June 1st, 2009
by Pamela Sherman
It may sound funny, but to create a powerful brand of value and loyalty, you need to evoke true emotional affection! Whether your company is small, medium or large, it’s highly valuable to create a brand. It’s the immediate identity the market has of your company. A good brand identity with a heart-felt customer affinity is like a currency — it translates into greater opportunity and success!
Create a Love for Your Business & Your Brand!
As part of your brand-building strategy, strive not only to be well liked, but to also be LOVED. Tap into the love of what you do and whom you serve… and focus on creating a company culture that people want to be a part of! (Think of the passion ‘Apple’ fans have…)
With decades of relationship marketing experience, I can say that to accomplish this, you need to develop your distinctive personality and true connective outreach in service of your customers. Build relationships with customers, support their real needs and desires while solving problems and generating enthusiasm.
Just as in life, customer relationships are the ‘ships’ that carry us through the roughest business waters.
Branding with relationship marketing goes beyond image. By it’s very essence, substance is more important than just an image. A false and disconnected image can only last so long. It has to ring true, especially with today’s customers who are more educated and discerning than ever.
I am happy to see in my research more advertising agencies and businesses starting to embrace the emotional, true connective nature of good, healthy marketing. Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi recently created lovemarks.com, which highlights the connections and stories that people have around the world with various businesses and products. –Love the concept. 
Energy in Motion is “E-MOTION”!!!!!
Web Marketing Therapy Related Links:
- What’s in a Brand? 4 Essential Elements for Building a Powerful Personal Brand to Enhance Your Online Reputation
- SMALL BUSINESS: Create a Powerful “ORGANIZATION” by Tapping into it’s Meaning
- Get your small business brand building up in this down economy
- Business Inspiration: Create Your Luck!
Lisa
(June 10th, 2009 at 7:51 am)
Great point. I’ve been hearing that a lot lately but I’m not quite sure how to put into action practically speaking. If I have a company twitter profile, how personal should I be getting??
Pamela Sherman
(June 10th, 2009 at 3:59 pm)
Thanks Lisa, for your post and FABULOUS question! There are some gray areas of opinion here, but here’s mine:
The key is that people want to feel like they are \IN THE KNOW\ and part of something SPECIAL — It’s the big attracting force behind social networking (information that’s not the corporate shell of information we’re used to reading).
Think of your customers/market and what they’re interested in? What special stories or tidbits can be shared about the people behind your business, making it interesting and unique? –In addition, always be aware of how the elements of what you share connect in some way with the values of your brand and culture (don’t go against them!). Share information and stories of interest, value, and/or enjoyment. Good humor is big, as I always say, it’s \the shortest shortest distance between two people.\ But, you always need to USE DISCRETION. Sharing hobbies, unique interests, etc. is good. Even revealing truths and some struggles are fine… (we’re all human and connect through these). However, anything \off-color\ anything is not good!
Write what you still can be proud and enthused about… and have fun!!!!
Hope this helps. Write in at any time!
-Pamela
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Web Marketing Therapy » Blog Archive » Business & Marketing Success: What’s LOVE got to do with it?
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[...] Introspectively assess you and your teams’ unique strengths, passions and desires. When they are complementarily translated and expressed in your marketing outreach, it powerfully impacts your organization and your customers. Your company will simply stand out. And, customers naturally respond well to enthusiasm and authenticity. (See the Blog entitled “Create a Powerful Brand – Get Connected & Emotional!”) [...]