To align brand relevance, the makers and the users need to see their own reflection in the mirror of the brand.
Strong (cult) brands really matter to people. However, in practice, brand’s can become lazy and so can their brand managers. Before brands loose their relevance, there’s always a period of complacency in brand management. When people stop seeing their reflection in the brand–then people stop caring (buying your stuff). You can’t advertise your way out of that problem.
It’s important to remember: I am the brand.
Think of any brand that really matters and you’ll discover the type of people buying the stuff are the same type of people who design, make and sell the stuff. This is the awesome sauce of brand values and brand identity alignment. Apparel brands like Patagonia, L.L. Bean, The North Face, and Columbia have this going for them in spades. The bond that binds is a deep inter-personal connection between the users and the makers.
But what about low-involvement-categories like breakfast cereal or toilet paper? Can a cereal brand (or toilet paper) build rich meaningful relationships with customers? Relationships based in the passion of their mutual experience?
