No, seriously—would you date your brand? Humans are designed for personal interaction with each other. Basic attraction, compatibility, and the desire for relationships are what draw us together.
Unfortunately, when it comes to branding, food and beverage brands often forget this innate part of our human nature.
So, if you want to attract consumers to your brand, let’s start with the basics…
Do you have sex appeal? Physical attraction is key—we all know it’s true. There are lots of things you can do to make your brand more attractive; product design, packaging, appealing photography, and the right messaging all add allure.
Charm goes a long way. Being charming isn’t a bad thing—it doesn’t mean being manipulative or deceptive. Your brand can truly come across as; pleasant, polite, friendly, likeable, endearing, vulnerable, or loveable. In this day and age, these traits can best be communicated through social media.
Be empathetic. Show that you understand and care. Just because you’re a brand doesn’t mean you can’t show feelings. This doesn’t mean pretending to value something just because you think your consumers do. Be true to it.
Authenticity wins every time. Most people can spot a phony pretty quickly. So please don’t try to be something you’re not. Don’t look to other successful brands and try to copy what they are doing. Be yourself. If you don’t know who you are, figure it out and develop your brand personality accordingly.
Show some confidence! Don’t be cocky…be confident. It’s appealing in people and brands. Build on your strengths, believe in who you are, and present yourself proudly.
Be accessible. Communication’s important to any relationship. We live in a mobile society—and without robust mobile access, you can’t communicate effectively with someone with a mobile device. If your digital platform isn’t performing at a high level, you are losing consumers, period!
Are you responsive? First date goes great. They call and leave you a message—but you wait 3 weeks to respond. Or, worse yet…you never respond. This is happening every moment of every day with food and beverage brands. Consumers are talking to you or about you, but their affections are not reciprocated. You need to be there when they call.
And finally, getting back to that oh-so-important second date! If you don’t impress them on the first date…there won’t be a second. If your brand doesn’t meet expectations—they won’t purchase you again. This can come down to unmet expectations on any of the above or something as simple as an issue with quality or taste, a poor brand experience, packaging problems, etc.
Do EVERYTHING you possibly can to get that second date. Then you’re on your way to a long, healthy, mutually beneficial relationship.