THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 09, 2011: Why do ladies love Louis Vuitton? Brand futurist and “consumer friend” Martin Lindstrom asked this question to the participants of the Buy.ology Symposium: The Truth and Lies About How We Buy, held last September 8 at the SMX Convention Center.
According to Lindstrom, the iconic brand is a symbol of accomplishment and triggers the “cool” spot of the brain, making the owners of Louis Vuitton items feel good about themselves. “Powerful brands give a sense of instant gratification,” said Lindstrom, and this is why people actually purchase these products.
Successful brands also appeal to the senses. Somatic markers – attributes that make an impact to the senses – make a strong connection between the brand and the consumer. The more senses that the brands touch, the bigger an impact they can make, and the more associations that a person can make with the brand, the more loyal they are going to get. Making a big impression through the senses, said Lindstrom, can catch attention, memory, and emotion, which all influence consumer preference.
Lindstrom also discussed the importance of smashing your own brand and illustrated this through the story of the shape of the Coca-Cola bottle. The owners of the giant soda company wanted to have a bottle that would still be recognizable even if there was no logo and that customers would be able to identify even if it were smashed into a hundred pieces. If your brand is “smashable” then you have a brand that can be remembered even with the simplest reminder.
The branding expert also shared a piece of advice to the delegates: “Own one word that will describe your brand.” The word “search”, for example, could easily be associated with Google because the company made the word its own by developing several search options like Google Earth. “Even with just a word, you can recognize the brand because they own it,” concluded Lindstrom.
The Buy.ology Symposium was presented by The Philippine Star.
