How to build a brand's attitude. #brand, #brandattitude, #branding

How do you feel when a stranger approaches you and cracks a joke?

I don’t suppose you, or anyone for the matter would warm up to that stranger. You may wonder about that person. Perhaps it just might raise your suspicions. At the least you may just smile and walk away.

One thing for sure, you definitely won’t buy anything from him right away, would you?

Brands aren’t any different from us humans and we treat them much the same way. It takes time to build trust, credibility, to break ice and finally share jokes. Once likeability is established, a brand can extend the friendship to humour and then stretch that foundation to permissible limits.

 

Unfortunately, many young brands today make the mistake of projecting an attitude much like the stranger. Especially those in the internet and e-commerce space. It’s probably been hardwired into the system by the early dot-com companies who used crass humour to try and gain instant eyeballs which simply has been extended to these app-era start-ups by default. The other mistake young brands make is to take on the existing system or run down traditional practises to establish themselves as iconoclastic rebels in the classical Apple mould.

Research after research throws up that the ‘Stranger’ situation is equally applicable to these brands as well. Consumers find the humour interesting but do not extend the courtesies to purchase or even a favourable opinion about the brand. Similarly brands who merely professes social change or ask radical questions do not draw much water either.

 

Consumer research and behaviour studies indicate that consumers are drawn to brands with:

1.        A unique vision towards which it is taking visible and demonstrable action

2.       A constantly evolving and innovative zeal which the consumer can experience regularly through product and service innovations in their interactions with the brand

3.       A vibrant personality that’s infectious in its enthusiasm and entertaining as a companion

 

Of course there are some categories where anything goes. These are the Re.1 chewing gums and toffee categories where there is really not much of thinking required. 

 

So if you’re sale price is circa Re. 1 do whatever you want to by all means. But if it is not so, then this author advises you to spend your time in crafting your belief, your plans to achieve it and how all of this would add value to the consumer’s life.  By doing so, your brand will create a far more sustainable future for itself, with the caveat: so long as it keeps dreaming and innovating.

 

#branding #brand #brandattitude #attitude
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