How do I love thee? If you are a brand, I love how you make me feel.
In her Sonnet 43 Elizabeth Barrett Browning asks, "How do I love thee?" and counts the ways she does so. Her exposition makes it clear just how ridiculous it is to assert that people love brands. I doubt that there are any brands in your life that you love to "the depth and breadth and height" your soul can reach. People can love how brands make them feel, but only to a degree.
The Crosstrek does not inspire me in the same way that the R32 did, nor do I relate to the dads portrayed in the Subaru ads (I understand the emotion portrayed, but not having kids cannot experience that feeling in the same way). However, that simply means that the Crosstrek joins the many brands in my life that might make me feel good in some small way, if only because they solve a problem. So, the Crosstrek provides reliable, if unexciting, transport. Good enough for now.
"This reminds me of a quote I heard years ago, "I tell my friends about your brand not because I like your brand, but because I like my friends." It struck me as an interesting way to frame the discussion about how to build a strong brand."
And it is. I do not think most people talk about a brand because they love it. They talk about a brand because they love that it gives them something to say, because they love that it is a badge that represents their values, because they love that it gets them attention.
A disservice to marketing
In 2004, Kevin Roberts did the world of marketing a huge disservice when he published the book Lovemarks and proposed that love could create loyalty to brands that goes beyond reason. The proposition is just pure hyperbole. We need to accept that people are not often loyal to brands. Provided there is no effort or cost involved, most people will happily swap any brand they use for what they perceive to be a better alternative. And we need to accept that few brands prompt passion from many people.
In 2004, Kevin Roberts did the world of marketing a huge disservice when he published the book Lovemarks and proposed that love could create loyalty to brands that goes beyond reason. The proposition is just pure hyperbole. We need to accept that people are not often loyal to brands. Provided there is no effort or cost involved, most people will happily swap any brand they use for what they perceive to be a better alternative. And we need to accept that few brands prompt passion from many people.
Guilty of saying I love my car
Now, as I admitted in a previous post, in the past I have been guilty of saying I love my car. The car in question was a 2008 Golf R32. It was a performance car disguised as a regular Mark V Golf, a wolf in sheep's clothing. As the designation implies, it came with a 250 horsepower, 3.2-liter V6 engine and a 4-wheel drive system to help hold the road. It was fast, responsive, and nimble, and sounded great. Like Nick Murray in this video, I was prone to saying, "I really love it."
Now, as I admitted in a previous post, in the past I have been guilty of saying I love my car. The car in question was a 2008 Golf R32. It was a performance car disguised as a regular Mark V Golf, a wolf in sheep's clothing. As the designation implies, it came with a 250 horsepower, 3.2-liter V6 engine and a 4-wheel drive system to help hold the road. It was fast, responsive, and nimble, and sounded great. Like Nick Murray in this video, I was prone to saying, "I really love it."
Positive feelings
But did I really love that car, or did I love how it made me feel? Did I love the exhilaration that came with pushing the accelerator to the floor? Did I love the snarl of the twin exhaust that signified I was driving something special? Did I love the confidence that its handling inspired in winter conditions? Did I love the knowledge that I possessed one of only 5000 made? Did I love the ego-boost when aficionados who recognized the car gave me the thumbs up? Sad to say, it was probably all of those.
But did I really love that car, or did I love how it made me feel? Did I love the exhilaration that came with pushing the accelerator to the floor? Did I love the snarl of the twin exhaust that signified I was driving something special? Did I love the confidence that its handling inspired in winter conditions? Did I love the knowledge that I possessed one of only 5000 made? Did I love the ego-boost when aficionados who recognized the car gave me the thumbs up? Sad to say, it was probably all of those.
Loyal to a degree
Did those feelings make me loyal to that car beyond reason? No. Loyal to a degree, might be a better way to put it. Loyal till the rusting sills and a $5,000 repair bill pushed me over the edge. Within a couple of hours, I was driving away from the Subaru dealer with a brand new Crosstrek. As someone once noted, hardly a comparable purchase but one that solved my needs quickly and easily at the time.
Did those feelings make me loyal to that car beyond reason? No. Loyal to a degree, might be a better way to put it. Loyal till the rusting sills and a $5,000 repair bill pushed me over the edge. Within a couple of hours, I was driving away from the Subaru dealer with a brand new Crosstrek. As someone once noted, hardly a comparable purchase but one that solved my needs quickly and easily at the time.
Is love what makes a Subaru, a Subaru?
Now, I admit that I am never going to say I love the Crosstrek, no matter that the ads claim, "Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." But then, those Subaru ads are not talking about the car, they are talking about how the car makes the owner feel. As this review from Adweek suggests, the ads try to humanize the how people feel in different situations. Each ad is focused on theme relevant to the car – longevity, safety, versatility and adventure— but shown in a way that resonates with the potential audience. In the best ads, the watcher can empathize with the person portrayed in the ad, like the dad in Baby Driver. I believe that is one of the reasons that Subaru more than doubled its market share over the last decade.
Now, I admit that I am never going to say I love the Crosstrek, no matter that the ads claim, "Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." But then, those Subaru ads are not talking about the car, they are talking about how the car makes the owner feel. As this review from Adweek suggests, the ads try to humanize the how people feel in different situations. Each ad is focused on theme relevant to the car – longevity, safety, versatility and adventure— but shown in a way that resonates with the potential audience. In the best ads, the watcher can empathize with the person portrayed in the ad, like the dad in Baby Driver. I believe that is one of the reasons that Subaru more than doubled its market share over the last decade.
The Crosstrek does not inspire me in the same way that the R32 did, nor do I relate to the dads portrayed in the Subaru ads (I understand the emotion portrayed, but not having kids cannot experience that feeling in the same way). However, that simply means that the Crosstrek joins the many brands in my life that might make me feel good in some small way, if only because they solve a problem. So, the Crosstrek provides reliable, if unexciting, transport. Good enough for now.
Focus on how brands make people feel
All of which is a long-winded way of saying that maybe our marketing would be more effective if we focused on how the role our brands play in people's lives and how those brands make us feel when we use them. I do not love Google, but I am grateful for how it helps me find what I need. I do not love Pete's Coffee, but I do appreciate its taste and role in my morning routine. I do not love my Patagonia jacket, but its practical 3-in-1 design makes it the first one I reach for when traveling.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying that maybe our marketing would be more effective if we focused on how the role our brands play in people's lives and how those brands make us feel when we use them. I do not love Google, but I am grateful for how it helps me find what I need. I do not love Pete's Coffee, but I do appreciate its taste and role in my morning routine. I do not love my Patagonia jacket, but its practical 3-in-1 design makes it the first one I reach for when traveling.
Why people talk about brands in social media
Now I am sure that there are those reading this post who might point to vast crowd of people talking about brands in social media as evidence that people do love brands. But I am reminded of a comment made by Jason Potteiger in response to my LinkedIn post,
Now I am sure that there are those reading this post who might point to vast crowd of people talking about brands in social media as evidence that people do love brands. But I am reminded of a comment made by Jason Potteiger in response to my LinkedIn post,
"This reminds me of a quote I heard years ago, "I tell my friends about your brand not because I like your brand, but because I like my friends." It struck me as an interesting way to frame the discussion about how to build a strong brand."
And it is. I do not think most people talk about a brand because they love it. They talk about a brand because they love that it gives them something to say, because they love that it is a badge that represents their values, because they love that it gets them attention.
Brands are a shortcut to meaning
The true power of a brand is that it is a shortcut to meaning not passion. Some of the best advertising rehearses not just what the brand promises to do but models how people feel because of using it. A brand derives its strength from both what it does and how it makes us feel. It is that combination that gives a brand a meaningful role in our lives, one we can appreciate with quite satisfaction, not love. So, let us stop the giddy pursuit of love and focus on building meaning, shall we? Or do you disagree? Please share your thoughts.
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