Lovemarks

Author: Kevin Roberts (Saatchi and Saatchi)

A compelling title that makes one pick it up and see what its all about! ok, this book is about brands, the new phenomenon of morphing of brands to lovemarks! Brands will become an archaic term soon…with the current trend moving towards Lovemarks!

The book:
There’s a story, an autobiography interspersed with interesting anecdotes, quotes and viewpoints, which creates a variety of layers and superimpositions to make it a very interesting read… keeps your attention focussed in the reading. Added to this is the stunning page design and graphics that add visual enrichment to the entire experience of reading.

In this book Kevin Roberts talks about the emotional element of branding. Clarity of vision, consistency and leadership sure do define the brand, but when you touch the heart, that’s building the emotional bond. Love is one of the element that would ante up the emotional aspect of the brands and build new relationships with the consumer.

The attributes of Lovemarks:
The special emotional resonance of Lovemarks is due to
Mystery
Sensuality
Intimacy

Mystery:
“Great Stories
Past, present, and future
Taps into dreams
Myths and icons
Inspiration”
Mystery lets you dream, imagine things and thus your imagination in conjunction with the mystery element of the brand creates a dialogue and adds texture to the relationship. “Mystery is a key part of creating Loyalty Beyond Reason”

Sensuality:
“Sound
Sight
Smell
Touch
Taste”
Saatchi&Saatchi’s campaign for Head & Shoulders:
“In bus shelters they had an image of a young woman with wind in her hair. People were invited to press a button to activate a puff of citric-scented mist. The memory of this scent and its association with a fresh, free spirit is what endures”

Intimacy:
Commitment
Empathy
Passion
Intimacy is what makes a relationship last.

Cat Stevens’s song “Father and Son” along with the strong imagery in an ad accounted for the deep emotional connection of the brand.

“Respect is love in plain clothes”-Frankie Byrne

“The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.”- neurologist Donald Calne

Finally…
I enjoyed reading the book, as I had always believed in the power of emotions in branding and building a relationship with the consumer. These ‘inspirational consumers’ can’t stop talking about something they love, something they are passionate about and loyal beyond reason, all of which lead to viral marketing of the brand. These brands which touch your hearts stay with you and morph into terminologies they are representative of…the best example being “google it” for search after “Google”, Xerox for photocopying after the “Xerox”, “FedEx it” for shipment and many others…Nike is another example of a Lovemark that touches the hearts of millions by appealing to the athletic spirit of the individual… Can we forget Apple… the religious followers of the Mac cult who stood by it in times of crisis, and their unshakable loyalty beyond reason!

In short, a cool book, a lovemark which sure will touch your heart and open your mind to a new line of thinking!
for more on the book visit http://www.lovemarks.com