It should always feel like this.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a restaurant, a retail store, a website, a bank, a doctor’s office, a manufacturing plant or a creative firm; ask yourself this: Is the work you are doing today going to have that kind of effect on your customers? On your clients? On your fans?
Is your work really going to connect with the people you are doing this for?
Are they going to fall in love with it? Is it going to impact their lives? Is it going to inspire them? Make them smile? Wow them?
When they talk to their friends about you, will it be with awe? Will they be singing your praises?
Are you a lovebrand? (Incidentally, check out Lovemarks.com. Interesting little concept.)
If not, stop what you’re doing. Put your pen down. Look around you. Think about why you’re there, sitting at your desk. Think about the project you’re working on. It could be a product launch. It could be a new menu. It could be a new floor display. A promotion. A party. A speech.
It could be anything.
Remarkable always hits the mark. Lovebrands always win.
The key to becoming a lovebrand is simply to love your customers first. I mean… seriously. Love them. Fall in love with them.
I’m not kidding.
Read Peter Drucker’s words in this post about purpose.
If you’re a coffee shop, love them enough to give them the best cup of coffee they’ve ever had. If you’re a retail outlet, give them the best shopping experience they’ve ever had. Love them like you love a best friend. Do what you know will make them happy. Get to a point where you truly feel joy and pride when they love what you’ve done for them. When it enriches their lives. When you truly become part of it in some way.
Everything you do should be for them, not for you.
What you do, what your company is about, how you design your products, how you interact with your customers, none of it isn’t about like. It’s about love.
Either you’re involved in a wonderful love affair with your customers and clients, or you aren’t.
That is what fundamentally sets great brands apart from the rest of the crowd: Love.
Talk to a graphic designer about their Mac. Talk to a driver about their BMW. Talk to a photographer about their Canon lenses. Talk to a foodie about their favorite dessert. Love.
So, once again…
Buying a product. Bringing it home. Taking it out of the box. Pressing PLAY. Turning the first page. Pulling the cork. Clipping-in. Biting into the first slice. Slipping into it. Walking into the new store. Spraying it on. Plugging it in. Connecting the pieces. Reading the owner’s manual. Taking it for a spin. Just looking at it. Sharing it with a loved one. Holding it in your hand.
It should always feel like this.
photo copyright olivier blanchard 2005
What a great article! It made me stop and really think. Thank you!
🙂
People hate to hear it because it sounds so wishy washy, but you’re right – in business, love always wins.
I made this tweet the other day, maybe I’ll send it out into the universe again.
“Think of the things you do for (mother, girlfriend, best friend, lover) just because you know it will make her smile. Now you know the kind of intimacy necessary for good marketing. “
Thanks. Yeah, that’s a great way to put it.
I think this is a post many of us should re-read over and over again periodically. Sometimes it is very easy to lose focus and forget that “Love” is the key to unlocking many things (even new business relationships).
I have seen how “Love” has created great relationships at some of my clients and I have also seen the other side how so many people fall in love with the wrong employees, consultants, leadership, partners, suppliers, and the list can go on. In many of these cases the main reason why these harmful relationships are kept is because people feel in “Love” instead of sharing the love.
Who ever shares the love with their customers and everyone that is key in your business will always have a long term advantage over those people that are doing well because their client fell in love for the wrong reasons.
I try my hardest to make sure that once I finish a project I have impacted my client in a positive way and in some way improved their environment while I was present.
Just as you would take care of your significant other, most of the time you need to show affection to your clients and let them know it is a two way channel that you are not only on the receiving side.
Thanks again for such a great article I will Bookmark it and also link it to my website so other people can take advantage of all the great, simple, and practical advice.
In Dr. Gru voice…
Light bulb.
>:)
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[…] Love: How the Essence of a Brand Fuels its Purpose: at The Brandbuilder Blog. It’s all about passion, people. […]
Oliver:
For Suzannah (above comment), your post made her think. Yes it does. It also made me “feel.” Therefore, the post “works” as you intended it to. Mission accomplished. Congrats!
Marc LeVine
Director of Social Media
RiaEnjolie, Inc.
http://www.RiaEnjolie.com
[…] this article to know how the essence of a brand fuels its […]
We loved your article. You are so correct because love is perhaps the only thing in this earth which can melt away even the strongest of strong enemies. Hence, in marketing too its impact is palpable.
Quality is one of the most important deciding factors. But other than quality it is true love through which you can win people’s heart. You should be able to come across as someone who cares and feels about the customers strongly. You have to rise way above a buyer and seller relationship and strike a chord that lasts a life time. When ever people hear about your product, they should be able to relate to it and cherish the fond association they have with your brand.
Thanks once again for touching upon such a beautiful aspect of marketing. We have linked your article to our blog which blog.atlassoft.com.
We shall be looking forward to reading more wonderful posts in the future.
We loved your article. You are so correct because love is perhaps the only thing in this earth which can melt away even the strongest of strong enemies. Hence, in marketing too its impact is palpable.
Quality is one of the most important deciding factors. But other than quality it is true love through which you can win people’s heart. You should be able to come across as someone who cares and feels about the customers strongly. You have to rise way above a buyer and seller relationship and strike a chord that lasts a life time. When ever people hear about your product, they should be able to relate to it and cherish the fond association they have with your brand.
Thanks once again for touching upon such a beautiful aspect of marketing. We have linked your article to our blog which blog.atlassoft.com.
We shall be looking forward to reading more of your writing in future.
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[…] reading this great blog post (Love: How the essence of a brand fuels its purpose.) from Olivier Blanchard @thebrandbuilder I made […]
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