PAPER TALK

TREBOR, HUMILITY AND AUTHENTICITY
Brandinstinct, Civil Branding

was tickled to get my sandwich from an independent café in a paper bag that said "Sorry it took so long!". Actually, it was an intriguing ambient piece from Cadbury's Trebor Extra Strong.

After this apologetic opening the bag then introduced me to The Mint People: Barry, Clinton, Lisa and George. By then I was getting the visual cues of Extra Strong - remembered the good old mints - and at that precise moment of recognition the bag then starts talking about a gum. OK - so I look in the bag, and there's a pack of gum - perfect for after lunch.

What struck me was how Trebor Extra Strong were not announcing what a clever innovation they'd come up with in producing a gum (old-style brand behaviour) but that they were appreciating that the balance of power between brands and people has shifted. By using a tongue-in-cheek apology for this innovation taking so long, they get to put their people first and use humility to create a more authentic approach to communications.

Stephen Green used humility in a rather more serious way to promote values at HSBC (see previous post) The Evening Standard also employed a humble approach for past errors in order to wipe the slate clean and begin a more genuine dialogue with the reader