"Love Brands": To Whom the Heart Beats

»Happy birthday. It's so great to have you in my life—you're beautiful, fantastic, and athletic. Wow.«, »Happy birthday—I could never be without you«, »Happy birthday… I'm so glad you're here«, ’Happy birthday. You’re just so much fun.» What sounds a bit like the sweetest WhatsApp birthday messages from your very best friends is actually pure brand love. For example, at the end of August, the car brand Mini posted a message on its Facebook page announcing that the brand was turning 62; the reactions from customers—or rather, fans—were not long in coming. Full of enthusiasm, they congratulated their favorite brand on its special day—entirely of their own free will and without expecting anything in return.

Love Brands Tell a Story

After all, Mini is a «love brand»—one of those brands that aren’t just bought, but truly loved. With these brands, the relationship between the brand and its customers is so close that it boosts the entire company’s revenue, according to the new report “Brand Love Story” from the social analytics and social listening platform Talkwalker. Brand love, the report states, often leads customers to pay higher prices, fosters stronger brand loyalty, and results in a higher referral rate—and is thus the stated goal of many companies.

«The fans congratulated their favorite brand on its special day of their own free will.»

But what defines «love brands»—and how do companies manage to become one? How do «love brands« differ from strong brands? “The basic idea behind ‘love brands’ is rooted in each person’s individual perception,” says Thomas Ramseier. To explain what defines a “Love Brand,” the Brandpulse CEO cites the model developed by Kevin Roberts, who was the first to discuss love in connection with brands and is thus considered the founder of the “Love Brand” model: “What these brands have in common is a certain mystique—they tell a deeper story—the element of sensuality, meaning they can be experienced with all the senses, and a certain intimacy, that is, a deeper connection with the brand. “One company that has consistently succeeded in achieving all of this for many years is Apple—a company that manages to build such a strong bond with its customers that they’ll wait in line for days to get their hands on the latest products, at almost any price. They remain loyal to the brand their entire lives—and proudly display their love for it to the world. This makes Apple arguably the most prominent example of a “love brand” with loyal fans worldwide.”.

Report: Victorinox Is Popular During Lockdown

In its new report, Talkwalker examined which brands were particularly popular worldwide and in the DACH region during the global lockdown. To do so, the report compared brands across social media, news sites, and blogs, among other platforms, to identify those that people engage with, those that receive less criticism, those with which people have a positive connection, and those that people say they love. Among the findings: Obi, Sennheiser, Rossmann—and Victorinox, a Swiss family-owned company with more than 130 years of history. What is the brand’s secret? «Our brand values—quality, functionality, iconic design, and innovation—have always been extremely important to us. They are the DNA of the famous Swiss Army knife and, at the same time, the foundation for all our products. Our customers appreciate this, and over the years, a relationship of trust and a close connection to the brand has developed,» says Chief Marketing Officer Veronika Elsener. The company maintains a close relationship with consumers across all online and offline channels. «Only by understanding the desires and needs of your consumers can you successfully develop new products over the long term and thus remain relevant,» says the expert.

Fans, not customers

Even newer, but just as beloved, is Tonies, a brand owned by Boxine GmbH. What began in 2013 as an idea from two fathers at a daycare center who wanted to develop a modern audio system for their children has since become a successful «love brand» that is loved and appreciated not only by its users—the children—but also by their parents. So much so that every year, just before Christmas, parents get nervous wondering whether the soft cube—onto which you place an audio figure (something even the youngest children can do intuitively)—is still available to order anywhere. How does an audiobook startup become a «love brand»? «Three things are key,» says Boxine Senior PR Manager Christopher Zurheiden: «Does the brand tell a story that’s emotionally compelling or relatable? Does the product have a unique selling proposition (USP) compared to all competing products, thereby offering real added value? And is the brand approachable, and can customers identify with it?» The company has, of course, asked itself these questions as well—and, according to the expert, “can answer all three with a clear ‘yes.’ The founding story is authentic, and the product itself is unique on the market thanks to its design and high quality. We engage in close dialogue with our fans, take their wishes and suggestions on board, and are not a faceless corporate giant,” says Zurheiden. The most important building block here: “The relationship with our fans,” says the expert. Fans, not customers.

Social media helps with this, because it allows brands to connect directly with their followers and communicate with them. And «Love requires communication,» says Sören Schröder, Creative Director and member of the executive board at Publicis Zurich (see also the separate interview). «If we assume that shared positive emotions are the foundation, then social media makes building a »love brand’ many times easier. Content that resonates is shared and spreads like wildfire, and anyone can act as a brand ambassador on social media. In this way, social media can act as a love brand accelerator.”

Harmonized Brand Strategy

However, effective communication is always the sum of various components in a brand strategy. And only when these are optimally integrated with one another can a brand become a «love brand.» «With love brands, it’s not just the branding that’s great,» says Thomas Ramseier of Brandpulse. “And that’s what stands out with all love brands—whether it’s Apple, Victorinox, the Fiat 500, or Ferrari: The product is right, but so are the stories behind it, the events, and even how management and employees present themselves to the outside world—everything is harmoniously coordinated and authentic. That’s the key factor you need to focus on if you want to become a ‘love brand.’” But that also means a “love brand” can’t be managed solely by the marketing department. Instead, it must be embedded throughout the entire company. Yet even that doesn’t mean a “love brand” can be certain of its fans’ love forever—after all, you have to work on every good relationship. Just like in real life.

Interview: «Any Brand Can Become a »Love Brand’”