It has been stated that scientifically, narcissism which often carries a negative connotation, actually exists on a spectrum from healthy to pathological. A little narcissism, which is some self-love and confidence is a very beneficial thing. However, on the flip side, a lot of narcissism to the point of being self-obsessed and lacking empathy is not healthy. According to the authors of a 2013 study,
"Narcissistic traits have reached epidemic proportions with serious consequences. Ever-increasing levels of greed, self-obsession, superficial relationships, arrogance and vanity are everywhere apparent and not making us any happier, with common mental health problems on the increase, especially among the young."
However, when it comes to a brand, this is a tough nut to
crack. One of the primary jobs of marketing communications is to build greater
awareness of a brand or company among an audience. Here the obvious question
arises. So, if a brand is not talking about itself and pushing its name and
image, how can it build effective content marketing strategies?
In order to answer that, one must go back to the fundamental
idea of storytelling. Showing is more effective than telling. Many brands today
are guilty of being talkative and non-demonstrative in their content
marketing. An action demonstrating the message of the brand shows authenticity
in a way no statement can.
Brand narcissism is when a brand is more
interested in itself than others. Narcissists seek to dominate the
conversation, somehow twisting every sentence and situation to become about
them. When this mindset dominates consumer insights, it is called brand
narcissism.
The
most reliable consumer insights that propel a business forward are those based
on rigorous, well-planned market research. In order to get reliable results,
research needs to be conducted with a reliable methodology. There’s a lot that
goes into that, as there are pitfalls that can lead otherwise excellent
research astray.
Brand
narcissism is one such pitfall, and it’s common in the market research
industry. It’s a research example where the methodology focuses on the brand
first, not on the consumers whom the brand needs to understand in order to
succeed. The grounding perspective underpinning the project comes from the
brand, not the buyer, and internal biases ruin the research which eventually
foils the entire strategy and marketing efforts.
The
brand is not the most important player in any transaction, although some
traditional “brand narcissistic” approaches think this to be the case. It is
important to understand that buyers are the most important element of any
transaction because they are the ones making the final decision on the
purchase. They make that decision based on motivations and needs that can be
simple or complex, on short time horizons or long ones, and with paths to
purchase and information needs that change from category to category, and even
over time for the same product. Not only are they important, but they are
complicated and ever-changing. Collecting reliable information about them is
difficult.
At
the same time, businesses can make good, informed decisions if they’re acting
on reliable information. That’s why it is so important to get market research
right: the conclusions and recommendations researchers present carry a lot of
weight because business success relies on them. When business leaders act on
bad information, the consequences can be severe for the brand and for the
people behind it.
Now
let’s look at two major signs that show narcissism in brands:
*Considering
competitors as nothing: Narcissistic brands are the ones that will never
look at what competitors are doing and appreciate the nuances or innovation
within their campaigns. Narcissistic brands will generally use social media to
track competitors but only to poke fun at every campaign they do, declaring
that they could do better. The danger here is that these brands waste so much
time putting ideas down that they can sometimes miss the positive impact
they’re having, and the customers they may be winning over.
*Speaking instead of listening: A poorly thought-out listening
process can leave brands constantly lagging behind the competition. If they
listen intently, they may find themselves being more responsive and flexible
in their approach. This gives an opportunity to deliver much more value to the
audience. Moreover, only listening but then sticking rigidly to the planned
content may end up loss of the potential audience’s interest when the next new
competition comes up.
It is important to get people to know about a brand. But, that should be
more in action with proper and relevant research than overconfidence which
would eventually be a disaster. This should be avoided by branding agencies in Delhi, around India or even around the world.