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7: Evoke Emotions and Create Sensory Experiences Emotional connection is what every brand should ultimately strive for. If your brand can achieve emotional connection, it can gain customer loyalty. The customer first must know your brand and then he or she must like your brand. Finally, the consumer must trust your brand and feel an emotional connection to it. People become emotionally connected to a brand for a number of reasons:
- The brand stands for something important to them.
- The brand is intense and vibrant. It connects with people on multiple levels across several senses.
- The brand is unique.
- The brand is admirable.
- The brand consistently interacts with them. It never disappoints them.
- The brand makes them feel good.
Does you brand achieve any or all of the following ?:
- Make people feel more in control?
- Is it nostalgic of something from their childhood?
- Does it make them feel warm and safe?
- Does it offer a sensual experience?
- Does it make them feel smart or frugal or important when they use it?
- Does it help them play out unfulfilled fantasies?
- Does it make them feel as though they have become the people that they had always wanted to be?
- Does it make them feel more connected to the group they most admire?
There are many innovative ways to achieve this emotional connection - from advertising and the quality of front line consumer contact to consumer membership organizations and company-sponsored consumer events. Think about Hallmark's two-minute Hall of Fame commercials and the stories that they tell and the tears that they evoke. Think about how Harley-Davidson stands for 'freedom of the road' and 'the comradeship of kindred spirits' more than it stands for quality motorcycles. Think about the aroma that wafts out of Cinnabon stores in malls. Think about Saturn owners' experience of Saturn's homecoming event. 8: Exhibit Admirable Human Qualities It seems as though everyone loves to hate Microsoft. Why? Consider the way that it approaches its vendors, business partners, competitors and customers. Arrogance and being a bully are not admirable human qualities. (Although, some would argue that a ruthless competitive spirit is in this culture.) It is no wonder that despite its large size and impact on the world, Microsoft's brand equity is low relative to many other large companies. On the positive side, people love businesses that exhibit a social conscience. Consider Ben & Jerry's, the Body Shop, Toms of Maine and Paul Newman products. Some brands are mixed in their delivery on this attribute. While Martha Stewart clearly stands for good taste, there are rumors about her occasionally less-than fully pleasant personality and now her alleged violation of SEC laws is in the news. Exhibiting admirable human qualities is especially important for brands during crises. Companies that respond quickly and honestly, companies that accept responsibility, companies that show concern for those affected, companies that keep those affected informed about what is going on, companies that strive to 'make the situation right' can recover from and even become stronger from a crisis. Companies that don't often don't recover at all. Witness Drexel Burnham Lambert. 9: Stand for Something Nike stands for 'authentic athletic performance.' Ritz Carlton is all about 'ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.' The Nature Conservancy intends to 'save the last great places' on earth. Patagonia is committed to serving people who love the wild country and the outdoor adventures that it provides. If you aren't convinced, visit their web site (www.patagonia.com). What does your brand stand for? In building its Gold Crown store brand, Hallmark created an advertising campaign that communicated that if a person shops Hallmark Gold Crown stores, you can be sure that he or she is nice. One such ad features employees conjecturing about a new boss who was rumored to be tough. People changed their minds about her when they saw her walking to her office with a Hallmark Gold Crown shopping bag. This is called 'branding as a badge.' An even better example of this is Harley-Davidson owners who wear the company logo as a tattoo. Another example is farmers who wear Pioneer Hi-Bred International or International Harvester ball caps. Do your customers proudly don your company's logo.
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