Skeptical about Brands in the Post Recession?

The big brand onslaught, where traditional marketing pulls out all the stops, has run into a bit of a quandry in post recession times. Brand managers have long -- and rightly -- touted that brands differ from reputation in that brands include a promise. Promises broken are not lightly forgotten.

Now that appears more true than ever. Brand managers have also long touted that consumers form relationships with brands, which apart from getting a bit too Freudish, remains true to the extent that a brand becomes an extension of one's persona.

Nowadays savvy brand managers take a longer look at that latter bit. Since consumers have maxed out their credit cards and are, of all things, getting somewhat more frugal across the board, a flashly brand campaign doesn't have the sticky power it once did. Consumers want facts. They want transparency. They want trust.

Even hint at breaking this trust, and watch a brand falls under the pummelling of highly motivated cynical consumers, paticularly in social media.

Today, more and more people don't want filters. They don't want even the slightest suggestion that someone else is doing their thinking for them. Skepticism is on the rise.

If you're making a brand claim, base it on facts and demonstrated ones at that.