Gareth Kane talks brand utility vs brand affinity in WARC

Global Chief Strategy Officer, Gareth Kane, authored an article published by WARC. In “Utility vs. affinity: Four strategies for brands to strike the right balance” Gareth argues customers expect brands to deliver targeted, frictonless, and end-to-end experiences that respond to their needs.

He identifies 4 key areas that brands should focus on to thrive in “the age of the customer.” These include rethinking the role packaging plays, championing relevance over choice, building a brand beyond one’s own frictonless ecosystem, and creating a real-world presence.

“It’s time for the industry to wake up to the fact that the brand is back — but not in the way we know it. The businesses that will be thriving in five years’ time will be the ones able to carve deeper brand affinity from utility,” says Gareth.

Read the full piece in WARC Best Practice.