March 17, 2005
St. Patrick's Day, an increasingly vulgar brand that continues to remain popular
Let me start by saying that I am a fan of ritual and tradition. I think it's part of what makes humans human. I think understanding the needs and mores behind those rituals helps us understand ourselves. And what good is understanding humanity? In this case, one of the benefits is that it gives you more power to market thoughtfully. I'm not talking about a "let's use our powers for evil" stance. I'm talking about more effective communications and a better understanding of the market's needs. That said...So along comes St. Patrick's Day. And I think, is there any holiday that has devolved into such a negative, yet respected brand? How did this come about? And why do we gravitate to its banal and Bacchanalian enthralls?
I mean, Patrick, bless his heart, drove the snakes out of Ireland (so they say). And, as if that weren't enough, I hear he also pushed for the abolition of slavery. The abolition of slavery! In the 5th century, no less. It only took the United States another fourteen hundred years or so to pursue that line of thinking. And as far as Patrick goes, I haven't even touched on what he did for the religious following of Christianity in Ireland.
But you know what? I honestly don't think dear Patrick's accomplishments spring to mind, anymore, when we, as a society, are puking on the curb on March 17 or ogling tinted rivers for the next few months. Feel free to disagree with me here. But I think I'm right. In fact, I doubt most people in the United States, who are of drinking age, have any idea who Patrick was. (I certainly didn't know that he was a proponent for the abolition of slavery until I started digging a bit.)
Do you think Patrick would have wanted it that way? Probably not. But you know what? He never had the ability to control that. Because, that's what brands do. They evolve, or devolve, or revolve. And they do this in the mind of the audience. The brand, therefore, is always beyond anyone's control. It becomes what the audience wants it to be.
So why try? Because we can influence brands, but we can't force them. And that's the fine line which we have to walk.
St. Patrick's Day started out as one thing, but the brand continued to shift, little by little. The audience caused it to shift to a more and more celebratory mode. It's still shifting today. Just wait. Girls Gone Wild St. Patrick's Day is not far behind.
So I guess the strangest part about this whole thing is that I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just saying it has happened. More importantly, I find it extremely interesting. St. Patrick's Day, which started as a celebration of a martyr, survives with a rude, unkempt brand, and we love it for that.
And here's another bonus epiphany. That thought led me to the realization that, by and large, the common perception of "brands" is that they are these buttoned-up, kempt objects of goodness and light. Common or not, that's a misperception.
Brands are not necessarily nice. Or clean. Or proper. Some brands are vulgar and rude, like punk. Some are cheeky, like Virgin. Because they have to be. Because that's what the audience wants. That's what the audience makes them. And that's how the audience wants them to remain. And when it comes right down to it, the more those brands try to remain true to the ideal the audience wants, the better chance they have of surviving and succeeding.
Interesting. I thought I'd just think about beer, today.
Maybe it's time for you to influence a not-so-proper change in your brand? Who knows? Go tie one on, and then return to comment. Or don't comment. But please, by all means, return.
St. Patrick's Day, an increasingly vulgar brand that continues to remain popular
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