A lot has been said and written about brand appeal, brand trust and loyalty. But did you realise all these brand properties are also governed by the basic laws of attraction? If appeal is the inherent force of attractiveness of a brand that interests, stimulates or makes a brand desirable (or not), trust forms the basic platform for any exchange, which largely depends on the powerful intangible force — attractiveness.
Why attractiveness? When I spoke to N Chandramouli, CEO, Trust Research Advisory, in Delhi sometime back, he explained the rationale: “If one attempts to send a rocket from earth to the moon, and need to chalk out a trajectory, he needs to know the forces that govern these planetary bodies. Likewise, if you want to take your brand into a certain trajectory, you will need to know the forces that govern the brand.” The forces that determine attraction, broadly, are rational and emotional appeal, which are usually part of many contemporary communication exercises.
To understand this, let’s look at Amul, India’s most attractive brand in the food and beverage category and 18th among all categories, according to India’s Most Attractive Brands 2013, a study by Chandramouli's Trust Research Advisory. Its emotional quotient leads to a patriotic feeling Amul, the taste of India). From butter to ice-cream, the rational quotient of Amul lies in its undisputed quality of products. Its aspirational quotient is the happy feeling the brand tends to bring in, and recognition of the brand among competitors as well. Consistency with ‘utterly butterly delicious’ Amul girl, for over a half century now, is the hallmark of its communication quotient.
Every brand has to attract its audience. Having said that, attractiveness arises from various facets of a brand that helps in creating an overall aura around it. Not surprisingly, brands spend billions in marketing and advertisements trying to be attractive to customers. If the basics of attractiveness quotient are understood and applied to brands, there are immense benefits to be reaped, says the study.
And this romance with brands is no different from humans. Their bond with consumers might, in many cases, begin with an intense desire, and, with the right approach, turn into understanding and companionship. Attractiveness of a brand, by textbook definition, is its intangible force which goes beyond the physical appeal. It is the overwhelming pull which unconsciously but irresistibly draws the audience towards itself, and every such intimacy has a different tale to tell.
Taking on the competition to local mobile manufacturers after toppling Nokia to become the market leader in India, Samsung Mobiles surely have many a tales to tell. After all, it is no mean feat to emerge as the most attractive brand in the country! The aggressive marketer tops the list of India’s Most Attractive Brands 2013 among all categories, closely followed by Sony and Nokia, according to a recent research-based report by Trust Research Advisory. India’s fourth most attractive brand is LG.
Samsung’s key lever definitely lies in its turnaround strategy. Till a couple of years back, there wasn't much expectation from Samsung in the mobile handset category. Then suddenly it transformed to offer customers some great products in terms of technology, innovation, pricing and performance. Now look at Apple. Apple has become a great brand by virtue of its exclusivity. Restricted accessibility is in the DNA of Apple¬ — a conscious strategy to keep customers interested.
Samsung Mobiles, on the other hand, is an available brand that is also good in many respects. Marketers believe, this is where Samsung will gain in the long run. After all, a brand cannot keep its customers on the edge forever. Nokia, has also been a robust and available brand. But it lost market and attractiveness to Samsung due to a lack of enthusiasm to hard-sell products. Samsung doesn’t rest; it is always hungry and survives on a positive desperation, says the study. It is one brand that is truly paranoid about its customers, in a positive way.
Why attractiveness? When I spoke to N Chandramouli, CEO, Trust Research Advisory, in Delhi sometime back, he explained the rationale: “If one attempts to send a rocket from earth to the moon, and need to chalk out a trajectory, he needs to know the forces that govern these planetary bodies. Likewise, if you want to take your brand into a certain trajectory, you will need to know the forces that govern the brand.” The forces that determine attraction, broadly, are rational and emotional appeal, which are usually part of many contemporary communication exercises.
To understand this, let’s look at Amul, India’s most attractive brand in the food and beverage category and 18th among all categories, according to India’s Most Attractive Brands 2013, a study by Chandramouli's Trust Research Advisory. Its emotional quotient leads to a patriotic feeling Amul, the taste of India). From butter to ice-cream, the rational quotient of Amul lies in its undisputed quality of products. Its aspirational quotient is the happy feeling the brand tends to bring in, and recognition of the brand among competitors as well. Consistency with ‘utterly butterly delicious’ Amul girl, for over a half century now, is the hallmark of its communication quotient.
Every brand has to attract its audience. Having said that, attractiveness arises from various facets of a brand that helps in creating an overall aura around it. Not surprisingly, brands spend billions in marketing and advertisements trying to be attractive to customers. If the basics of attractiveness quotient are understood and applied to brands, there are immense benefits to be reaped, says the study.
Taking on the competition to local mobile manufacturers after toppling Nokia to become the market leader in India, Samsung Mobiles surely have many a tales to tell. After all, it is no mean feat to emerge as the most attractive brand in the country! The aggressive marketer tops the list of India’s Most Attractive Brands 2013 among all categories, closely followed by Sony and Nokia, according to a recent research-based report by Trust Research Advisory. India’s fourth most attractive brand is LG.
Samsung’s key lever definitely lies in its turnaround strategy. Till a couple of years back, there wasn't much expectation from Samsung in the mobile handset category. Then suddenly it transformed to offer customers some great products in terms of technology, innovation, pricing and performance. Now look at Apple. Apple has become a great brand by virtue of its exclusivity. Restricted accessibility is in the DNA of Apple¬ — a conscious strategy to keep customers interested.
Samsung Mobiles, on the other hand, is an available brand that is also good in many respects. Marketers believe, this is where Samsung will gain in the long run. After all, a brand cannot keep its customers on the edge forever. Nokia, has also been a robust and available brand. But it lost market and attractiveness to Samsung due to a lack of enthusiasm to hard-sell products. Samsung doesn’t rest; it is always hungry and survives on a positive desperation, says the study. It is one brand that is truly paranoid about its customers, in a positive way.
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