Love goes through the brand
Anyone looking for a USP in these times of tight budgets and interchangeable brands—one that will ignite consumers« passion for their product now and forever—might want to try love—and turn their brand into a »Lovemark.”.
Love is fantastic. So is doing things with love. And why have only a few companies come up with the idea of not only manufacturing their product with love, but also charging it with love and making consumers fall in love with their goods? There is a lot to be said for building a "Lovemark". After all, love is closely linked to trust - and those who love and trust can also forgive. UBS could have used such an emotional stirring recently: If its clients had been more in love, they would not have immediately withdrawn their money from the big bank. Perhaps UBS could now recover more quickly, which would also have benefited investors. A missed opportunity.
Lovers are often unreasonable; no argument, no matter how clever, can compete with their strong emotions. The same applies to consumers: If they love a brand, statements against it don't impress them at all. However, the aim of a Lovemark is not to fleece love-blind customers. It's about building emotional loyalty to a brand that can even survive crises. "80 percent of all purchasing decisions are made emotionally," emphasizes Kevin Roberts*, CEO Worldwide at Saatchi + Saatchi. "Lovemarks grow far away from reasons." A good example of a solid Lovemark is Red Bull. A research laboratory attested to the drink: "Completely unappetizing, disgusting." Dietrich Mateschitz trusted his gut feeling in the 1980s and nevertheless decided to bring the drink from Japan to Europe. No one could have imagined that the drink would be so successful.
Even today, many people find the stuff horrible. In Switzerland, there are even initiatives to ban the sticky drink because they consider it unhealthy. You never know where else you might grow wings. But: 15 percent of Europeans idolize the bull potion, and that's enough for an impressive annual turnover of 3.32 billion euros or around four billion units sold.
Cans. Mateschitz acted against all reason - like a lover. His passion was transferred to the consumers, buyers became friends.
If you love your car, you push it
It is also unreasonable to buy a Hublot. Because a watch like that costs more than a month's salary. Even more than two. Nevertheless, many people buy such a luxury watch. Or two. In 2008, the company reported annual sales of 250 million francs. Why? Jean-Claude Biver*, CEO of Hublot, explains: "A Hublot is not a timepiece, you can find the time on your cell phone, in your car, in all churches, in public buildings and on your computer. A Hublot is culture, art, past and future all in one." Biver knows his customers inside out. He earns 14,900 francs each with a watch on which the time is barely visible - because the case, dial and hands are completely black. You have to copy that first. Biver's business with love is going well.
But how do you build a Lovemark? Is it all down to a brilliant advertiser who comes up with an incorruptible advertising message? Or can the idea for a Lovemark be worked out? If you compare Red Bull and Hublot, you'll see that it takes absolute uncompromisingness. And authenticity. Successful brand makers believe that their idea, their product, works and stubbornly follow this belief. Consumers love those who stand behind their product and bring it to life. There is no market for your product? Great. Then there are no rules.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
* Spoke at the IAA Forum 2009 on the subject of "Lovemarks".
Lovers are often unreasonable; no argument, no matter how clever, can compete with their strong emotions. The same applies to consumers: If they love a brand, statements against it don't impress them at all. However, the aim of a Lovemark is not to fleece love-blind customers. It's about building emotional loyalty to a brand that can even survive crises. "80 percent of all purchasing decisions are made emotionally," emphasizes Kevin Roberts*, CEO Worldwide at Saatchi + Saatchi. "Lovemarks grow far away from reasons." A good example of a solid Lovemark is Red Bull. A research laboratory attested to the drink: "Completely unappetizing, disgusting." Dietrich Mateschitz trusted his gut feeling in the 1980s and nevertheless decided to bring the drink from Japan to Europe. No one could have imagined that the drink would be so successful.
Even today, many people find the stuff horrible. In Switzerland, there are even initiatives to ban the sticky drink because they consider it unhealthy. You never know where else you might grow wings. But: 15 percent of Europeans idolize the bull potion, and that's enough for an impressive annual turnover of 3.32 billion euros or around four billion units sold.
Cans. Mateschitz acted against all reason - like a lover. His passion was transferred to the consumers, buyers became friends.
If you love your car, you push it
It is also unreasonable to buy a Hublot. Because a watch like that costs more than a month's salary. Even more than two. Nevertheless, many people buy such a luxury watch. Or two. In 2008, the company reported annual sales of 250 million francs. Why? Jean-Claude Biver*, CEO of Hublot, explains: "A Hublot is not a timepiece, you can find the time on your cell phone, in your car, in all churches, in public buildings and on your computer. A Hublot is culture, art, past and future all in one." Biver knows his customers inside out. He earns 14,900 francs each with a watch on which the time is barely visible - because the case, dial and hands are completely black. You have to copy that first. Biver's business with love is going well.
But how do you build a Lovemark? Is it all down to a brilliant advertiser who comes up with an incorruptible advertising message? Or can the idea for a Lovemark be worked out? If you compare Red Bull and Hublot, you'll see that it takes absolute uncompromisingness. And authenticity. Successful brand makers believe that their idea, their product, works and stubbornly follow this belief. Consumers love those who stand behind their product and bring it to life. There is no market for your product? Great. Then there are no rules.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
* Spoke at the IAA Forum 2009 on the subject of "Lovemarks".
