As we all know, the way to someone's heart is through their stomach. That's precisely why building love brands in the restaurant industry is so easy—good food, a great location, and a little bit of that special something. But in the consumer goods sector, creating a love brand is the ultimate challenge, not to mention in the B2B sector. Many brands fail to create the fetishistic character that Marx describes in "Das Kapital" as the quasi-religious relationship to products.
But what exactly is the difficulty in retaining consumers for your own brand?
{{divider}}
What are love brands?
So-called love brands are brands that exert a particularly strong appeal on their customers. In his book "The Lovemarks Effect" (2004), businessman Kevin Roberts identifies three characteristics that distinguish a simple brand from a love brand.
- Mystery: People love stories. That's precisely why storytelling about your own brand is such a big seller.
- Sensuality: Can a brand be experienced with the senses? A certain look or feel not only makes brands describable, but also tangible for consumers.
- Intimacy: Can the customer develop a certain emotional connection to the brand? Loyalty is the decisive criterion for long-term success here.
Once the relationship has been established, customers often remain loyal to their favorite brands for life. Price increases and minor missteps are overlooked with a sense of indignation. Due to the high level of identification with the brand's core values, trust and loyalty are particularly strong.
We all know them: brands that magically captivate us. Whether it's a particularly emotional advertising campaign, the packaging design, or the user-friendly interface.
Love brands have that certain something that sets them apart from their competitors.
{{divider}}
These 6 drivers will turn your brand into a love brand
The Meaningful Brands study by the Havas Group analyzes which brands have a noticeable influence on consumers' lives. It found that brands that go beyond a product are rewarded with stronger loyalty. The evaluation also showed that 84% of consumers expect brands to produce meaningful content.
Brands that go beyond the product and make a positive, tangible impact on what matters to us gain a greater share of our lives. These brands are rewarded with stronger attachments and deeper audience connections, which in turn helps reinforce trust.
The Verizon subsidiary Oath has also set itself the task of promoting brands. They have analyzed the drivers that make a brand a love brand.
1. Exceeding customer needs
Today's customers expect one thing above all else: more! In a world where every concern can seemingly be solved with an app, simply satisfying needs is no longer enough. People love surprises, that "aha" moment. They want more than just to be understood. Today's brands are taking on the challenge of exceeding customer expectations. According to the Oath study, 32% of respondents appreciate a brand when it offers them more than expected.
An "extraordinary service" is characterized above all by that certain something. This unique selling point sets your brand apart from the competition and ensures that it is perceived as particularly valuable by consumers.
2. Strengthen trust
Unfortunately, many brands lack transparency. Not least because what goes on behind the scenes is not always morally exemplary. The Meaningful Brands study has shown that love brands focus first on people, then on consumers. Through the undisputed premise of customer centricity, customers build a stronger relationship with the brand. The consumer is placed at the center of attention. Services and products are tailored and optimized precisely to their needs.
This also means that love brands create content that influences people in a positive way. They generate sustainability both at the environmental level and within the community. Love brands establish a close relationship with customers, thereby strengthening the community and building trust.
3. Setting trends
Trends and innovations inspire. Those who create innovation convey a sense of freedom and boundlessness. Brands that don't just follow current trends, but actively participate in setting the agenda, manage to maintain the wow effect.
Creative director Alessandro Michele has given the ailing fashion house Gucci a glamorous comeback with his playful, often over-the-top designs. Critics even talk about the Michele effect, which completely disregarded the rules of the fashion industry. At a time when Scandinavian minimalist designs adorned designers' sketches, Michele embellished all his designs with sequins, floral opulence, and whimsical combinations. And although the designer acted completely against the market, he catapulted the Gucci brand back to the top. Sales figures were so good again for the first time that the clearance sale was canceled.
The Michele effect shows that love brands swim against the tide. They create trends that buck market developments and yet still captivate people.
4. Conveying shared values
Love brands have a positive impact on people's quality of life and well-being. The Meaningful Brands study shows that people would not care if 74% of brands simply disappeared. This figure is worrying for any company that has not yet achieved love brand status.
People want the company of their choice to convey shared values. Striving toward a common goal not only forges partnerships, but also brings consumers and companies closer together.
By communicating shared values, brands set themselves apart from their competitors. They interact with their customers on an equal footing, thereby achieving strong cohesion within their community.
5. Create a brand experience
Every September, Apple fanatics set up their tents and folding chairs in front of stores. Although they could have the new iPhone conveniently delivered to their homes, fans often wait outside the store for several days to be the first to hold the new model in their hands. It has become a kind of ritual that is deeply ingrained in the brand's identity. At the latest when the packaging is opened and the foil is removed from the iPhone, the iPhone purchase has become a true brand experience.
The customer experience describes the customer's experience from the first encounter to the last point of contact. At every single touchpoint of the customer journey , the brand must be made recognizable and tangible for the potential customer. A unique customer experience can only be created when the customer is placed at the center of everything that happens.
All that remains for us to say is: "Well done, Steve Jobs."
"You've got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology." (1997)
6. Appreciation of the customer
Putting customers in the spotlight and teasing out their pain points does not quite capture the essence of what customer centricity means. Making customers the focus of business activities also means valuing them.
Emotional attachment to a brand provides insight into how willing consumers are to make their next purchase. The BrandZ Germany Study 2019 shows which German companies have managed to break away from the crowd and become love brands.
Love brand moments are performative rituals that become part of a brand's identity through repeated actions. It is not enough to ask customers about their problems once and hope for eternal loyalty. Appreciation is a continuously staged process.
{{divider}}
Become a LoveBrand with the right content marketing strategy
The Meaningful Brands study has shown that customers really want content from brands! But it's not just any content. Content from love brands is emotional, meaningful, sustainable, innovative, inspiring, and appreciative. It puts the customer at the center of the action and thus creates a long-term relationship.
"It starts with the little things: if I know that certain personalities are particularly popular in a particular field, you have to incorporate these personalities into your content. If you then add love brands and design the text according to the usual storytelling guidelines, this text is guaranteed to be successful." – Klaus Eck, in an interview with contentbird
However, content marketing is not only seen as a savior on Valentine's Day. Through a holistic content marketing strategy, the drivers for creating the love brand can be fully implemented.
What do you think: Can we love brands?
