Surface Texture

Today at work I did some quick shopping online for my favorite blush and naturally ended up browsing the MAC lipsticks, too.  There’s something so enchanting, mesmerizing about reading the product description of luxurious makeup.  The photo swatches are great and as I read the blurb beside the item I was coveting, noticed something about “texture.”  I never thought of my lipstick having texture before.  But I guess there are a variety of types:  matte, creamy, glossy, etc.  MAC even has a texture called LipGlass, whatever that means.  Pretty sure I don’t want to lick it.

But texture is something my hairstylist talks about, too.  I have very thick, long hair and there is a lot of it; to keep it from giving me the narrow-faced “droopy dog” look (a la old Hanna Barbara cartoons) she texturizes it each month, or makes snips of varying angles and lengths, adding dimension. 

This talk of texture made me think of a profile I read in this months’ Medical Marketing and Media about agency Digitas Health.  “We build and manage a brand’s surface over time,” said Digitas EVP Larry Mickelberg.  I thought this was a really interesting statement, and probably one of the most profound statements I’d read in awhile (and I’m a voracious reader). 

Focus now, let’s break the important parts down:           

1) brand’s surface             2) over time

I think it crystallizes the concept of a brand promise for me.  Could it be that the brand surface is comprised of its promise, its essence, its position, its relevance.  The brand surface is multilayered, multifaceted and subjective to touch.  It’s merely a representation of what lies beneath.  And  like most surfaces – think of your delicate facial skin or sheets worn smoother by years of washing – I’ll argue that the brand surface changes, morphs, evolves too.  I mean that in a few ways:

1. At my present life stage, I’m more concerned about broken bones and braces than I am about pregnancy and delivery.  Since my interests and to some degree values have changed through parenthood, has my insurance carrier changed the way they engage me?  The messaging, interaction tactics, etc.  Are my habits and interests the same today as they were 10 years ago?
2. And what can be said about what the brand has come to mean to me?  The regard in which I hold it?  I’m sure that when I started cooking for myself in college that I bought Land O’Lakes butter because that’s the product I was familiar with, as both my mother and grandmother had used it  What did I know from butter?  At that critical time, LOL was comfortable, a known entity and I was desperate to eat.  Today I continue to use LOL because its come to mean quality, easy, and reliable taste.  I made an emotional connection over 30 years ago that remains strong today, thanks to LOL delivering on their promise.