Lovemarks Campus

A study recently published in the journal of Wine Economics and Policy attempts to understand if the type of stories told by 132 chateaux members of the Union des Grands Crus provided insight into the brand positioning of each vintage, and if the type of stories told had an effect on price level.

This paper takes a case study approach and “explores the brand management strategies of Sanrio’s iconic character Hello Kitty, a cat epitomising cuteness and innocence.”

A review of more than 1000 craft breweries, this paper from Victoria University, Melbourne, explores the importance of myths, folklores and heroes in humanizing craft beer brands. Such approaches are found to strengthen the emotion connection that such brands have with consumers.

“Designed for a wide variety of business challenges, the book shows how narrative can help: define culture and values; engender creativity and innovation; foster collaboration and build relationships; provide coaching and feedback; lead change; and more.”

The meaning of stories is unique and personal to each individual. How people interpret stories is affected by factors such as age, previous events and experiences, and cultural context. A well-told story is good, but selecting the best place and time can make it great.

This Master’s thesis looks at Lovemarks theory and analyzes consumer stories to obtain insight on the drivers behind brand love. It also uses the photo elicitation technique to “evoke feelings, stories, and memories in order to provide a new perspective on the theory of brand love”.

Retail is one environment where brands can create the context for which great stories occur. By drawing an audience to interact and participate with the retail environment, brands can create a door to wonder, excitement and discovery. Here are some stores that have successfully developed narratives for their consumers.

The growing interest in ‘secret’ offerings and member-only deals also come from the fact that sales are ubiquitous and deals are a dime a dozen. Shoppers still want to feel special, but not from the massive discounts that everyone else is getting.

Dreams are such an important part of creating Mystery because it speaks to people on very deep, personal levels. It involves emotion and storytelling, fantasy and reality. Here are some recent examples of how brands are creating dream-like experiences for their audiences.

Why is the art of the narrative the ultimate vehicle for reaching audiences in the Age of Now? Storytelling involves participation, language, images and action. It ignites the audience and encourages them to go on an emotional journey with the storyteller.

This study investigates how storytelling affects brand experience. In an experiment, one test group was exposed to a firm’s story and another group was not. Interviews were conducted to assess opinions.

In the fast paced chaos of daily life, people want brands to be more than just brands – they want connections that provide meaningful relationships. To maximize this opportunity, brands need to show people that they have a personality that is worth getting close to.

Mexico is the world’s largest bottled water market and alone is expected to be worth $13 billion by 2015. With more companies entering this competitive market, how do brands instill a sense of Mystery to a product as ubiquitous as bottled water?

Digital communication is now a table stakes. It’s not a question of will you have a digital component to your business or campaign, but rather how you will use this platform to move your brand towards being a Lovemark. Now that we’re all sitting comfortable on the digital boat, where do we go from here?