Branding: It’s like the game “gossip”

I played a game, as a kid, called gossip. All us kids in the neighborhood would gather in our yard. Usually we sat on our front porch. It was tiny by today’s McMansion standards. We were tiny by today’s childhood obesity standards. So it worked out.

It was always summertime when we did this. And it had to be late in the evening, long after we’d run ourselves out through those glorious summer days and nights.

We’d slowly gather at the steps. Sitting together in clumps. Too young to really care about gender rules.

And then we’d play...gossip. We’d sit in a line. One person at the end of the line would whisper something, anything to the next person. And then in turn to the next. On and on. The last person in this line would have to stand up and shout what they’d been told.

The shorter the line, the more accurate was their version. The longer the line, maybe the more restless and distracted the participants, and we’d get a wildly different version shouted out loud at the end.

The shorter the line, the more boring the game. We’d end up going home soon after the first message was relayed.

The longer the line, the more fun. We’d end up staying out very late into the night. Each person took several turns both at the front and the end of the line. The front being the creator. The end being the celebrant. Actually all played both roles, celebrants and creators, throughout the process.

Everyone had a stake in creating and celebrating the final version. No one could control what was finally shouted, even proclaimed, at the end to this front-porch community. Matter of fact, there was more fun and excitement, even anticipation to see what the final result would be. As time went on this line became a tingling twist of both wild amusement and wild surprise at what we created with each version.

Are brands, and their creation and management, any different today?

Those brands who seek the greatest control of their message end up with the smallest community sharing in their message. Their message, the experience of their ‘gossip’ line members in sharing it, remains consistent, predictable...boring. One version is created and shared. And, that has all the excitement of a manufacturing line. So, we the consumer, seeing as we're treated like kids, just go home.

Those brands who share in the process, let their message go, invite the participation of others...end up with the biggest gaggle of fans and friends and family sitting on their front porch sharing in their message, sharing in its creation, not wanting to leave, wanting more to come join them.

Which one is your brand?