Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy

Once in a while, you stumble upon a gem of a book which you cannot put down. That happened to me recently, when I read Lovemarks (authored by Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts who blogs here). Apparently, Kevin was in town recently as part of the Global Brand Forum but unfortunately, work commitments made it difficult for me to catch him live in action. Maybe next time.

There are several key ideas in Lovemarks which I found very useful (and which I blogged about before). One of these was that brands (which can be products, places, events or people) that resonated emotionally with people have these three key elements:

1) Mystery
– Great stories
– Past, present and future (heritage?)
– Taps into dreams
– Myths and icons
– Inspiration

2) Sensuality (elements of experiential marketing here)
– Sound
– Sight
– Smell
– Touch
– Taste

3) Intimacy
– Commitment
– Empathy
– Passion

According to Kevin, these elements help to make a truly great love stand out. Hmmm…. I suppose romance is somehow linked to either 3) or 1) somewhat. So how does one create the love for one’s brands? Here are some tips from Lovemarks:

1) Be Passionate – Its all or nothing. Consumers can smell a fake a mile off.

2) Involve Customers – Make them a part of the action so that there is a sense of ownership from the onset.

3) Celebrate Loyalty – Be consistent and find opportunities to thank your long time customers.

4) Find, Tell & Retell Great Stories – This is where the mystery and romance of brands come in. Tales of passion, triumph and imagination. Things that can stir something deep inside us.

5) Accept Responsibility – I guess in love you need to be committed and fervent.

Useful stuff there if you ask me. Let me end with one of the many useful quotable quotes from the book:

“Love is a canvas pattern furnished by Nature, and embroidered by imagination.” Voltaire