whose lovemark are you?

for those unfamiliar with the term, lovemarks are an interesting concept developed by kevin roberts, ceo of saatchi & saatchi, and are the ‘future beyond brands.’  according to kevin, “brands have (simply) run out of juice.”  consequently, he encourages us to stop developing brands and start developing lovemarks.  the difference?  while we may love brands, we love and respect lovemarks!  he defines a lovemark as the following: 

“Lovemarks transcend brands. They deliver beyond your expectations of great performance…Lovemarks reach your heart as well as your mind, creating an intimate, emotional connection that you just can’t live without. Ever.

Take a brand away and people will find a replacement. Take a Lovemark away and people will protest its absence. Lovemarks are a relationship, not a mere transaction. You don’t just buy Lovemarks, you embrace them passionately. That’s why you never want to let go.

Put simply, Lovemarks inspire.”

a great example of showcasing that your product is a lovemark is what crispin porter did with the whopper.  and while we all might strive to start turning every product, company, and brand we work on into a lovemark (it’s clear that in a down economy you would prefer to have a lovermark, right?), the question for today is about you.  

are you a fad, a product, a brand, or a lovemark?  on the job?  with your family?  in your community?  whose lovemark are you?  who never wants to let you go?  who would freak out if you were eliminated (laid off)?  who in your life thinks you are irreplaceable?  has your company decided that they won’t go into battle with you?  

i encourage you to make a list of all of the important stakeholders in your life (your family, friends, job, community organizations, etc) with two columns next to it-desired state and current state.  while the desired state for all should be the same for all (re: lovemark), after reflection, you may realize that the current state is not.  if you find a gap anywhere (you want to be a lovemark to your campany but you are more like a product), I would recommend that you start crafting out a plan about how to get more love and/or respect from the people you have determined to matter.  

so…whose lovemark are you (leave comments below)?

 

who's lovemark are you?

Filed under: lifemark, branding, brands, crispin porter, kevin roberts, love, lovemark, respect, saatchi & saatchi, whopper, whopper virgins