Master Your Products Through Education and Cultivate a Lovemarks Brand
The concept of Love Marks was coined by Kevin Roberts, the former CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi, a global communications and advertising agency with more than a hundred offices in nearly eighty countries across the world. His concept has transformed branding and has proven that to succeed in today’s global marketplace, it is not just about having a great product but it is also about connecting with the consumer through love. That’s right — through love.
When consumers are reached on an emotional level, the emotional attachment transcends traditional forms of customers’ loyalty. Mr. Roberts calls it the Love/Respect Axis which uses a method with a footprint that is usually attributed to the Chinese style of expression: “Brands are suffering the death of a thousand yawns.” In other words, boredom. You must aim to satisfy your customers or delight them, but don’t bore them.
Lovemarks can be boiled down to an intimacy connection. It is indeed like the release of certain hormones. When certain hormones are released from our bodies that make us feel a connection and causes a rush of dopamine. It is like a moment of euphoria.
Why else would consumers drive an extra twenty minutes out of their way just to get their “Starbucks fix” nearly every day? Why would an owner of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar or Mercedes Benz admire his/her car each morning? Why would a person choose a more expensive brand of shampoo like L’Oréal if not to experience the particular texture and scent over and over again?
However, a Lovemark is no different than any special human relationship as it cannot be forced and must be fostered naturally. The more you know about your consumers and the needs or wants they are seeking, the better chance you will have of reaching them.
How can brands be “lovemark-ed”? Mr. Roberts believes the three ingredients that will make a brand a Lovemarks brand are mystery, sensuality, and intimacy. The readers can refer to Mr. Roberts’ book for in-depth details. What I intend to emphasize here is the role played by education.
Education is pivotal, especially with health or nutritional products like vitamins. It’s imperative to understand the ingredients of vitamins. Unfortunately, many consumers have difficulty sorting out the quality, potency, and safety of zillions of dietary supplements. If ever a question arises you, as a distributor, will know the answer at the tip of your fingers, with which your consumers may feel that you not only excel at what you do but also show how much you care about them.
Interestingly, lots of data show that consumers of health care products such as vitamins are more educated than the average consumers. It’s like the consumers who regularly drink red wine are more likely to purchase healthy food in grocery stores. This is an opportunity to share information that will showcase the quality of the product — the added benefits. First and foremost, however, you must educate yourself as much as possible.
There was a great retail apparel/clothing marketer named Sy Syms. His adage was “An educated consumer is the best consumer.” Likewise, in order to best sell a product we must also be as informed as possible. In fact, you can do an easy study showing a direct correlation that reveals the best sales people are also the best educated about the product they sell.
In addition, your rich repertoire of product knowledge will help you gain respect from your customers. Marketing studies have shown that correlates to knowledge regarding the product you intend to buy. In order to achieve the maximum learning experience, you have to be passionate about what you do.
Notice that I don’t use the word “selling” because ultimately you want the features of the products to sell the product itself .
As the summer season is about to roll in, read general books on nutrition, healthcare, and demographic trends. Get the entire overview as to why now is the best time to sell and market dietary supplements. Seize the moment because the spring is the season of hope and renewal.