Branding and Relationships

I have just been out with a friend - discussing the pitfalls of my last relationship and hearing all about the adventures of her life since we last spoke....

Consumers relationships with brands are the same as relationships between people....

Of course you get the high end designers such as Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci, who showcase their items on the catwalk (in clubs) everyone wants them but limited amounts of people get them.....we all know who they are girls....however if you see someone who you decide shouldn't be with the brand you almost feel as if they have been cheating on you...and suddenly all your feelings change and you move onto a different one...

Then there is the Netto's with the same product but not merchandised in the same way - they come from the same factory....started life out in exactly the same place but it's all about the packaging and the buzz around the product........

However we can't forget the fakes can we !!!??? The 'Gussi' and the 'Diior' - We know they aren't the real thing but some people still buy them just to give the impression that they can afford them...or sometimes you buy them unintentionally without knowing there is an extra letter in their name - that's the worse - you think they are the real thing and pay the price....then you find out the truth and the whole feelings you had for them are gone....never again will you look at that bag with such admiration...

To be able to brand a product successfully you need to know your target market - don't go for the football players if you are more likely to get someone on the chess team....you know how to market yourself to certain groups - so do the same with the product...if you want the mass markets to buy it create a diffusion range or market on different websites rather than sticking to specialised shops where only limited amounts of people will see you...

What I am trying to say is don't try and market your product/service as something it isn't - know what your product and service can provide and understand the feelings you can it to evoke - it's a sensitive relationship between a consumer and the brand....even more than in a relationship as profits are involved.....