I love my Brand – but why?
Brand love is more than just brand awareness. When I love a brand, I feel emotionally drawn to it, prefer it to others, and remain loyal to it for a long time - even when there may have been better offers for a long time. This means that true brand love is always associated with differentiation from other brands: If you’ve been buying Ford for a long time, then Audi may no longer be of interest to me. Once you’ve found your favourite pair of German-made sandals, you’re unlikely to try others. And if you love IKEA, you won’t go to Segmüller.
According to marketing expert Stefani Vogler, brand love can be defined as follows:
- You know the brand of your heart very well. Not just the product range. You also know something about the company behind it, the history behind its decisions, its values and so on.
- You are open about your love for the brand and recommend it to others.
- You choose products from that brand time and time again, without necessarily seeking further information, simply because they belong to that brand.
Put simply, brand love can arise because purchase decisions are often driven by a subconscious perceived need that goes beyond the pure intended use. For example, when I choose brand XY, I subconsciously hope to gain social recognition or freedom. This inherent advertising promise is the driving force behind the development of brand love.
Love brands - what they are and why they are so relevant
“Love brands, as defined by author and Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts, are associated with a certain mystique. Big names such as Nike, LEGO and BMW all have marketing strategies that focus on creating lasting emotional connections. For example, through
- a strong CI in terms of design, tonality, etc. that emphasises aesthetics over form
- a clear image that is embodied (e.g. Nike: innovative, boundless, individual)
- an underlying range of feelings that should be specifically addressed (e.g. BMW - freedom, independence)
- a community of passionate brand ambassadors who publicly share and grow the brand
- authenticity and coherence: Love brands remain true to themselves, rather than changing with the wind.
True love brands therefore have a strong symbolism and use graphic expertise and good storytelling to drive this forward - usually very consistently in one direction. Of course, the image of big brands changes over time - but within a framework that is still credible and allows for polarisation. Love brands don’t want to please everyone, just a few - but they want to do it passionately well.
Why is this more important than ever? Because quality alone is not enough for suppliers to survive in the sea of choice. Consumers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of products and advertising. Instead of constantly weighing up which brand is most likely to meet my purchasing needs, I prefer to trust the brand I already know - and which has convinced others before me. This is another reason why love brands are so successful today: The value proposition factor is playing an increasingly important role in competition. Sustainability, social commitment and openness are the top priorities for many consumers when it comes to choosing a product. Price plays a secondary role as a decision criterion. What matters is whether I can identify with a brand - and whether I feel well represented when I show/wear/use it.
Brand love doesn’t necessarily last forever
Of course, like any relationship, brand love has a half-life: it can fade, weaken and flare up again. But the deeper the love, the longer it tends to last. And that depth is largely determined by two things: our unconscious individual preferences and the quality of the brand’s marketing.
The prerequisite for this is that the brand delivers what it promises in the long term. It is true that the more I feel connected to a brand I love, the more I “forgive” it. But of course there are limits to my patience: If the prices rise exorbitantly or the brand repeatedly commits gross image violations, then at some point it has messed up - love or no love.
And then something can happen that also happens in interpersonal relationships: love turns into strong rejection. Once-satisfied customers are then the ones who do the most damage to the brand, because they vehemently advise against it.
What does this mean for your employer brand?
The mechanisms of Love Brands, which can be bought, can also be applied to other brands. For example, employer brands. At a time when things like commitment, social values and creative development are becoming increasingly important in the choice of employer, companies also need to work more with emotion and positioning than with purely rational benefits such as holidays and salary.
This applies not only to recruitment, but perhaps even more so to retention. Of course, if you want your employees to stay with your company, you need good conditions. But that’s not enough. People want to work for brands they can identify with and trust - they love brands. And if your company becomes such a brand - not only for customers, but also for employees - you will not only have more productive teams, but also people who believe in their work - and are happy to show it to the outside world, thus attracting new employees and securing new good specialists.
Strong brands learn - does yours?
A great employer brand includes good working conditions, authentic values - and an openness and willingness to develop. If you want to offer your employees learning programmes that they love, that deliver real learning outcomes, and that help your organisation become an employer brand with substance, then let’s talk. We would be happy to discuss your options with you over a digital coffee, free of charge and without obligation!
