The consumer-brand relationship

Why do a lot of marketers believe that consumers actually want to have a relationship with their brand beyond the “purchase and deliver on your product”?  Is it because self proclaimed social media experts have sold them on the idea?

[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Look in your pantry, how many of those brands do you want to have a relationship wit[/inlinetweet]h?  Your pasta sauce?  Your peanut butter?

The reality is that for 99% of the brand we purchase everyday we just want the brand to deliver on providing us with a good product.  Sure, there are iconic brands like Starbucks, Trek bikes and Apple who have very loyal customers, but they are the exception because they are all brand leaders.  However, Coke, with it’s million of social media followers, has not been able to stop the bleeding from consumers who are abandoning the brand like a sinking ship.

Does this mean you don’t need social media?  No, not at all.  You need social media to listen to consumers and as a platform for customer service.  However, you shouldn’t spend countless hours trying to determine social media ROI.  Just accept that you need it as part of your brand.

So where should you invest in digital?  Research continues to show that branded websites are the leading digital tactic to convert prospects into consumers.  You should be doing two things;

1ne: Constantly analyzing and optimizing your website to improve metrics like bounce rate and page views.

2wo: Conducting usability studies to provide the best online brand experience.

The most important knowledge a marketer can possess is an in depth understanding of what consumers want from our brand, including how deep they want the consumer-brand relationship.