The Quisenblog

The poet Maya Angelou perhaps said it best: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Effective marketing has always been about storytelling, but for the longest time the stories we told appealed to the intellect and were of the “factual” variety: this detergent has 25% more cleansing power; three out of four dentists prefer this brand of toothpaste; this brand of peanut butter is free of hydrogenated oils, etc. As marketers, we were trying to plant “thoughts” about a brand or product into a prospect’s mind.

Today, the role of marketing storytelling has evolved to include feelings about brands. It is going beyond logic to enabling emotional connections that have less and less to do with the actual function of the product itself.

The strongest brands have always evoked strong emotions from its users. Kleenex. Campbell’s Soup. Jeep. Nike. Feelings build loyalty and the feeling of community.

Since the emergence of Social Media, we now have endless opportunities to learn about our customers and enrich their brand experiences.

So as part of your marketing or creative brief, why not ask simply, “How do we want our customers to feel when considering or using our product”? The answer to that simple question should open up a lot of possibilities for you. Instead of relying totally on “reason” to win a customer, you’ll think more in terms of the entire brand experience.

Some marketing gurus refer to this as “360-degree marketing,” but really, it’s an acknowledgment that in today’s world of marketing, feelings trump thoughts every time.

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey On Customers, Social Media 360-degree marketing, brand communities, brand connections, brand experiences, brand feeling, brand loyalty, creative brief, Maya Angelou

This week’s social media blog posts:
Monday: Using Social Media to address your pain points.
Tuesday: Use Social Media to give your customers a seat at the table.
Wednesday: Picking a face for the organization.
Thursday: Picking a face, part 2.
Friday: Give away your expertise.

(This is the fourteenth in our series of Social Media posts for the month of October. We look forward to your feedback on this series.)

For some people, a car is a way to get around town, a breakfast cereal is something you eat in the morning, and a radio station is something you listen to on your way to work.

For others, some of the brands they drive, eat or listen to are as much a part of who they are as the hairstyle they have or the hobbies they love.

Social Media gives brands the opportunity to create a place for those who are passionate about the brand to meet, share and give feedback. It is an opportunity to “look into the lives” of your most passionate users, and engage them in a way that makes your product offerings even more relevant to them.

Here is an example of a brand engaging with its followers on a much deeper level. It is the Facebook page of indie/alternative rock station KEXP in Seattle. By looking at the content provided by fans, it becomes obvious that for the passionate follower, KEXP is not in the music-delivery business, the station is in the “lifestyle” business—interested in the cultural and lifestyle interests of its followers. This helps shape the product of the station itself, and creates a deeper connection within the community. Suddenly being a KEXP person speaks not only to one’s preferences in music, but as a description of his overall lifestyle.

Feedback from visitors and fans can be interpreted as an invitation to engage at a deeper level. It is important to understand what of value your community is getting from you, then find ways to provide more of that for them. And of course, it is important to listen. Use MySpace, Facebook or Twitter as forums for consumers to convey passion for the brands. Monitor the commentary and adjust the marketing messages accordingly. Ask opinions. All this is just another way of saying to your most passionate followers “we hear you.”

Posted by Mickey

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Mickey Social Media brand connections, brand engagement, brand passion, lifestyle, opinions, Value