Author: Margherita Baraldi
Date of Publication: 01/04/2023
Have you ever wondered why most people would choose Nutella over a simple hazelnut spread, or a Coca-Cola instead of a carbonated soft drink? Yes? Well, you're in the right place!
In this article, we'll analyse the increasingly trending concept of Lovemark.
Why is Lovemarks the future of branding?
The term lovemark refers to a marketing concept based on a new way of interpreting the idea of branding. Kevin Roberts, CEO of the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, extensively covered this idea in his book Lovemarks: the future beyond brands.
In his treatise, Roberts questions the factors that stimulate the so-called lovemark effect, an illogical and overwhelming kind of loyalty. According to him, love is the only way to save brands that are "running out of juice". It may seem strange to talk about love and affection toward a brand. However, let's take a step back and think about our buying behaviors. It's evident how we get carried away by the perception and emotions that a brand conveys to us.
How do consumers fall in love?
According to Roberts, to make people fall in love, it is necessary to use all five senses. This way we establish the kind of emotional connection that remains not only in consumers' heads, but also in their hearts.
Sometimes, though, it is not enough. With the advent of Internet, people are more informed and aware of the opportunities available in the marketplace. As a result, purchasing choices have become extremely careful, rigorous, and complex.
Nowadays, in fact, consumers focus not only on the quality or benefits of a product, but also on the experience the product can offer.
From mere brands to lovemarks
Back in the 1960s, the idea that psychological triggers play a crucial role in the choice of one brand over another began to emerge. As a consequence, companies started to put in place strategies designed to trascend the purely aesthetic and design aspect. So, they followed precise needs of the target audience.
Crafting connections
Therefore, in order to make its way into the heart of consumers, a brand must be able to engage them emotionally and passionately. In fact, the lovemark has to do with a lot of things:
creates mechanisms of identification, in which a consumer can find himself or herself in the values represented by the brand;
targets the sensory sphere through the use of design;
awakens the senses;
feeds curiosity while always maintaining a certain mystery;
generates loyalty beyond reason.
Unyielding devotion in Lovemarks
Thus, to stimulate emotion and interest, it is necessary to change strategy and talk about emotional branding. This type of marketing insists on the communicative potential of emotions. Also, it is based on a metaphor that depicts the brand as a real person, that is, as a bearer of emotions and feelings.
The perfect ingredients
Lovemarks are distinguished primarily by three characteristics:
1. Mystery
The brand tells itself through stories. For this purpose, it is essential to use the right communication. The one that is able to create a special and exciting storytelling.
2. Sensuality
One of the goals of a lovemark is to seduce and make its consumers fall in love. This is done through sensory marketing, which stimulates the five senses: smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing.
3. Intimacy
This means creating a deep relationship, made up of passions and empathy. This way, the consumer doesn't see himself as a mere buyer, but as a brand ambassador.
In conclusion, we can say that lovemarks are all those brands that have succeeded in establishing a sense of connection with the consumer. Those that have formed a bond that overcomes the consumption of the product itself.
In fact, the brands with the greatest profits are the ones which manage to move on an emotional level and create loyalty. Thus, this is precisely why lovemarks are referred to as the brands of the future.