Why Brand Love Has to Go Beyond Algorithms to Be Real
An interviewer surprised me not long ago with the question: “How does ‘brand love’ compare to personal relationships between individuals?” The term ‘brand love’ is not one that I’ve used a lot but I understood the question and for sure there are some obvious similarities.
Among other things, your close friends know everything about you—your likes and dislikes, your sense of humor, your taste in music and entertainment. Likewise, a brand that seeks your friendship and loyaltyshould know all about you. In today’s data-rich environment, there’s no excuse for a brand not knowing about its customers. As long as it doesn’t depend solely on algorithms.
It’s also true that both personal and brand relationships are established, nurtured and sustained more by feelings than by facts or rational argument. The phrase “love is blind” recognizes the truth that data and statistical analysis have little to do with how we choose our friends or life partners. And neuroscientists are finally proving that brand choices are made in much the same way—something we have known intuitively for years. Like love or friendship between individuals, brand love is an emotional connection. How does it feel to use a brand? Or to be seen with it? Which leads to another similarity.
Who we associate with helps define who we are. As individuals, it is often said that we are known by the company we keep. In a similar way, we are self-identified by the companies we keep—whose cars we drive, whose coffee we drink, whose logos and labels we display on what we wear. There’s a Spanish saying that says “Tell me who you walk with and I’ll tell you who you are.” So, who do you walk with? Jordans? Adidas? Reebok Pump or Puma Suede? And what do those brands say about you? Or maybe you walk in a pair of Allbirds wool sneakers to show you’re in tune with Silicon Valley.
Like love or friendship between individuals, brand love is an emotional connection. There are other parallels. Like a good friend, a good brand is always there when you need it. Byron Sharp, director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute of Marketing Science says the secret for brand growth is to be both mentally and physically available.
Read the full article on AdWeek.