A LOVEMARK is basically everything I try to pass on to my clients: a memorable brand, which will be the client's first option, and walking there will become a hobby. An admired brand that connects with its audience and builds fans. All good, right?
This concept was defined by the marketing genius Kevin Roberts, and basically consists of a strategy to create customers, or potential customers, in love with the brand. Kevin Roberts says that to transform a brand into a lovemark it is necessary to recognize that customers are not demographic data, but people with emotions, needs and desires that must be taken into account. To prove his point, Roberts created an emotional research study, conducted by QiQ International, which concluded: increasing love and respect for a brand can increase purchase intent for a product by up to 7 times! In this way, a respected brand gains fans, reach and constant growth potential when its strategy involves love. Still according to him, we can generate this feeling for a brand by developing strategies for the union between three factors:
Intimacy: we achieved this through the trust that the brand creates with its consumers: quality, well-positioned and empathetic communication!
Sensuality: we achieved through the architecture of the space (creating sensory spaces), lighting and design and product presentation (Read our article about neuroarchitecture!)!
Mystery: a brand that is not obvious, has a "charm" to surprise you, generating emotions when you get in touch with it (this is about customer experience and branding strategy associated with product design and architecture!)
Can you tell the difference between falling in love with a product and a brand? When you love a PRODUCT it means that it is very good, but that the brand has not been able to generate such an extraordinary experience and connection that would make you feel that way about the brand as a whole. When you are a LOVEMARK your products are no longer the main thing, people want to buy anything, as long as it is YOURS! They want to walk into your store even though they don't need anything you sell! They want to be present, to relate, it becomes a hobby! And that's exactly why its price can be higher than the market in general, the passionate person doesn't decide rationally, but emotionally!
Besides, with a brand that well built, asssociated with an amazing interior design and product presentation, your brand starts being extremely well organically released by the consumers themselves! And this relationship with the brand, frequenting and purchasing the products becomes associated with status, being "cool"! Just like having a starbucks coffee, you have to post it, right?
But ok! Understood that brands as Coca-Cola, Nike or Dolce Gabbana are lovemarks, BUT how to built one from the ground? They are already enshrined there, but how are you going to create your own lovemark? Check this:
Fisrt step is to define and deeply acknowledge your field! What will you sell? Is it better to invest on a small range of products and be THE BEST or selling a thousand things and becoming an "wallmart", I mean, not beeing the best at anything? So, instead of selling "clothing", try to sell "female clothing for elegant and powerfull women". Instead of selling food, sell "dinner to small groups of couples who want to have a romantic night with good food and good wine". The more specific the easier your communication will be, and always associate your field with an equally specific audience!
And this is the second step: defining and knowing your Target Audience in depth! Luckily, in our commercial designs process we take care of that for you, but it's extremely important that you get as much information about them, not just demographics (gender, age range, where you live, job, if you have a family...) but especially the ones we don't remember and make up a good Branding process: the psychological profile! Think: What types of biases does my audience suffer from? What is he facing now? Does he like his job? Does he has a good relationship with his colleagues? Does he get payed enough? And how much? What is success for him? What are the pains and insecurities? What social network does he use? What does he like to see in each social network? What places does he go? What is his sign? What people influence him? What newspaper and series does he watch? What songs does he listens to? How is his relationship with politics? What about training? Who are his friends? These and many other reflections are important for you to be able to create a genuine connection with your target audience! Third: Focus on the emotion! What emotion do you want to generate in your customers minds when they come in contact with the brand? This emotion must be present in all decisions! Communication content, advertising strategy, product design and presentation, and obviously in the architecture of your space!
Fourth: With prosperity comes responsibility: with MUCH more customer engagement, a Lovemark needs to make its customers feel heard! It's very important to always ask for feedback and respond to fan contacts, give an extremely attentive ear to criticism and suggestions! And extreme attention to the brand's reputation on the internet! Fifth: engage your employees! It is very important to have a strong brand purpose that makes sense to employees! Make them feel part of a movement in which they are proud to work! If your brand ceased to exist today, would people miss it? If the answer is yes, it looks like you're on your way to becoming a LOVEMARK! Take care step by step and create an unforgettable space that you can't go wrong with!
My name is Renata Cortopassi, I'm Brazilian, Architect and I'm available to get your project off the ground!
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