The
story remains the same in all of them; Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Snow
White et al, they live happily ever after. Less than desirable beginnings that
ALWAYS end well; unless you’re the evil queen of course.
Lovemarks
is a marketing concept that is intended to replace the idea of brands.
A
brand is a type of product (or service) manufactured (provided) by a particular
company under a particular name.
The
thinking behind lovemarks is that "Brands are running (will eventually
run) out of juice" therefore love is what is needed to rescue brands. Brands
have been riding on what their products can do that it will eventually not be
enough.
A
lovemark is supposed to answer issues that arise from questions like "What
builds loyalty that goes beyond reason?” “What makes a truly great love stand
out?” to mention but a few.
Because
brands are bound to face rollercoasters (on and off seasons, with closure as
the final stage in some cases), it is in the brands’ interest that they become
lovemarks.
Lovemarks,
in theory, tap into human emotion which gives them the upper hand over brands
which can and will always be replaced by functionalities and better selling
positions.
Mubumpi, every brand
manager’s dream is for their brand to become a lovemark.
The
elephant in the room is whether this can be achieved or whether brands are
being naïve like young girls who still believe that there is a Prince Charming
that was born to bring unending happiness into their lives.
Believing
that brands can be tied to emotions that make them invincible no matter the
season thus ensuring that they will forever prosper not only puts pressure on
love but also means that people believe in love, the unending kind whose
existence is debatable.
In
an era where people get married and get divorces after a month yet it was the ‘perfect
couple’ that had others quoting ‘Relationship goals’ on every post they shared,
it almost looks like betting on a lame person winning the race with very many
abled people.
If
people cannot love themselves forever, how are they expected to love a brand to
a point that they transform it to nolonger exhibit normal brand traits?
Even
the famous ‘blood is thicker than water’ does not always pass the test as
parents have disowned their children in the past and siblings have gone on for
years without exchanging so much as a Christmas card.
What
chance then do brands stand to ever becoming lovemarks?
Is
there such a thing as lovemarks in the first place?
Labels: Advertising, Bonds, Brands, Fairy-tales, Love, Lovemarks
