Yesterday I wrote about brand love…using the love of other people as metaphor in effective brand planning. But human beings love many things other than people. We love teams, institutions, organizations and, certainly, pets. I love The New York Times – which may be a combination of all of the above.
So when attempting to create love between a consumer and a brand, how might we use these other types of love to assist in planning? In many cases, these other things we love don’t love us back. It’s unrequited love. The NY Mets don’t love me back. When my cat brushes up against my legs, he wants vittles. Not so sure he loves me.
What must we do then to create consumer love of and for our products when the relationship is half duplex (one way)?
Well, we must remain familiar. Availability is a key to familiarity. We must remain consistent. Ergo, dependable. We must be helpful and positive. And it may seem obvious, but we must be likeable. Lastly, we need to provide a functional result. That is, the product’s role must physically or psychologically provide an effect.
This is how you enable love. These are qualities brands need to promote to build tight bonds with customers.
Peace.
