalance between two forces By defining it as such, we then need to distinguish it from violence and hostility

“In actual fact, it is the causes of conflict – hatred and envy, misery and lust – that are truly the elements of dissociation Once conflict has erupted for one of these reasons, it is in fact a movement of protection against the separating dualism” [SIM 15, pp 19–20]

Conflict is the breakdown of a state of hostility by any one of the parties that begins to take action

A crisis that starts a conflict is therefore not an accident It proceeds from

a decision to break from the status quo, and an intention to make a lasting or

definitive change to the context that created it Conflict progresses like many diseases by alternating between periods of malignancy or crisis (where the signs of hostility are paroxysmal) and periods of calm or remission

If the events that gave rise to the conflict do not disappear completely, the conflict will not go away Therefore, a Brand that is drawn into a conflict cannot hope to muzzle its critics forever At most, it can eliminate the causes

of the conflict, change its practices or soften its positions, appease its assailants, etc., but it cannot be certain that the conflict will not re-emerge if nothing is changed at the end of a period of crisis

Conflicts are primarily based on a question of dynamics Pointing out a simple situation of contrast is not enough when talking about conflict We would then simply remain in a stage of latent hostility The mere existence

of a difference is not a conflict A simple contrast or opposition of values is not a conflict