1. Deliver visionary innovation. Visionary innovation is the
consistent art of delivering products and services that push the boundaries of
mass imagination. Stop trying to be smaller, smallest, lighter, lightest,
cheaper, cheapest and any other ‘er’ and ‘est’ word. These are the pursuits of
opportunistic challenger brands imitating, capitalizing and nibbling into an
innovator’s market share. They are not the hallmarks of visionary brands that
constantly deliver world-changing innovations that create new markets, rather
than disrupt them. Case Study, Apple.
2. Deliver trusted authority. Loved brands seemingly have no
competition. They are industry stewards and undisputed category leaders. They
are top of mind, top of wallet and the natural selection, consistently at the
highest rung of the purchase or option decision ladder. In the eyes of mass
consumers, the brand is light years ahead and an alternative just does not
exist. Case study, Google.
3. Deliver unquestionable performance. Performance is the
foundation of promise fulfillment. Performance is not questioned, it is simply
enjoyed. Case study, Mercedes-Benz.
4. Deliver consistent confidence. Gaining and retaining customer
confidence is a cradle-to-the-grave pursuit. While liked brands deliver
reliability, loved brands deliver dependable, consistent confidence across
their products, services, distribution channels and locations. Case study,
Starbucks.
5. Deliver stunning art. Brands must deliver art that stuns with
creativity, attention to detail and aesthetic beauty of form and function. Case
study, Harley Davidson.
6. Deliver insider pride. Create products and services with
features that insiders and owners love, talk and brag about, that outsiders can
only enviously desire. Case study, American Express.
7. Deliver tailored possibilities. In a world where products and
services are mass-produced, marketed, distributed and owned, customization and
individuality rank high in consumer preferences. To be loved, companies should
explore and present tailored possibilities. Case study, Nike ID.
8. Deliver authentic value. People love brands that honestly
champion their pursuit for value and hate brands that insult their intelligence
and subsequent right to decide and reconsider. Deliver authentic value in your
terms, conditions, guarantees, warranties, marketing communications and pricing
policies. Stop shaping the perception of value and start delivering it. Case
study, IKEA.
9. Deliver boastful talent. Only brands
that are truly loved from within will ever be loved from the outside. Ignite
internal passion by delivering stellar working terms and conditions for your talent
and they will be your loudest and proudest brand champions, ever. Case study,
DreamWorks Animation SKG.
10. Deliver evident empathy. Social media
has force-opened the gate for brands to properly listen to their customers and
either neglect or empathetically connect. The smartest brands will empathize
and rapidly problem-solve, acting upon online promises and words. Case Study,
Comcast via @comcastcares.
11. Deliver spellbinding magic. Moonwalk
from being liked to loved by delivering inspiring, spellbinding magical serendipitous
moments that leave consumers and audiences believing that the brand experience
was ‘out of this world’. Case study, Michael Jackson.
12. Deliver justified excitement. The
by-product of mass excitement is chaotic, hysterical and frenzied anticipation.
Loved brands always keep rumor mills turning and its lovers guessing about the
next product or service launch. Case study, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
What many brand leaders
fail to grasp and act upon is that love is also the most important relationship
in business. Love transforms a relationship from a simple consumer
connection into a hardened emotional dependency and staunch commitment. Wants become needs and conditional
brand ‘like’ transforms into an illogical, inelastic and unconditional lifetime
‘love’ affair. When love enters
into any equation, money exits wallets and profits surface on balance sheets. In business, you really get what you give.
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