After finalizing my extensive research (BTW) late-task, I´ve concluded some many interesting things about the brands we use to love! Must say “use to love!” because as in personal relationships, love is not necessarily always forever and not everybody gets the happily ever after status quo. We are humans after all, right? And as humans we do fail the same way products and brands do! And that´s the reason we abandon (leave), switch (or cheat), EVOLVE and/or change our preferences. (Indeed LOYALTY can exist but fidelity … is questionable). Anyway the key point is precisely based on our ability to maintain the interest, light the fire and raise the passion for the other person every day, every moment. I mean, that is what we commonly do and what we expect from the other half. It all has to do with how many promises we keep, how many times we surpass the expectations or how much instead, we fail.
Our relationships with brands and related products behave the same way. "Attention to details" my teachers used to say.
Most relevant insights I could gather on the assigned job are actually (and I personally think so) quite crucial:
1. A product/service with no failures (at least less than the other available offers in “x” category … if resignation comes along the way)
2. Those that turn your life easier
3. A brand that appeals to universal positive values as happiness, joy, family, friendship: the good and very well appreciated things of our lives
4. Those that make you feel good
5. Those that you can count-on anytime
6. Always there to fulfill your needs: whatever, whenever (sounded like W Hotels!)
7. Those that regularly (just not to say ALWAYS) accomplish their promises, walk the talk
8. They are trustful
9. They are committed and really establish a strong dialogue, interaction or connection somehow with their audiences (consumers, customers, stakeholders, etc)
10. They are interesting per sé
11. They constantly surpass your expectations and give you more (and I´m not necessarily talking about value for money)
12. Many times (most of them), they create an experience and not just deliver a benefit which is already implied … after all that´s what you´ve paid for, no?
13. They make you feel proud
14. They constantly offer real, valuable, usable, tangible and friendly (in all spectrum) innovation
13. And last but not least: they are open to be better than today through receiving feedback, listening and acting upon!
Sorry to sound so Kellogg but that´s the way I write. Perhaps is due to my eastern-north cone education or the background and not-so-much experience I have in my life (quite young, eh?). Obviously I could write an extensive list of RELEVANT-WOW brands but rather prefer to clarify and reinforce based on my fieldwork and personal experience, friends´ comments and family´s feedback, that those brands are not necessarily premium-in-essence, they are not the latest novelty on the grocery or departmental store, they are not those with the highest advertising investment and they are certainly not those with the fanciest retail/POS communication/execution. AS I ALREADY POINTED OUT, real WOW brands are those able to be closer and connect with us the way each of us value it, the way we like it! They are authentic and no way – replicable.
Ok fellas I´ve gotta go as it´s almost 3.00am and have plenty of work to be done later on! BTW weather is so hot here in Rio (being living here for a year and not totally used to, yet) and need some rest as I´m not a robot. Also need some personal and private time to use my beloved brands before going to bed (and not talking about beauty labels exclusively, LOL).
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