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Beano’s 80th birthday bash: a blam-tastic lesson in brand durability

Think of British comics and The Beano probably springs to mind. And rightly so. For 80 years, kids up and down the country have wanted to dig out their slingshot, stick on a stripy jumper and be Dennis the Menace.

In the time that the likes of Take That, The Beatles and Abba have come and gone, Dennis and his cronies Minnie the Minx and The Bash Street Kids are still going strong.

The fact that The Beano has managed to stick around for eight long decades goes to show just how good the brand has been at catching people’s eye. Better yet, it’s kept hold of them. Over the years, its characters have built a connection with readers that means it’s still loved by millions.

It’s a lesson that brands should take on board if they want to be ringing in their 80th birthday too. With the right mix of branding and personality, even a regular Roger the Dodger can build a relationship with the consumer that can stand the test of time.

**Keep it fresh **

Let’s face it: in a world that moves as fast as ours, consumers get bored. Fast. And with everyone always looking for the next best thing, long-term loyalty can be a tricky one to come by. But where others have fallen flat on their face, The Beano’s managed to keep copies flying off the shelf since 1938. The million dollar question – how?

There’s no doubt the mayhem Dennis and his chums get up to still hits home with kids today. But to really pack a punch and stand out from the crowd, The Beano has constantly changed the way it engages with consumers.

To keep up with the click and swipe kids of today, Dennis and his sidekicks were catapulted into the twentieth century with a website. Two million kids now use The Beano site. That’s the same number who read the comic itself in the 1950s.

Brands can’t rely on the same thing over and over again and expect consumers to keep coming back. Nor can they do one promotion and think they’ve struck gold. It’s wishful thinking at best. Downright lazy at worst.

The secret to success is building a relationship. Forget Romeo and Juliet, the best relationships take time to get going. Brands need to come up with fresh and blam-tastic ideas to keep their brand engaging. From social media to packaging, it’s about paying attention to consumer behaviour and going out on a limb trying new things. Offering a new spin on the same story stops it getting boring and will keep consumers loyal from one year to the next.

But that’s just one part of the equation. If brands want to stick around, they need to move with the times and stay relevant.

**Move with the times **

Since The Beano first hit shelves, we’ve swapped dance halls for Tinder and Bing Crosby for Brad Pitt. The most impressive thing about The Beano’s success? The fact that it’s been able to keep up with the changing culture. From cartoons of Simon Cowell to the Royal Family, the comic has been sure to keep itself relevant.

To keep a finger on the pulse, Beano regularly asks youngsters what’s got them buzzing in the playground and what’s a hit on TV. Their feedback meant Donald Trump became one of the latest to get the Beano treatment in a video spoof that went viral.

Brands need to follow in its footsteps. There’s no point in promoting the same idea that worked 10 years ago – consumer needs and desires are changing constantly. And today’s brands have got the hardest gig, with the whole world and its dog all using social media to shape people’s buying habits.

Brands need to stay on top of what’s relevant, whether that’s the latest blockbuster or the must-have gadget. It’s about listening to what’s getting consumers excited. This means brands can tailor their promotions to things they already like and are interested in, without changing their basic identity.

And if there’s one thing brands need to remember, it’s to hang on to their identity. In other words, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. The Beano is as proud as punch of its heritage, staying loyal to its characters and what they stand for. And it’s worked. Dennis hasn’t swapped his classic red and black jumper for Primark’s finest, and Walter’s still sporting his pink bow tie.

Constantly changing what a brand stands for to appeal to every new Tom, Dick and Harry is a sure-fire way to lose customers. Sure, it may get a quick boost from a new wave of consumers, but that won’t cut it over the long term. Brands risk losing the loyalty and trust they built up with the previous brand identity and could be catapulted out the market faster than Dennis’ peashooter!

**Standing out from the crowd **

He might have driven his teachers and parents mad, but Dennis the Menace is a stellar example of what brands should think like. They need to be bold, daring and unafraid to put themselves out there. If brands want to make a statement they need to think like Dennis and not be a big ‘softie’. Else, they’ll just blend into the background and consumers will easily forget the brand, its products and offers.

And that means making sure the team who promote the brand are a regular bunch of Bash Street Kids – different skills and talents that constantly bring something new to the table. With so many brands competing for the limelight, consumers are about quality, not quantity. As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Having different personalities in the branding team can breathe life into promotions that really strike a chord with consumers. And that means they’ll keep coming back for more.

Like most things, it’s all about getting the balance right. Do that and your brand will be a right old Billy Whizz.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sodexo Engage .