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| All About The Book | FusionBrand Speaking/Seminars | FusionBrand Consulting | Who Is Nick Wreden? | For Media Only |
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The branding cognoscenti proffers a new buzzword: "rational branding." The premise is that branding, especially using Web vehicles, must use logic and context to deliver messages. While context and relevancy are always important, "rational branding" is, in many ways, an oxymoron. A vital part of all branding is emotion. Despite the importance of operational and technological issues, emotion defines the aura of a FusionBrand. Emotion drives FusionBranding in two ways. First, it increases the attraction of the offering, either through subjective appeals to personal or corporate values or by creating a bond with other purchasers. Second, emotion helps establish an attachment that ultimately strengthens customer equity. Although a vital component of this attachment is trust, "comfort," image, tradition and other factors play a role. Customers often claim they purchase rationally. But studies indicate that the factors influencing purchases are 80% emotional and 20% intellectual, even for business-to-business customers. Features and benefits may be used to justify decisions, but the initial motivation is almost always emotional. Will this offering reduce my stress? Be enjoyable to work with? Gain the approval of my bosses/peers? Most of the time, logic clarifies and justifies what are essentially emotional impulses. Emotion is also required to maintain a relationship after purchase. Does this company respect me or my firm? Does its values match my own? Most important, does it "care" about me? Connecting emotions to a brand is a well-practiced art. Disney's (disney.com) legendary ability to connect to the heart extends across generations. Nike imbues its NikeTown stores with the aura of sports heroes while Cadbury Chocolates’ (cadbury.co.uk) Cadbury Park interactively draws customers into the process of designing, producing and packaging chocolate. Even the auto industry is realigning brands around emotion. No longer do manufacturers sell cars. They deliver platforms for transportation, entertainment, safety and quality family time. An initial purchase may be guided by a functional or logical need, but FusionBranding seeks to parlay that into emotional loyalty with a bond based on trust and loyalty. In some ways, customers can potentially relate to a FusionBrand in much the same ways that they relate to human beings. Note how Volkswagen reflected such relationships in its advertising. One ad showed a VW being towed. The caption: "A thing like this could happen, even to a Volkswagen. After all, it's only human." This emotional loyalty leads to the creation of community around the FusionBrand, which results in tribal connections among those with similar relationships to the FusionBrand. How does a FusionBrand build such emotional connections? One way is by sampling or other forms of direct engagement. Haagen-Dazs (haagen-dazs.com) first built its brand by passing out samples on street corners and by opening ice cream parlors in posh hotels and restaurants. It also pioneered cups of ice cream for two people. To counteract an aging image, Guinness (guinness.ie) turned a part of a brewery into a fashionable shop/hangout for young shoppers. Progressive Insurance (progressive.com) adjusters don’t just take down names and numbers at an accident scene. They also provide refreshments, make alternative travel arrangements, and even write checks for repairs on the spot. Experience also builds emotional connections. Consumers buy when they trust, feel confident that processes are centered on them and expect that the purchase will make them feel better. Experiences must meet purchaser emotional needs, as well as their operational ones. The experience extends from the time the customer feels a need to the time through the end of a relationship. By then the emotional connection is often so great that purchasers just don't feel disappointed when companies fail to deliver. Emotional connections are strengthened when FusionBrands can provide congruence with deeply held beliefs, such as personal freedom or family values. They are also formed when they link to major life or business events, such as a new baby, a start-up or a new job or business opportunity. Finally, links are formed when major problems are solved. Finally, an emotional connection is delivered by a community of peers. Such community not only delivers status, but contributes to that powerful branding intangible, "buzz." Buy a Harley-Davidson, and you are instantly bonded with other "hog" owners. Buy IBM, and the strength of your infrastructure is respected by other CIOs (Chief Information Officer). At one time, wearing Gap clothing was an instant ticket to "cool." While a unified experience is important, this does not mean one-size-fits-all experiences. Doing business on customer terms requires that customers have the power to dynamically shape experiences themselves. This power comes from choices in products, channels of distribution, communication and even in product design. For example, Clairol (clairol.com) allows consumers to scan in a personal photograph and experiment with different hair colors. Other firms ban scripts in call centers. Instead, they rely on trained customer advocates to interact dynamically with customers. Section 3 covers three areas concerning experience and FusionBranding:
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