Some people look for love in all the wrong places—including brands! Some brands try to win over consumers’ hearts with paid ads, social media posts, and blogs, but the sparks just aren’t flying.
What’s going on?
Even if customers are clicking on your content and buying your products, it doesn’t mean they love you. After all, there’s a big difference between brands like Wal-Mart and Target: one might make a ton of sales, but the other has a cult following that makes it a truly beloved brand that customers support.
In an era in which loyalty is fading fast, you want to find love that lasts: you need Brand Love. The good news is that you don’t need a million-dollar budget to win people over.
What is Brand Love?
Your products and services are important, but your brand’s vibe counts for something, too. What do customers think when they see your brand? Are you top of mind when they need to buy something?
Brand Love is about putting in the work to gain mindshare with your target audience. If you want the equivalent of LaCroix, Trader Joe’s, or Lush’s intense fan following, you’ve got to find Brand Love.
But what, exactly, is Brand Love? In practice, Brand Love is about:
- Being unique and ingenious
- Delighting customers at every turn
- Leaving a lasting impression and packing a punch
- Having a bold, distinctive vibe that customers love
And no, this isn’t a fluffy branding strategy, either. If you manage to achieve Brand Love, you’ve found the Holy Grail of marketing. The stats don’t lie:
- 43% of customers will spend more money with brands they’re loyal to
- 54% of customers will drop you if you don’t engage with them
- 94% of customers will come back if they had a good experience with you
5 Ways to Cultivate Brand Love™
But how do you find something like Brand Love? It’s just like dating! There needs to be a fit, first and foremost, but you have to put in the effort to build a relationship if you want this love to last.
Not sure how to do that? Try these five strategies to find Brand Love for your company.
1. Remember to brand it
80% of consumers like receiving promotional products, and 60% of people who receive a promo product look up the brand online afterward.
Promotional products are a fun way to forge relationships with consumers, but they have to get results for your brand, too.
Make sure you brand your promotional products. This means including:
- Your logo
- Hashtags or other brand messaging
- A landing page
Brand Love has several essential ingredients, but “brand” is the most important part! Be sure to amplify your brand via these products—otherwise, you’re passing out cool gifts without a strategy.
2. Tie promos into your mission
Did you know that shoppers are six times more likely to support and protect your brand if it has a mission-driven purpose? That means they’ll not only buy from you regularly, but they will vehemently guard your brand against haters, which is a huge perk.
Consistency is key here! Make sure that everyone across your organization understands your mission and takes concrete steps to align with that mission.
Also, make sure everything you do ties into your company’s mission. So, if you’re ordering promotional products for an eco-friendly brand, your promo products should be eco-friendly, too. This shows you aren’t just doing lip service and claiming to be sustainable, but that you really do care.
3. Be a little outrageous
Promotional products are one of the best ways to cultivate Brand Love with your target audience. While pens and frisbees are fine from time to time, you have the freedom to think outside the box—so get a little outrageous.
Your promotional products should be so intriguing that customers will say, “They gave you that!” It should be so cool, so outrageously fun that people can’t believe you’re giving it away for free.
Level up your promo products so people will actually want them. That means opting for unique items, bold colors, or trends (fanny packs, anyone?). The idea is to pick interesting, useful, and durable products, so you connect with consumers long after your initial conversation.
By the way, it’s OK to spread out your promotional product orders, too. Who says you need to limit yourself to 1,000 rubber duckies for the entire season? Change up what you’re ordering for each event or campaign—that will keep things interesting!
4. Make it an experience
Consumers are 85% more likely to become a customer after a branded experience. While brand activation events, conferences, and flash mobs are fun, they aren’t always practical.
And in an ever-changing world, in-person experiences can be too unpredictable and dangerous to pull off. So, what’s the alternative?
Fortunately, you can create Brand Love right in a consumer’s mailbox with boxed experiences. We’ve battle-tested these during the pandemic and saw amazing results! Create a themed box, complete with goodies that will delight your audience. You can even take the experience online with QR codes for games, contests, and more.
5. Get your team in on the fun
Brand Love isn’t just for your customers. Employees can become some of your biggest advocates, which means they need a little Brand Love from you, too.
Just 12% of the workforce feels appreciated. Fortunately, you can inspire Brand Love with your team by acknowledging their efforts, as well as giving them kudos for milestones, work anniversaries, or just because.
When you do it right, employee engagement creates a fleet of happy internal advocates for your brand. It’s no wonder that 65% of brands say employee advocacy increased their brand recognition.
All you need is Brand Love
While social media, email, and paid ads can definitely get you results, branded products are one of the best ways to connect with people on a deeper level. When you want to make sparks fly between your brand and your customers, follow these five tips to find Brand Love.
Not sure where to start? We know every business is different. That’s why Boundless creates custom promotional products and boxed experiences tailored to your brand. Get in touch now to find your own Brand Love moment.
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