Prescott's Design Blog

In hearing Jim Stengel‘s speech about transforming brands, I am reminded of that little principle that is often shocking to the established business world: The most successful brands in the future are not necessarily the ones with the biggest bottom line, but the brands who act like the good guys.

When you think about brands who are “doing it right” you probably think of names like Zappos, Apple, Amazon, Whole Foods etc., and generally you’re right. The trouble is that those are all big companies. But in this new era — where consumer can communicate with brands, and with one another — even small businesses can be perceived as the Good Guys and build that brand equity.

We of the millennial generation don’t care about Wall St. We don’t care if our employer is a public company, or if our supermarket chain spans across five states. What we want is a brand who is on our side, who thinks and operates as we do. Does that make us fundamentally selfish or does it simply mean that as consumers we’re finally demanding a more human connection?