Everyone loves to be loved, especially marketers! Why do brands such as Nike and Apple capture people’s hearts and minds? For all the millions of Naira spent on advertising and other efforts, it is not easy to capture the love and affinity of consumers for brands. So how do marketers ensure that consumers develop a strong attachment for their product or service?
- Brands should remember who they are and what made them loved: Being loved is not the destination, it is just the beginning of the journey. Sometimes, brands lose sight of what makes them authentic and may be unable to retain the reason why consumers fell in love in the first place.
- Think of the consumer and end with the consumer: The consumers should always be the focal point of any marketing strategy and execution. Brands need to constantly find out what is appealing to them – aesthetically, functionally and emotionally. Brands must evoke emotions in them, speak to who they are and be able to solve a problem that they have. A brand should fulfill the consumer’s selfish needs before they attempt to satisfy their own.
- Show them that you love them: Brand lovers must be identified and rewarded, show them that they are special, listen to them and give them unforgettable experiences. Make every touchpoint truly memorable for them, they will in turn reciprocate the love.
- Attack yourself before others do: Nothing kills a brand quicker than complacency! Consumers change everyday, so also the competitive landscape; it is important that brands recognise this and make themselves relevant to their core targets on an on-going basis. Recall the case with blackberry & Nokia – they were unable to sustain and retain the leadership they had in the mobile phone industry due to their inability to drive innovation and fix the many issues users were facing; it wasn’t long before androids and iPhone shoved them aside! Brands need to evolve, renovate and innovate!
Brands that have taken effort to build love with consumers are sure to reap its benefits; these are evident in the demonstration of this love by consumers in many ways:
- High purchasing habit: Their purchasing intent is always high and are more likely to make the brand their first choice; as well as make repeat purchase.
- Develop absolute loyalty: Consumers are very loyal to their loved brands. The level of loyalty can almost result in “cult” following for those brands.
- Intention to pay a premium: When consumers are in love with a brand, they are prepared to go the long haul with the brands and willing to pay a premium for it. At this point, they are in the realm of “how the brand makes them feel”, as such are not price sensitive.
- Through brand advocacy: At this point, your consumers have become your greatest fan! They converse with you as they would a friend, they are your brand evangelists as they propagate your message to friends and family.
- Express themselves through your brand: When consumers begin to see beyond themselves and find an expression through your brand. An example is the Nike brand – as far as die hard users are concerned the use of the sneakers is an expression of their style and discernment.
The spark of love can be sustained with consumers; brands only need to focus on the right things!