Building a strong brand marriage

If brands are about relationships, why not build a strong brand to marriage?
I am not saying that you actually go with your customers from the corridor. But perhaps the time is come to look at brand relationships in a different way?
We all know that the best brands strong emotional ties to establish with their clients. However, recent research has shown that the best brands it does not stop. Instead they use these emotional connections so far, that their customers feel "married" to the brand.
Customers generally come to strong emotional ties with a brand in two ways. First of all, they represent the product (or the company), so they have a relationship with him as she would with a real person. Sometimes they experience a wide range of emotions, and sometimes even talk about the brand if they interact with the brand, as it would a good friend. Apple Mac users fall into this group.
Secondly, be customers part of a group that shares a common bond around the brand. Harley Davidson and BMW Motorcycle customers fall into this group as the audiences of many software companies do.
For most technologists and scientists this emotional model of branding is just too warm and fuzzy, especially with products that meet functional needs of most. Most companies find it very hard, methodically and systematically create emotional engagement. They find it difficult, if not impossible, to measure and monitor these emotional connections when they occur.
As a result, a strong brand are attempting, marriage to build, many technology companies intact at the altar.
Dedicated customer
Thanks to some pioneering work conducted by the Gallup commitment can organization around the subject of brand brand very soon of the past.
Married in her insightful book with the brand, Gallup the emotional attachment draws on global research and development efforts between 2000 and 2004 complete, necessary, to define a customer on a mark bond. More importantly, they show the basic principles to create the ultimate brand Beziehung--passion for the marketing - and customers move to the point, if they think that no other brand involved.
Fortunately for technology company research with retail luxury brands such as BMW not stop cars, Armani suit or Louis Vitton handbags. Relationships between IT managers and their software providers or between physicians and pharmaceutical companies include also the brand difficult.
Highlights from the research are:
* There are important differences between a customer and a dedicated customer. You not only a customer win for type is. Instead, you strive for customers.
* What it takes to attract to first of all a first-time buyer is very different from stuff that buyer is fully engaged in one to convert customers.
* It is total brand experience, and not just some few isolated elements, the health of the brand marriage determined.
* It takes more than trust to build a long-term relationship of the brand. You must have passion and brand.
* Emotions are strong, profitable, and measurable.
* Each time a customer touches a company, the brand can be improved relationship. Or it can be reduced.
* Successful brand marriages can only by company-wide commitment achieved and aligned, integrated efforts.
Why customers are saying "I do"
The best of Gallup research includes a number of issues, the measure and monitor the strength of the relationship of that exists between a company or a brand and its customers. In the context of its findings, Gallup found that strong answers to these questions are directly linked to increased market share, revenue, profit, and customer loyalty-exactly the kind of research and validation, which emotionless CFOs their teeth in receive.
The questions are divided into two basic categories. The first three questions measure customer satisfaction; the last eight measure the strength of the use of the customer with the brand.
On a 5-point scale from "extremely" (5) to "not at all" (1):
* Overall, how satisfied are you with [brand]?
* Are you how likely continue to choose/repurchase/repeat (if necessary) [brand]?
* How are you [brand], a friend / associate to recommend?
On a 5-point scale of "Stark to voice" (5) to "strong" (1):
* [Trademark] is a name that I can always trust.
* [Brand] delivers on what they promise.
* [Brand] pretty much always treated me.
* If a problem occurs, I can reach [brand] always count on a fair and satisfactory resolution.
* I feel a [brand] [customer, shopper, users, owners] be proud of me.
* [Brand] treated me with respect.
* [Brand] is the perfect [company, product, brand, memory] for people like me.
* I can't imagine a world without [brand].
According to Gallup research show the answers to these questions with remarkable accuracy, whether you think your customers a lifelong partner or a one - night stand. More importantly, they show areas where companies can take focused action to create the relationship and strengthen the brand.
The reality is that your customers want to say the State of your brand relationships. In addition, she would assist to make these relationships even better. Wedding bells chime can for your brand, but only if you ask the right questions, issues closely, hear what your customers want to say, and appropriate action based on what you hear.