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Lab's business
Laba Business School,
Editorial Team
From creating and managing a global space tourism event to an MTV Top 10 to a global “art battle,” there are few projects where Paul Liam Du Bois hasn’t shined with his creativity.
With nearly two decades of experience as a brand and creative director, Du Bois has created and executed branding strategies for some of the world’s most iconic brands – including MTV, Nickelodeon, Sony, Coca-Cola, Google and Vogue.
In our interview, we talk , Elon Muskie, Liam's favorite brands georgia telephone number data and what big companies can learn from smaller ones.
What cultural changes will shape branding strategies in the future?
#1. AI is having a huge impact on culture. It will change the way we treat each other – caution in implementing new technologies will play a key role here. I hope that AI will make us appreciate the human hand more, especially in the creative industry.
We see more beauty in analog photos than in digital ones. This is our basic need to connect with something deeper than what AI can ever create.
#2. New social media platforms will emerge that will completely change the way we use social media. Platforms always capitalize on the weaknesses of previous generation platforms like Facebook to gather a global audience. We will continue to see this.
#3. Culturally, brands should adopt a “glocal” perspective , thinking both globally and locally. Brands need to begin to embrace global values within cultural communities while recognizing the beauty and potential impact of each culture’s uniqueness.
The world is becoming louder and more crowded. The need for differentiation has never been more important. People are looking for identity in the mess . Understanding that identity is important.
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At the heart of the change is the creativity and innovation that brands need to embrace in our current market reality. For brands, it’s no longer about moving at the pace of culture, which has been the dominant approach recently. Rather, brands need to set the pace of culture, which can be achieved by communicating directly with consumers who are more than willing to be part of the conversation.
The voices of what I call “influencers” will begin to rise above the clutter, embracing and representing a set of globally shared, sustainable values. Some brands are aware of this, setting the stage for it. They are ensuring that they will be present in the lives of future generations.
Yet many of the biggest brands, with the most potential and resources for brand evolution, are still left behind. They see the latest gimmick and jump on the bandwagon to continue to be relatable across generations, pushing for short-term cultural impact to ensure their products are consumed.
How has TikTok affected branding?
TikTok may seem like a platform for younger generations to many, but its influence has long since extended beyond that age group. TikTok is influencing culture in countless ways—much like Facebook did a while back. TikTok’s creators took the experience of other leading platforms, understood where their gaps were, and created a place where anyone could get their 15 seconds of fame.
TikTok provides a space for cultural commonalities, imaginative play, and self-expression. Regardless of cultural differences, we all dance, laugh, and appreciate art and music.
TikTok has the power to create global social change. The Taught Me campaign on TikTok claims to be educating the world. So they acknowledge that TikTok has peaked as a cultural and educational platform where brands can connect with people. This can be positive or negative, even beyond allegations that China is using it for espionage purposes.
Are there any risks for brands using TikTok?
They can have a real impact on global social change. They can abuse their power, as Facebook did, and become the worst nightmare for many brands. When brands use platforms like Twitter in the Elon Musk era, everything can go wrong. These platforms use brand image to convey the message that they support free speech.
Brands have the power to shape the future of these platforms. They need to be vigilant. Disinformation campaigns can have a huge impact on culture and shape branding trends accordingly. TikTok hasn’t done that yet. Hopefully it never will.
Consumers are increasingly aware of the negative impact they are being made on and are becoming disillusioned. As consumers, we are being “sold” – if platforms continue in this manner, they could face cataclysmic change.
People will be looking for influencers who are true experts. Practitioners who share common cultural values. People with a genuinely human, honest approach, with a natural, easy-to-connect with nature. The story of Ryan Reynolds from Wrexham clearly illustrates this.
What should brands do to stay relevant?
Think of a corporate executive shooting an elephant in an African rainforest. No child wants to see a human shoot an elephant. Brands need to start understanding global sustainability values to prevent deletion.
You can't fully future-proof a brand. Until brands develop a brand strategy that embraces cultural and social heritage, especially now that new technologies and new brands are emerging from nowhere and have a more sustainable image. The problem is that you can't avoid these pitfalls if you continue to use the same formula from the 1950s that still exists in different forms.
Some brands’ strategy often reminds me of the Titanic before it hit the iceberg. Stakeholders aren’t willing to change their brand message just for the sake of money. You have to be willing to evolve while still looking to the bottom line. That’s why companies try to create what I call a “mirage of change.”