I am a marketer’s dream.
I have an uncanny desire to tell people about the brands I love. Looking at upgrading your smart phone? Let me tell you about my Droid. Need a fall beverage? You have to try Starbuck’s Caramel Apple Spice. Flying this week? Let me tell you about how much I love Southwest.
I’m sure being a brand evangelist has something to do with being a marketer, but I think it’s more because of my love and attachment to the products and services companies offer. Just how have these brands built experiences around a commodity so that I fall in love?
Great Product
Most of the products I love so dearly are great, widely known products. They fit the bill in the market they are part of, and adequately fill my needs. Since Droids have comparable abilities to other smart phones, I found they were an easy choice when I was looking to upgrade, especially because iPhone had yet to join the Verizon network.
Focus on the Customer
These great brands make the story behind the brand focus on the needs of the customer. Starbucks, as I read recently in Onward, struggled when they strayed too far from their value proposition and lost sight of the consumer. Now, they focus on their core mission: providing wonderful coffee and building human interactions.
About the people
Believe it or not, we are ALL human, and feel a connection to other humans, regardless of whether or not we know them. So, when there’s a Southwest Ad featuring real employees, it makes consumers feel like people want to work there, Southwest treats its employees well, and consumers should want to do business with them (at least in our subconscious). I enjoy the human connection with the people that work their on their flights, as they welcome me into the plane, and sing to me when I leave.
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It is in every brand’s best interests to create brand evangelists, and they can begin to do so by building a great product, relaying its value to the consumer, and focusing on the people who help them along the way.
Are you a brand evangelist? How come?