My lovely female companion (about whom I can say nothing bad) has a tendency to, well… how shall I put it? To fall in love!
No, no, she doesn’t flirt with other men. Nor does she have amorous weekends when I’m not home. None of that.
“Never mind!” she retorted. “I want him!”
What I mean is that she falls in love with brands so quickly. With products. With cute, adorable things that are packaged in such a sympathetic way: handbags, dresses, Your error is no longer in your list of embarrassing phone number libraries. Not to mention we were updating our phone number library week after week! Based On: That list web site data bаѕiз, ѵhі. p siz or vоlum and hi rr оlutin Because middle east mobile number list we manual the records by peoples professionals thats why get one hundred% accurate effects in our telephone number library Complete but up to date until Aug 2024 Our phone quantity library include many days n nights guide. hats, sunglasses, kettles, skin creams, olive oil, you name it.
Recently she brought Loqi to my attention .
Oh well, we all have our weaknesses, I guess. We live in a society where brands are the new gods. Have you ever seen the lines outside Apple stores the first week a new iPhone is on the market?
What makes one person fall in love with a phone and another with a linen bag? I consulted my colleagues. I asked them: what is your favorite sympathetic brand? And why?
I wanted to investigate the matter in great detail. And I did.
What makes a brand stand out?
But before we get to the answers of my brilliant colleagues, let’s first dive into the theory. Because of course, among us, the marketers of this world, there is a general theory about what makes a brand stand out. Yes, I say stand out . You could say that this is something different than being likeable . To that I say: the way a brand stands out positively determines the degree of likeability that people have for it. Voilà.
The theory states that a distinctive brand meets one or more of the following characteristics (preferably all of them).
Originality
Your brand must be original. Are you a weak imitator of a competitor? Your target audience will see right through it. If your message consists of nothing more than pre-digested sales pitches and clichés, no potential customer will embrace your brand. Try to find an approach that your competitors don’t have. Develop your own voice and image as a brand. Invest in good branding.
2. Sincerity
Your brand needs to show a level of sincerity. If your company only responds to social media or emails with standardized messages, you will quickly be seen as a machine without a soul. Be human. Address your customers as you would a friend. If you as a company do not know how to do these things properly, take a training course.
Understanding
The most popular brands are those that understand their target audience. This understanding comes through addressing topics that are relevant to the target audience. Are you a pool automation company? Write a blog in the fall about the challenges pool owners face with leaves in their pool. You create a connection with your target audience. This ultimately leads to more interaction, which drives traffic to your website or store. And that leads to higher conversions.
Consistency
Make sure you consistently present your message. Always dare to speak with the voice you chose in step 1. Always show your true face. If you don’t, your target group will lose interest. Therefore, make sure you establish your brand standards and communicate them to all employees of your company. Make sure everyone understands why they should communicate in that way. They need to adopt your voice.
Visibility
If (potential) customers don’t see your brand, they won’t be able to respond to it in any way. Especially when you’re just starting your brand, you need to make it as visible as possible. Use all the possibilities to reinforce your strategy. For example, publish on reputable, external websites that are related to your industry. (Motionmill does this too.) Use the power of social media . Invest in advertising or brochures and other graphic material . As long as you make sure that people see you .
Tip! Read the article What is participation marketing and what can you do with it as an entrepreneur?
7. Added value
There are several ways to add value to your brand. Offer better products or services. If you have a product that is comparable or better in quality than the competitor, but you offer it cheaper, it won’t be long before there are queues outside your store.
Unfortunately, for most brands, it is not possible to operate this way without cutting into profit margins. Instead, you can give your customers the best customer service. Or you can offer high-quality content (such as blog articles) on your website. Do you have a travel agency? Write stories about the coolest destinations. Do you have a communications agency in Antwerp ? Write articles that help entrepreneurs make more money . Many companies invest in storytelling to add value to their brand.
So far…
…the theory. Now it is time for practice. To what extent does the above correspond with the answers of my colleagues?
The most likable brands ever (according to my colleagues)
Mark | Idea cannon and co-owner
Favorite Friendly Brand: Tenkara USA
Mark says: ‘Tenkara USA makes simple products for anglers, but they are great at creating atmosphere and emotions through stories. In their online magazine, MountEN, they combine storytelling with practical tips for anglers like me. What I admire is the fact that they also extend their image to their social media. This brand really speaks with one voice in all their communications!’
My evaluation: From Mark’s argument I notice that he appreciates Tenkara USA because of several characteristics from the theory:
Want to know why and how to give meaning to your brand? Read this article:
Entrepreneurship in the meaning economy: how do you do it?
My evaluation: When I hear our Dirk rave about Apple, it becomes clear to me that it is mainly the courage of this American brand that is appreciated. But the originality of Apple is also a reason for Dirk to idolize it. Well, when I ask further (and I did, which was followed by a half-hour love speech from Dirk to Apple), it becomes clear that Apple possesses all the characteristics of a strong brand: they are sincere , show understanding , are consistent and (particularly) visible , and add enormous added value to their products by, well… simply being Apple. I understand Dirk a little.
Photo source: Michał Kubalczyk on Unsplash
Jennifer | Conjures websites out of her (talented) sleeve
Favorite sympathetic brands: Coup de chocolat , HNST and Pela Case
Jennifer says (with a tear in the corner of her eye): It’s great that more and more sustainable brands are emerging. Take Coup de chocolat for example: they sell locally made Belgian chocolate. The beans are transported CO2-neutrally by sailboat to Amsterdam and then transported by bike to Antwerp. The courage it takes to run a business this way! They are without a doubt the only chocolate manufacturer that works this way. I admire it enormously! I also have great respect for HNST: they make jeans from old jeans. Pela Case creates original mobile phone covers from plastic that has been collected from the sea. These are companies that really do CSR and don’t just use it as a marketing pitch!
Jennifer’s favorite brands are certainly original !
There is a lot of courage in what they do: they do not choose the easiest way, but sincerely believe in something and consistently carry out their conviction in all their actions. Just like the products that colleague Hannelore mentioned, Jennifer’s brands have enormous added value . More companies make chocolate, but who uses a sailboat and bicycles to protect the environment in the process?
My evaluation: If there is one thing Coca-Cola is good at, it is goals in yandex metrica 14 scenarios consistency . Year after year, you are bombarded with the recognizable red color and the graceful letters from the logo in advertisements on TV, on the internet and on the street. Brainwashing? Yes, but in a pleasant way. Just look at our Floor: she thinks the drink is disgusting, but admires the brand!
Photo source: Karolina Grabowska on Pexels
Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.
Geoffrey Zakarian
Too nice?
The above quote says a lot about the perception my colleagues agb directory have of the brands mentioned. Having a clear picture of what you stand for as a brand and staying true to it are essential for success in the short and long term.
Success… can we have too much of it?
Take the sustainable bags from Loqi as an example. Super cool idea, to make people stop using polluting plastic bags. But what is the result of all the hipness surrounding the brand? What have the dozens of sparkling designs led to? People want to start a collection. Well, it’s not only my dearly beloved wonder woman who gets butterflies in her stomach from nice brands. Result: the environmentally friendly aspect of the bags is completely negated, because no person on earth needs a pile of reusable, indestructible bags.
