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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The effort was worth it! The page looks amazing and the content even better!
ReplyDeleteThe effort was worth it! The page looks amazing and the content even better!
ReplyDeleteThe effort was worth it! The page looks amazing and the content even better!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, in personal relationships and in relationships with products, we criticize, question, judge or even evaluate, but at the end of the day, we decide for ourselves what we think is best for us...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I enjoyed reading the content, which I think is funny and intelligent, when I finished to read I just wanted to read a little more.
Congrats!
ec
Great blog in that you got my interest by comparing relationships we as humans have with those that we have with brands. The list is the list and we would each have a longer or shorter list after a similar period of consideration I believe. And the ending leaves me with a 'point to ponder' - WOW brands are like our closest relationships, we embark on the journey because they respond to one or more desires/ needs, but ultimately we are hard pressed to be able to quantify the 'essence of the attraction'
ReplyDeleteSo true! People, just like products, need to continue evolving and, at the same time,maintain it's unique escense that makes us irreplaceable. This is our best bet to make sure partners, or consumers, stay loyal.
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog! Congrats!
A key element on our loyalty to brands is the rational element: does the brand delivers what I invest in it? For example WalMart, not the most fashionable brand, but they deliver their promise: Always low prices. A very simple promise, that may not have much customer loyalty, but is on the top of mind of everyone when they think of a retailer. Another very important part of brand building is what happens when things don't go according to plan: the product was defective, it didn't arrive: brands are built or destroyed by the post sale experience: warranty and customer service experience can easily destroy all brand building efforts in seconds.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, we should always view brands as we view our relationships, and that would allow us to be a little bit less judgemental and understand that Brands, as well as people, also make mistakes but that this doesn't, in anyway, mean that they do not value us as customers, it"s just their way of looking for new ways to amuse us and keep us "reeled in" with the brands and their values.
ReplyDeleteLoved the blog, very interesting, intelligent, insightful and funny.
I am not sure about the difference you say about "loyalty" and "fidelity". Loyal are dogs; faithful are humans. In my case, I am faithful to Coke, but loyal to all cola beverages... I mean, I can drink either a Pepsi or Red Cola IF I don't find Coke. But if there is coke, I'll sure go for it. Not sure what keeps me faithful to coke: is it the taste, very looalike in a pepsi? Is not the price, since coke is the most expensive cola... Is it the never-changing design of the brand? I don't know for sure.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I should try those WOW brands instead the ones I am faithful to...
Grettings, nice blog!
Anyway, is very interesting what you say. The challenge for the brands is to keep audiences interested, wether they offer novelty, excitement, amusement, or just fulfill a human need.
Good text. Liked the comparison with personal relationships! At the end of the day it is exactly how you described, wow brands are the ones that connect with us in such a particular way that, for example, makes us want to turn a simple cup of coffee experience into a complete and inspiring brand experience….
ReplyDeleteThree things about what you have written:
ReplyDelete1- hope your "better half" dont read this, some questions will surely come about that fidelity thing you mentioned
2- very funny perspective and style! as someone said before, you left me wanting to read a little bit more
3- good list describing what a wow brand should have, I should only add to that wow brand understand your needs and are ahead of you, they materialize your need in a wow product or service, that's because they learn to read the signs (insights)
Good blog.
Cheers