The games are changing and so are the rules. Today the priority for all successful brands is to stay connected with the customers and thereby create an emotional bond between the product and its consumers.

To humanise the brand and bring it psychologically closer to the consumers, brands have started telling authentic and compelling stories. Corporate storytellers are now dedicating more time than ever before to create that bond with the customers.

How to connect Most companies have similar business goals. But what makes a great brand is the meaningful connect that it creates with its customers. Great brands were not made on huge marketing budgets, but were built on creative ideas that brought them closer to the masses. To survive in a rather hyper competitive market, brands not only have to connect with their current consumers but must also create a sense of loyalty for their future consumers as well.

To do so, they must:

Aligntheir aspirations, values and cultures with those of their consumers

Clearly underline their brand’s purpose and chart out the role it will play in making an impact to the lives of those they value the most

Create an engaging and attractive brand model so that customers are drawn to it by choice.

Mixbrand identity with emotional values so that it can resonate with the consumer’s sentiments.

Learn to ignore short-term goals for long-term customer relationships. While short-term sales may instantly give immediate return on investment, in the long run, only brand loyalty will matter.

Focus on creating a brand identity using the emotional connect with customer to drive innovations in product

From functional to emotional There is no denying the fact that marketing strategies have changed over the years. Today’s marketers are thinking out of the box to work out new ways to grab the eyeballs. But one thing that remains integral to all marketing strategies that has remained unchanged is basic human nature. Customers want to stick with brands that inspire them, help them to succeed and achieve greater heights. The bottom line is plain and simple — customers want to stick with a brand rather than be stuck with one. The trump card for all brands is the emotional connect.

In the past we have seen some interesting cases, where brands, right from airlines and credit cards to those selling dog food, have cleverly positioned themselves to create the instant connect and turned around their business. They have always delighted the customers by doing a little extra. Those in the airline business now don’t rely too much on selling the special luxury features of their aircraft. Clearly the focus is on building relationships and values that will surely redefine the expectations of the flyer.

There was a time when a runaway leader in the dog food industry was drastically losing its market share every day. After much brain storming it decided to change focus from the attributes of the product to the love of dogs. The brand put more emphasis on breed gallery, age calculator, forums, and such to create an instant connect with the dog owner. And it clearly did the trick as it is still the No.1 in its category as it made a smart switch from functional to emotional.

When loyalty becomes advocacy Brand managers must remember that their brands are preferred to others because they are unique, vibrant and admirable and make customers feel good. To ensure that the brand will never disappoint the customer, brand managers now don’t focus just on advertising. More and more energy is being spent on frontline consumer contact, loyalty programmes and company-sponsored consumer events. They have realised brand loyalty should translate into brand advocacy.

The world is now being increasingly influenced by technological innovations. The Googles, Facebooks and Twitters of the world know our preferences much better than our mothers, fathers, husbands and wives. For cool brands to stay relevant in this market, it is increasingly becoming a challenge. They are all chasing the Generation Z (those born after 1996) and brands that will walk the extra mile to stay connected will be the ones that will stay hot.

Anupam Vasudev is Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel

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