You might know it already, but I am in fond of “Brand Utility”, and curate a blog on the topic for a few years now with my friend Brieuc Saffré. In a word, Brand Utility is just asking yourself a simple question : how can I be useful to people ?
Best examples of Brand Utility transform marketing campaigns into a real product, tool or service. We’ve seen Charmin, a toilet paper brand, creating an app to find the closest restrooms; Google educating parents to tech or helping people find their loved ones more easily during earthquakes, or AT&T creating phone charging booths. As long as these utilities stick to the purpose of the brand, they are always well-received.
As a strategic planner in a communications agency, I always see new things in a marketing-ish point of view, and being a strong supporter of Product Hunt, I can’t prevent myself from thinking about how a product or service could be used by a brand to become more useful.
Product Hunt showcases the best new products and services, for which people can vote, and can be a great source of inspiration.
Here are a few ideas spotted on Product Hunt that could inspire brands too.
Urgent.ly
Urgent.ly is a service that allows anyone to ask for assistance when they have a problem with their car. From flat tires to a kickstart issue to running out of fuel on the road, Urgent.ly enables anyone to ask for roadside assistance easily. And now, you wonder why no car manufacturer created this app before a startup filled the gap.
Fortunately, Mini created a Roadside Assistance App, a concept very similar to Urgent.ly…yet not updated since 2012.
Avocado
Avocado is a social network for couples allowing them to share their best moments, have fun digitally and organize their life together in an easy manner. There are tons of existing dating websites showing proudly how many couples they created, but none of them for taking care of those couples after ?
Poopourri
Poopourri is one of my faves. “Spritz the bowl before you go…and no one will ever know” is their leitmotiv. I guess you understood what it is about : a toilet deodorizer that works in an innovative way. Their website is fun, their product is useful. Yet no big brand had the idea to create such a product. Febreze, Glade, Air Wick…where were you ? And where will you be in a few years if you continue this way ?
Chocedge
Chocedge is the first Chocolate 3D printer, and it’s awesome. We can nowadays customize M&M’s or Nutella packs, but none of these “campaigns” were as engaging as creating a writing or a drawing of your choice with chocolate.
Here is a list of other missed opportunities :
Pedigree could have created PetNet, a remote feeding product for your pets.
Nikon could have launched Tookapic, an app helping you take a daily photo during 365 days.
IKEA could have proposed Lugg, the “Uber for movers”.
The North Face could have made SnowCookie, a sensor helping you improve your skiing skills.
Heineken could have founded Fest300, a website curating all the best festivals worldwide.
Philips Avent could have imagined BabyGigl, the first smart baby bottle.
And so on. If you want to see more tools brands could use or create to make their marketing campaigns more useful, check out my Potential Brand Utility collection on Product Hunt.
