Are you a Lovemark? The Journey to Becoming a Beloved Brand

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So would you? Would you have your wedding at Starbucks? How about your reception? Let's switch venues: how about at Taco Bell or Subway?

While I have never heard of a Taco Bell reception, I have been tracking the phenomenon of Starbucks weddings and receptions since I worked on my first book about the company in 2006, titled The Starbucks Experience . The phenomenon of engagements, marriages, and receptions at brands like Starbucks or another company about which I have written, Zappos, demonstrates what it means to be a "lovemark. The term "lovemark" as opposed to "trademark" was coined by Kevin Roberts in his book of the same name .

According to Kevin, Lovemarks:

Are super-evolved brands.

Inspire loyalty beyond reason.

Are a game-breaking opportunity to reinvent branding.

Connect the company, their people and their brands.

Create the energy of lifetime relationships.

Belong to their customers.

Are the ultimate premium profit generator

In my book, "Leading the Starbucks Way ," I explore a model of brand love created by Graham Robertson, president of the brand strategy firm - Beloved Brands. Graham’s model defines brands along a continuum of customer emotional connection that goes from indifference to liking it to loving it and ultimately to being a beloved brand for life. The key to the last category is that customers view the brand as a form of “self-expression,” where they are outspoken fans who will not switch loyalties because they have formed lifelong memories connected to the brand.

Brand love has power in the marketplace. Beloved brands get more positive media attention, they have increased social media followings and viral marketing campaigns, and as we are all coming to learn, more weddings and significant life events either in their buildings or with their products and services prominently displayed (e.g., think of Star Wars-themed weddings as an example).

Your goal may not be to have customers say “I do” at your dry-cleaning business or your sushi restaurant, but it is to have them say “they do" when referencing you. For example,

"They do allow me to express myself."

"They do serve as an extension of my identity."

"They do create a special emotional place for me through the memorable experiences they produce."

Tips on being a "Lovemark" or "Beloved Brand for Life"

1. Build Emotional Connections: Connect with your customers on an emotional level through exceptional customer service, personalized experiences, and creating a welcoming environment.
2. Enable Self-Expression: Encourage customers to express themselves through your brand by offering customizable products, creating a community space, and sharing customer stories.
3. Create Memorable Experiences: Focus on positive and memorable customer experiences by paying attention to details and consistently delivering high-quality service.
4. Leverage Social Media: Use social media to engage with customers and build a loyal community by highlighting customer experiences and creating content that resonates with your audience.
5. Encourage Word-of-mouth Marketing: Encourage customers to share their experiences and promote your brand organically.

A customer engagement metric created by Gallup includes two questions that get at the heart of "belovedness." To gauge yourself, imagine your customers being asked to rate you on a 0-10 scale based on the following:

• I can't imagine a world without (your brand).
• (Your brand) is perfect for someone like me.

Fully engaged customers give 10s to both questions. How can you earn those 10s and beloved brand (lovemark) status?

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This downloadable infographic summarizes the content mentioned above. Feel free to share or post it.

To learn more about elevating your business to beloved brand status, please get in touch with me at?josephmichelli.com/contact .