The New European Brandscape 21/09/00 In a keynote address to the ESOMAR Congress, Marian Salzman, President of The Intelligence Factory, has outlined how marketing research must respond to changes in the so-called ‘European brandscape’. Deregulation, mergers and acquisitions, and an explosion of advanced connective technologies are fast changing the brand landscape. In response, according to Ms Salzman, European nations are rebranding themselves as well, and are fast becoming identified with cutting edge consumer technologies, such as the Net-connected mobile phone and the memory-laden smart card. Driving this New Economy are empowered consumers, whom The Intelligence Factory calls 'prosumers.' These individuals are cash rich but time poor, serious about value but self-indulgent, whimsical but socially conscious, and yearning to unplug from 'wired society' even as they demand 24 hour personalised attention from the companies that serve them. Ms Salzman argues that with the advent of prosumers, new research techniques are necessary to develop the brands of the future. Marketing research must move toward a more interactive model, i.e. one that operates from the respondent's perspective and embraces conflict and ambivalence as drivers of creative insights. Respondents must become creative participants in the brand-development process, and marketers need to understand their views as part of a larger social context. During her address, Ms Salzman outlined a number of salient pointers about the brands of the future: Brand development is taking place in an increasingly connected world. However, the flip side of global integration and the rise of a few ‘superbrands’ is a struggle among consumers to maintain their individuality in the face of seemingly overwhelming pressure to conform. Brands must balance an image of stability with one of freedom and individuality. Moreover, they must achieve a balance between internationalism and local relevance. In this respect, brand name is critical. The ideal is a name that is memorable yet expansive, and easily pronounceable in any language. Logo may be even more critical, as it does not require language at all to inspire understanding and recall. In the future, branding in cyberspace will become more relevant as the Internet becomes the primary means of product distribution and brand advertising. Although there is no substitute for the hard work of implementing a distinctive brand personality, there are a few strategies that make this easier, i.e. offering connectivity to the Internet, being interactive, offering discounts or freebies, and offering an exciting new buying experience. Ms Salzman concluded her address with the fact that the major challenge for marketers now working in Europe is to create a stable brand identity even in a time of sweeping change, when national and regional cultures themselves are being transformed.