Whiplash Team, 2nd September 2022

All a brand needs is love

How many times have we heard someone say with excitement: “I love this brand!”? Brand lovers are a brand’s best allies. But, for a consumer to “love” a brand, much more than satisfying expectations and needs is necessary. A solid and lasting emotional bond must be created.

An essential ingredient for the sustainable growth of a brand is its fans. The so-called brand lovers. But what defines a consumer as a brand lover?

Brand lovers are those who go out of their way for a brand. In short, they are the customers who want it above all. There is an emotional connection between them and the brand.

A consumer “in love” with a brand will defend it against all odds; he/she will recommend it and be the first to sign up for any new product launch.

For them, buying another brand is not an option, even if the product has similar characteristics and is less expensive. Apple Mac users, for example, don’t consider buying a PC. It doesn’t fit into their frame of mind.

But this strong connection between Mac users and the brand is not common. It happens with the so-called cult brands, and it is not easily replicable.

In the case of Apple, the connection is not based on the products. It is not about computers, mobiles or any other device. It is based on what they stand for: a lifestyle that inspires intelligence, creativity and a sense of being unique.

Your best customers are your best asset

For many companies, their best customers are also their best and biggest source of income. Not only through direct purchases, but because they become brand ambassadors.

Today, thanks to the Internet and social networks, consumers have more control than ever. For companies, the goal is no longer just to get new customers.

The key to growth is in recurring customers. Those who recommend the brand and share their experiences with it with their entire network of friends, family and acquaintances.

Unfortunately, many companies are unaware of who and where their best customers are. They do not know what the factors are that have led them to procure brand lovers.

Nor what are their needs or expectations.

Fortunately, the more online transactions grow, the easier it is for brands to get the intelligence they need to identify who those customers are.

The brand’s social networks, customer service or purchase databases are essential tools in this task.

Thus, it is increasingly easier to identify who purchases brand products constantly and consistently.

Talk to them

To discover the emotional connection that bonds the brand with its brand lovers, it is essential to establish a dialogue. Know why they buy your products again and again. Talk to them, ask questions, offer them the opportunity to add value to the brand from their experience.

But you must listen carefully and offer them a differential service that strengthens that special bond between the brand and its “consumer in love”. Love is a feeling that has a lot of reciprocity. Therefore, if a consumer loves a brand, he expects it to correspond with actions that nurture this relationship.

The key is in the values

On the other hand, it must be considered that to get a user to love a brand, it is not enough to satisfy its interests or needs.

Values, however, are part of the human condition and that is why they are also one of the most powerful drives for a brand. It is through the values, that arise from its purpose and its identity, that the brand manages to click on to the consumer’s brain.

This is because values ​​and a sense of belonging are intrinsic to human beings. Values ​​connect with the most powerful emotion: love.

This does not mean that it is not necessary to show the benefits of our brand, in fact, in many cases, the characteristics of the product become a determining factor if they are linked to the values ​​of the brand.

Values ​​are not a declaration of principles that is kept in a drawer. They are core to the brand and must be demonstrated through action. Brands need to act to show their commitment to their users and win their love.

Only through a deep knowledge of themselves, their identity, their proposal and their purpose, brands can anchor themselves in the framework of consumer preferences. Upholding their values ​​as an element of empathy, and aligning their identity with the expectations of their users, brands can then create the conditions for love to flow.

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