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As William J. McEwen told us in his book “Married to the Brand”, today’s consumer is looking beyond just product when making a decision to choose a brand. No longer can something just be “cool” or even “useful” – today’s consumer is looking for a connection deeper than that.

As Match.com and eHarmony have shown us, making a connection is big business. There are so many levels of compatibility. What draws you to your partner in life may also be what draws you to your favorite, and most trusted, brands.

Today’s consumer can express levels of loyalty previously unheard of, but this loyalty is dependent upon their trust and love of the brand. They will not stop at a deliverable of quality or service. Our consumer wants a brand that shares their ethos on life. If they are environmentally conscious, their brand must share that concern through eco-friendly decisions. If the consumer lays awake at night worrying about world hunger, their brand refuses to blink an eye either. This is, as McEwen puts it so appropriately, a “marriage” and one the consumer takes very seriously. The consumer who is “married” to your brand may take you on for life; but just as a marriage without mutual commitment grows stale, so does the marriage of the unfaithful brand.

How, then, can you foster such a relationship? How can you birth a connection with both your current and potential customer that will grow to a strong bond of faithfulness for life? The answer is, much like mom told you in high school, to stand for something. Send a message worth hearing. And trust your brand building to a team that has something to say.

New York based non-profit, Lost Butterflies, was faced with this challenge of elevating their brand to stand for and reflect what they had to say. They brought their mission of improving public awareness on health, environmental, and social conditions detrimental to pregnant women, young families, parents and children to ThinkMonster for help. How could they improve? What was missing from their public image that allowed valuable customers to slip away? Their brand needed more than a visual makeover. ThinkMonster worked with Lost Butterflies to rebrand their entire presence. Lost Butterflies offered a fresh path for the community to improve their social and environmental conditions to better their world. The non-profit needed a way to speak to this in a positive light. ThinkMonster took “Lost Butterflies”, and created “New Leaves” - a positive, fresh, eco-friendly name that spoke to the opportunity they provided. With a new, appropriate name and brand, they spoke… and their investment board and industry associates listened, helping them to launch a brand new PSA.

Communication that stands up and gets noticed is what we do at ThinkMonster.. it is what we stand for. Your message is always a statement. Are you making a promise? Are you providing a new solution? What does this new program/offering/growth mean to your audience? How does it meet your mission? And how can your commitment to service shine to your target market? These are all questions to consider. And they are ones we live by every day. Grow a partner in your customer, not a one night stand. Believe us, you’ll feel better in the morning.

To view a case study on one of our many successful projects that has built a brand worth the wedding, branding case study. To set up an initial meeting to discuss how your marketing can be even more powerful, please contact sales@thinkmonster.com or call us at 404.885.1277.

Fast Facts

75% of Americans in all demographic groups consider a product's brand before making a final product selection.
(Source: GMA Survey, About.com)

36% of respondents indicated that nostalgia... plays a key role in product purchase by admitting that they currently use a particular product because their family had used it for a long time.
(Source: PRInfluences)

Additional Resources

Clikz Network for Marketers
www.clikz.com

iMediaConnection: Brand Loyalty
www.imediaconnection.com

AIMA (Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association)
www.atlantaima.org

AMA Atlanta (American Marketing Association)
www.marketingpower.com

Client Spotlight

New Leaves

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