The L.O.V.E. code in branding

The month of love is upon us. And while cards will be purchased, chocolates and bouquets will be presented; it is perhaps time to look at love more deeply, especially when it comes to the business world. 

Now, before your mind jumps off towards office affairs, let me bring you back on track by stating that brands are nothing but manifestations of love that consumers feel for the company. 

Put another way, brands are entities strategically built by organisations to start long-term relationships with their customers. This implies ‘love’ is deeply embedded within the DNA of brands. Along those lines, here’s exploring that thought a little further by unveiling a new code in brand strategy.

'L.O.V.E.'

Where each letter is a pillar representing a different approach. Let us get into a deeper examination of each of these.

L-makes you LAUGH

When it comes to dating, people often cite humour as one of the most potent forces of attraction. "He makes me laugh" is an oft-heard justification for a blossoming relationship. “She brings a smile to my face” is another. 

Humour overcomes many barriers. It builds bridges between strangers. Hence, not surprisingly, many brands use it to woo their customer base. And while several have employed it to their advantage from time to time, few probably have made it so fundamentally core to their strategy like Amul butter. 

For decades now, Amul’s clever takes on current events have not only ushered in a morning breakfast smile for its fans but have also inspiringly shown everyone that even bleak news can have a ‘butter’ perspective. That’s just a ‘pun’damental truth.

O-OPPOSES something in you

The principles of physics dictate that opposite poles attract. Considering few people qualify to be Poles (except those from Warsaw), when it comes to love, this usually translates into unlikeness – as in, this person is the opposite of what you are. The crackle of those contrary forces coming together frequently fuels attraction. 

This is seen in brands such as Harley Davidson, which is famously bought by lawyers, chartered accountants and other desk-bound, white-collar workers. The promise of being a rebel and tasting the freedom of the road, presenting an attractive alternative to their otherwise ‘cooped-up’ existences. 

Opposition could also be in terms of provoking a conflicting viewpoint to one’s status quo, much like Nike incites one to give up the comfort of one’s couch and hit the road running. ‘Just doing it’, so to speak.

V-Helps you taste VICTORY

Love also prospers when one person helps the other to achieve something. To paraphrase that old adage for the new era: “Behind every successful person is often the helping hand of a doting partner.” 

There is something about triumphs which stirs the spirit, touches the soul, and causes us to look upon extra fondly at those who helped us win. This is why brands find this fertile space to build their communication pitches on. 

In recent times, Bournvita’s memorable Tayyari Jeet Ki (loosely translated to ‘preparing for victory’) has really built excellent narratives around the brand owning the space around the initial and formative efforts, which go towards the building of a champion in sport and in life. 

Probably creating a lasting bond with mothers and their children, who are looking to push that extra bit harder.

E-Engages your EMOTIONS

The object of one’s affection can many a time cause one to experience a whole kaleidoscope of emotions. In fact, love can never exist without stoking strong, even turbulent, feelings.

Brands, in every sense of the word, purely exist because they seek to elevate the relationship a customer has with the product, from the cold, need-based rational to a warm, emotionally enriched one. While myriad emotions are up for grabs, nostalgia is a particularly potent one. 

Because brands themselves are mini doses of nostalgia, promising a return to a familiar, cherished experience.

In recent times, both Paper boAT and Saregama Carvaan have leveraged nostalgia quite brilliantly. Celebrating a return to a delicious past, which, in a sense, finds no real parallel in the present.

To conclude, this month of love could also function as a starting point to rekindle that flame your brand has with its audience.

Because, just as in the case of relationships between people, your brand’s relationship with its consumers also needs to be refreshed and rejuvenated. What can be a better month to start on that course?

(Our guest author, Vinay Kanchan, is a brand storyteller, innovation catalyst, and the author of ‘Sportivity’, ‘Lessons from the Playground’ and ‘The Madness Starts at 9’)