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How to Build Brand Friendship

Like the interaction among human being, it is essential for the brands to have interactive relationship with the customers. This article introduces four essential elements for building relationship with the customers.


Belonging

How can you make the customers feel belonged when they use your brand? The most important factor in branding is relevance. Brands that generate the strongest sense of tribal identity are so relevant to the wants and needs of their customers that they generate a natural gravitational pull.

Friendship

To build friendship with the customers, you need to have consistency. As with human friends, the brands we adopt give us a sense of comfort and familiarity. Our chosen brands have earned our trust through another essential aspect of branding which is consistency.

Dependability

To acquire dependability from customers, it requires time. Just as it does with human relationships, it takes time for brands to develop strong bonds with their customers. Infatuation is , but infatuation never lasts. It turns into either ambivalence or attachment depending upon how well the brand promise is delivered.

Awareness

Brand relationships, just like human relationships, need consistent attention and upkeep in order to stay fresh and top of mind.

Think about the strongest brands out there: Southwest Airlines, Apple, eBay, even Caterpillar. They understand the principles of belonging, friendship, and dependability, and they treat their customers accordingly. They know what they stand for and refrain from chasing business that would compromise their hard-won loyalty

Comments

The article is emphasizing on belonging, friendship and dependability in creating relationship with customers in branding. In class, we learned that most of the Korean brands don’t seem to have a friendly image. Instead of a friendly image, they are more authoritarian and have a stiff brand image. The article quoted Kerry Livgren, a famous rock star in Kansas. He said that “The only way to have a friend is to be one." The Korean companies should keep this word in mind all the time.

Annotation Steave Mckee, ‘How to Build Brand Friendship’Businessweek, May 9, 2008URL -> http://www.businessweek.com/