Whiplash Team, 1st July 2022
Adding value, the key to achieving customer admiration
To enter the circle of the most admired brands, such as Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, or Pfizer, is not easy. They are companies from different industries that serve very different needs, and yet there is something that they all share: they all have the ability to add value to their products for users by enriching them, making them exciting, and by evoking positive feelings that are reflected in the brand.
Adding value is key to achieving admiration, which is a powerful engine for brand growth. To the extent that it enriches, inspires and seduces the consumer, it also builds trust and loyalty, creating a consumer base that ensures sustained and lasting growth. An inspiring story that connects the purpose of the organization with the values and aspirations of consumers and society is essential to achieve this.
In 2022, for the third year in a row, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft rank first, second and third, respectively, in Fortune’s ranking of most admired companies. Apple is still in the number 1 position, after 15 years undefeated in that place, crowning itself as the most valuable company in the world.
The survey of 3,700 corporate executives, directors and analysts shows that pharmaceutical companies have climbed positions due to its performance during the pandemic, which is now in its third year. Pfizer, for instance, which participated in the development of one of the most effective vaccines against COVID-19, reached a position within the Top Ten, at No. 4, for the first time in 16 years.
The client is the priority
Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, which regularly top Fortune’s ranking, have consistently succeeded in connecting their history and brand story with the needs and aspirations of their users, adding value for their users with each innovation to their products. These are organizations whose continuous effort to improve is manifested in direct benefits for their users.
Apple’s technology, for example, is not simple but it makes learning and using Apple’s products easier. Its “One touch” solution and intuitive interface, plus the fact that Apple products talk to each other, makes it easy for consumers to seamlessly move from one Apple product (for example, a Mac) to another (for example, an iPhone).
Admired brands add value to their customers by making it easier for them to solve problems, generating trust and respect. But even more important, they are organizations that manage to connect their purpose – their reason for being as a company– with the aspirations and values of their users through an inspiring and attractive story, which generates brand loyalty.
