Interview With David Gensler Of The KDU

How did you get here?

11 years on non-stop work, no vacations and a relentless inability to settle. I will simply not stop working until the goal is reached. I also try to look at every problem from multiple POVs. Most people tend to look at things head on and they spend their lives running into walls.

One of your vocal viewpoints has been about Mash Culture and how brands get adopted by Mash Culture? What’s behind this theory?

Oh it is more than a theory, and I had little do with its “invention.” I was just looking at the horizon while everyone was gazing at their shoes singing the praises of the power of “urban.”

Brands that thrive in this market segment tend to be radically different on a number of levels. They tend to place “design” high on their list of priorities. Whether it is in their packaging or campaigns or products – design is king.

These brands also tend to avoid convention like the plague. They understand what to do and act on instinct. They move fast and fluid, not stopping to test the market’s response, rather, they believe in themselves and it shows.

These brands are adopted by Mash Consumers, who actively and aggressively consume, promote and even alter the brands. This happens organically and can’t be bought or manufactured.

Tell me about the mindset of a Mash Consumer.

The mindset is simply what analysts and forecasters have been saying for years – youth consumers hate to be marketed to, but now technology has allowed for them to take real action. They can create their own brands easier and faster than a trip to the local retailer.

They demand the ability to participate, interact and alter the brands – a notion most traditional brand managers can’t wrap their heads around.

OK, so are they an easily identifiable demographic then?

Well the easy answer is you “just know”, but that is hard to sell to a large brand looking to penetrate this market niche. The complex answer… well it is complex. Each case is completely contextual. This is NOT a demographic – it is a behavior. A shared behavior that exist globally. It is not a fad or trend. It is here for as long as the youth market or mass market continues to build connections to each other via technology.

You say it is not a fad but some might argue with you – where do you see the influence of Mash Culture in the medium / long term?

Again – this is far from a fad. Also – to get things perfectly clear – it has little to do with urban culture or hip hop. I have read a lot of articles recently that are saying “Mash” is the new “Urban”… oh hell no. That could not be further from the truth. Hip Hop fueled the Urban buzz which was the last “big thing”, and now we are talking about Mash, but the connections end there. This has nothing to do with rappers wearing dress shirts. This has to do with globalization and the youth markets ability to build and control their own media.

Mash has to do with the reinvention of consumer value systems… naturally created constructs of value and demand. It is funny to see all the so called hip hop marketing companies scattering to find a new catch phrase to recapture the momentum they once had. Hip Hop marketing was simply based on fear and ignorance – primarily white corporate managers who did not and still continue to not understand that youth consumers tend to want an easy to understand solutions.

So attaching your brand to a hot fad seems to make sense, but like most things, what once worked is now the kiss of death. If I see a rapper flaunting a brand – it is the kiss of death. Rap killed BAPE which is one of my favorite brands. I loved BAPE and still think it is an innovative brand. But it’s use of hip hop as an exposure platform create an over saturation. Now it is as common as any other mass brand. It is the new Fubu.

We’ve seen some well-celebrated examples of Mash Culture online. What else is happening digitally that you think is important?

Online retail has destroyed most traditional distribution channels targeting teens. Everyone saw this coming, just no one knew how fast it would change things. The music industry is still chasing it’s tail trying to figure out how to make money. These consumers, in the time span of 3 years, completely reinvented the entertainment industry’s distribution system. The speed of that change is truly amazing. The next stage of this will be the mass acceptance of homegrown e-commerce. Fueled by the mass popularity of Ebay, everyone and anyone old enough to cash a check can run a store. The technology is already there, it is already happening. This puts consumers in the driver seat as creators and sellers. It forces brands to offer goods and services truly innovative and unique. It also forces traditional retail to re-invent what it is – why would I EVER buy a CD? Why would I EVER go to a grocery store? In the near future the mere idea of these activities seems barbaric.

Maybe there will be a trend to consolidate physical retail space into giant distribution hubs and the old spaces will be recaptured by nature? I am not a tree hugger, but I think the world could use more woodlands and less Wal-marts.

So, who has got it right with this audience, or at least made a good attempt at it?

Apple obviously does little wrong. They understand their audience and they do not react to trends. They create mass behaviors. I wish they would develop more deep reaching participation programs for creators and artists. They are a bit cold outside of their traditional retail experience. They should promote creation more and use it has the cornerstone of their marketing efforts. Dancing silhouettes can only get you so far.

I like a lot of transportation brands such as Wally Yacht, Confederate Motorcycles, Morgan Auto and Spyker cars. I think fashion companies like CP Company, Stone Island or Acronym, that are dedicated to product innovation are great.

I can’t honestly believe I am about to say this but, the ROC, especially Roc-A-Fella and RocaWear, have shocked me with their massive comeback. They cut the dead weight and under the guidance of Jay-Z have made the all time greatest comeback. No other urban brand can hold a candle to their credibility or heritage. Like it or not, they weathered the storm and keep going strong. If they are able to continue to clean their house and restructure their upper management, no other brand could match their reach.

What about major brands?

Well many innovations do not take place in major brands or in the pages of the big trades, you have to dig.

OK, but what did you think of the Scion launch?

I think Scion however is a good example. It is a great bottom up brand, total paradigm reinvention. However, they lost focus on what matters – the product – and decided to lean too hard on the lifestyle aspect of the brand. Now the brand is diluted. There are Scion parties every week that are only slightly different than the previous event and none of them have anything to do with the car. Their self-controlled media started as the most brilliant youth marketing tool have seen, but quickly became dealership garbage. I am being a bit too hard on the brand. In the automotive industry no one markets to youth consumers better. They know how to hire small shops to execute programs and take bigger chances. My problem with them is they fail to recognize how high they set their own bar. They need to revisit some of the initial strategies that propelled the brand. When you get something right the first time, continuing to evolve and push can actually become destructive.

So what key lessons would you tell a brand manager about how to get involved with Mash Culture?

Well, I would first tell them to write me a check – ha ha ha … payment in advance, unless you are talking profit sharing!!!

Seriously: Many of the most effective solutions are often the most simple. In a landscape of density, reductionism is a powerful tool. I look to develop solutions that are radically different, yet extremely practical and always bottom line driven. Brand managers should do the same thing. They should focus on true innovation, not constantly search for trends or the hottest fad to attach to. They need to always ask themselves “How is this tactic or program going to enhance the core target culture AND generate revenue?” It is the difference between basic marketing and strategic innovation. These days, for most brands, traditional marketing tactics equate to disaster. Abandonment of traditional tactics can lead to extreme growth in market dominated by sameness.

http://www.davidgensler.com
http://www.svsv.net
http://www.thekdu.com

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