Lovemarks Campus

What will influence consumer loyalty when a brand is experiencing tough times? Helen Nobre of Nova University of Lisbon finds that Intimacy is the key to lasting relationships.

The character of the ‘hero’ has been central to human narrative and reflects the traits that our society admires and aspires to. Who we consider heroes will differ based on variables like culture, age and location, but unanimously, heroes are people we Respect and Love.

Hans Villarica from ‘The Atlantic’ interviews Susan Fournier, Associate Professor in Marketing and Dean’s Research Fellow at Boston University, on her seminal research on brand relationship theory and why it’s not just a metaphor.

This paper “investigates feelings of attachment and love through two empirical consumer studies of two different grocery retailer brands.” The findings imply that image, value and social responsibility affect love-levels.

This year, Lovemarks Campus hopes to have earned your Respect as a resource for interesting journal articles, papers, exercises and workshops, case stories and insights on Lovemarks, emotional marketing and consumer learning. Our challenge next year is to grow our engagement with you and move into the Love quadrant.

Though levels of fanboyism vary in intensity from higher than usual levels of enthusiasm to sheer obsession, what is consistent is the degree of devotion and fierce protectiveness these fans have for the brands they love. Fanboys, like sport-fanatics, get the concept of Loyalty Beyond Reason.

Tire brands like Michelin, Goodyear and Dunlop may be familiar to us, but what is the emotional equity of these brands? Let’s look at some examples of how tire brands are harnessing Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy to lead them on the journey towards Lovemarks.

Pasta was recently reported as the world’s most favorite food ahead of meat and rice in a study by Oxfam, and in 2010, US sales of dry pasta reached 1.04 billion pounds. But though it is a kitchen staple and people are happy to eat pasta several times a week, do you love your brand of pasta or did you buy it for convenience and value?

“This study attempts to increase our understanding of the phenomenon of love specifically in the apparel and grocery retailing contexts…The empirical results show that customer love is predicted by perceived relationship investment, hedonic store experience, and symbolic store experience.”

Storytelling has been long known to be an effective tool to engage and connect with people. To give you a sense of some innovative approaches in storytelling, here is a selection of methods used by brands in different markets to extend the reach, participation and emotional connection they have with consumers.

A brand must deliver on Performance, Trust and Reputation in addition to the more creative elements of Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy if it is to develop lasting and meaningful relationships with consumers. Without Respect, a brand is just a Fad or Commodity on the Love / Respect Axis.

Like in all great journeys, this exercise is about storytelling. By describing where a brand is in its journey towards being Irresistible by writing it in the form of a postcard, new perspectives can be gained on where the brand has been, where it is now, and where it is going.

Do expensive wines really taste better? According to a study (2008) by the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University, wine tastes better if people think it’s expensive. Hugh Johnson, a wine writer for The Sunday Times said that the same type of reaction is common for people viewing designer label clothing.

In an ad for the dating site eHarmony, there is line that describes an ideal match as meeting someone who “says I love you, not I’ll call you.” It brings to mind the debate of ‘Like’ vs ‘Love’. Is it enough for people to like a brand rather than love it? What will a brand get in return for pursuing such commitment anyway? Love sounds like such hard work.