The “branded utility” movement aims to bring brands closer to their consumers by providing useful services through their advertising instead of simply bombarding them with messages throughout different media sources. The concept is meant to help consumers navigate the complexities of their public lives more effectively and thus to bring them closer to the brand which has helped them accomplish this. As John Caswell at Group Partners noted, Nokia has started a Music Recommenders service to help its clients create playlists and Philips has recently given premium access to different news sites through its print ads.
Although perhaps not as immediate of a return as traditional media channels, “branded utility” gives savvy brand managers the potential to create longer-term allegiances with consumers and bring a fresh perspective that is long overdue.