You are welcome to share your thoughts on this article written by Darren Foley, Managing Director at Pearlfisher, London

With the ongoing media phone hacking scandal and our seeming deference to being a society governed by the mob rule of Twitter, we surely need to start asking ourselves, what has happened to any sort of control?—and where should it be coming from? Are we being democratic in the extreme?

When it comes to branding— and as Jonathan has previously written about in his column — we have seen the challenge from new brands recognising and playing to an increasingly democratic mindset with projects and brands celebrating a difference and diversity founded on togetherness and an owner-less positioning…And whilst democratic messaging has always been part of the integral offer for the iconic brand leaders, we are now seeing a cross-section of these previously untouchable brands suffer as they bow to competitive pressure and maybe try to embrace this approach too radically.

And when we see the sad demise of our great retail icons such as Habitat that have made the British High Street just what it is, then the truth is staring us in the face. How does an icon just disappear? Habitat changed our lives and our lifestyle — through design —but has now, literally, vanished overnight. The media has been rife with stories about the fact that it is a victim of the economy— but is it? I don’t think so. Fundamentally, and it was something of a gradual change, the brand broadened its offer to be democratic and accessible to all but as it became democratic so it surrendered control and the whole core vision diluted and dissipated. Whilst design by ‘public committee’ may be fun for a while, brands do also need to retain—or start to take back — the control.

Branding can not save the original vision and nothing can replace the expertise of true creative direction at the helm. It was not Sir Terence Conran’s originality that made Habitat a household name, but the opposite: his talent for tweaking European and American modernist designs for temperate British tastes. But somewhere along the way, Habitat lost the unique brand identity that enabled it to stand out in an increasingly crowded high street. As Justin McGuirk commented in The Guardian (July 05)— “ Now that it has only three stores, Habitat should commission local talent to design products that distinguish it from its rivals. In other words, it’s back where it started in the 1960s, with the same core values but a new mission. That’s not such a bad place to be.”

As Justin states all is not necessarily lost for Habitat but someone needs to once again take back the reins of the creative direction. A simple truth, but icons and iconic innovators need vision and visionaries to remain relevant and inspirational. Icons succeed and stay the distance through pertinent creative reinvention. And Habitat may well rise from the ashes just as we are witnessing the reappearance of a much-loved and iconic 80’s brand…

How many of you wistfully recall the ‘Get busy with the fizzy…’ strapline for the soft drinks’ brand SodaStream? Although maybe it is front of mind as the same strapline is being used for the new iteration of this iconic gadget as it once again graces our screens and shelves. But maybe what we recall more is not just its new sleek, practical and ergonomic design but its new mission that it ‘can save the world from plastic bottles’. A hard-hitting (if tenuous) message to the global domination of the soft drinks giants — such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi— that originally forced SodaStream off our shelves. It is definitely one to watch as it ticks all the boxes by not only showcasing stylish—yet functional — design innovation but because it has kept the original vision and now found a way to once again make it relevant and inspirational for today’s consumers.

In a fast moving world, we are increasingly torn. Used to an ever-changing landscape, bored with what we know and unchallenged without constant change. On the other hand, we crave familiarity, yearning for what we have lost and seeking out experiences that feel authentic. Iconic brands bridge this gap for us, they lead the way while at the same time anchoring us.

So, if it’s about fostering love and connection with the consumer, then it’s easy to see why many brands have gone down the people power route in terms of brand behaviour and future direction. But, where does the buck stop? We demand to be included in the process, asking questions and expecting to be answered, to see evidence that our ideas are being listened to…But, we are not afraid to pillory if we don’t feel that the end product is quite right…and brands are left floundering with an even more prescient ‘where next?’ question…The irony being that we actually want to be involved with those brands that we already admire for their expertise, authority and, yes, you guessed it, creative direction.

About the Author

Darren Foley, Managing Director at Pearlfisher, London, joined the company in 2002 as Realisation Director, inventing the concept of realisation and advocating a design process in which our technical and creative teams work in harmony from the beginning. He has worked in the design industry for close to 25 years, starting out as a junior production artist, and amassing an unparalleled depth of knowledge for the discipline.