Who loves your brand?

As we all know, brand awareness is great, but it doesn’t drive sales. The regular route (at a high-level) is made of awareness, engagement, conversion and loyalty.

Whilst there’s definitely a lot of work needed beforehand to reach the loyalty stage, that's the one I really like to focus on. So much in fact that I rather call it brand love.

Emotions are fundamental to develop and nurture brand communication - in fact, the connections consumers make with brands can be as strong as the relationships they have with people. 

Research shows that up to 75% of purchases are based on emotions, so marketing strategies must focus on building & strengthening the relationship between the brand and its audience - that is, building brand love.

Consumers want brands that have personality and communicate in a human way. According to the APCO Emotional Linking research from 2013, the most popular qualities that drive engagement and brand love are Admiration, Approachability, Curiosity, Empowerment, Identification, Pride, Relevance and Understanding.

But how do you do it?

• Start by identifying the emotional attachment consumers have or can have to your brand, then filter the exact emotions that you should focus on to create a positive impact. This will require an in-depth data analysis of your brand from all perspectives - in other words, geek up that love!
• Benchmark. Can you identify any competitors using brand love strategies? Do you think it’s working for them? If not, why? If it is, how can you make yours stand-out? Don’t repeat what your competitors are doing - do it better.
• Adapt your strategy to build and maintain a real relationship with your audience - that means transparency, reliability and commitment. Storytelling and a human tone of voice will open an array of opportunities to nurture your relationship.

In summary, don’t let your audience feel they’ve been “marketed to”, but instead create an environment of inclusivity and honesty. By making your brand one that people are proud to be connected with, you’re turning customers into fans. Once that happens, they will naturally advocate your brand to the world.

And that, my friend, is the best marketing you can possibly have.