The Holy Grail of Business

It's the holy grail of business: create a branded product that people like so much that they end up falling in love with it.

As a result, they don't just buy your branded product or service once or twice - they become loyal to it. And not just for a reason, but beyond reason; beyond price, beyond attribute often becoming a life long repeat customer and brand champion promoting it freely whenever the opportunity arises.

Which business inspired person doesn't want this? Yet you'd be surprised at how many people in business will not place the words 'love' and 'business' any where near each other. 

But they should because people love lots of stuff; from other people to products, brands, places, and so on. I love my family and friends. Professionally I love to understand brands and branding. For fun, I love cooking, and the related tools I have to help me make dishes. I love Tangle Foot beer. There are loads of other products I love too. I also love the Lake District and India. Now that's a 'whole lotta of love' as Led Zeppelin once sang - a band I love. 

Out of necessity, you'll probably purchase something. How many times have you made a purchase, with partial need attached because you had to have it? And did you end up paying more than you could have paid with a similar product? Even more intriguing, did you willing pay for something that isn't as good as another product and pay more for it?

For example: the top of the range Windows phone is technically better in just about every area, but more people will pay more money for the iPhone 6. The stats prove this. That's love working in business right there. If you can create a product that people love, it makes business sense.

When everything else is the same; the same big data, the same technology, the same type of service or product, seeking to creating meaningful, emotional connections that carry human value seals the deal. Lovemarks by Saatchi & Saatchi proves this time and time again.

So okay great, if people love stuff they will pay more for it. My question is:

What is love?

To gain some understanding on this would be to gain a massive edge in business. Why? Because people are willing to pay more for stuff they love.

To start with, how would you describe love?

Most of us would agree with this statement: 'Love is an emotion'. And perhaps you would also agree this statement 'love is the strongest emotion of all'.

But have you ever thought about 'how' and why we fall in love with someone or in the case products that business creates and sell, with something? Is love at first sight possible or is it something profoundly more complex? Or is it a mixture of lots of different things all coming together a precisely the right moment?

Dr Barbara Frederickson a distinguished professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author, keynote speaker and a lady whose work I greatly admire describes love quite brilliantly: Love can be thought of as ‘micro-moments of positivity resonance.' The more we experience positive moments, the more we build up a rapport with who ever or what ever is providing it.

There is a lot of science behind this idea which you can read about in Dr Frederickson's book; Love 2.0. But what makes these micro-moments so attractive to us that we actually fall in love? Are we learning to love through rationalisation of our thoughts or is there something that strikes us even before this happens?

Great thinking is changing. Science is adding its weight and our understanding of our own self is evolving; Rene Descartes famously said 'I think therefore I am'.

However based on scientific findings, neurologist Donald Calne is famously quoted as saying: 'The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.'

This would suggest that humans are emotionally led. We act primarily on our emotions, before rationalising them as part of a past experience process which leads us to being able to form our own conclusions.

Now remember Descartes: 'I think, therefore I am'. But is this actually correct?

Enter Neuroscientist/neurobiologist Dr. Antonio Damasio. Described 'As a leading neuroscientist, Damasio has dared to speculate on neurobiological data, and has offered a theory about the relationship between human emotions, human rationality, and the underlying biology'.

His thinking takes our understanding to another level.

Damasio's work is responsible for an updated, and in my opinion corrected version, of Descartes famous quote with one dramatic and fundamental change to the wording. Damasio replaces reason with emotion to read: 'I feel, therefore I am.' A closer inspection of his work provides conclusive evidence to support this.

You feel; this is an emotion.

You rationalise; this is thinking.

You conclude; How do I rate this experience.

You choose: Do I want more or less or this. (Will I build up positivity resonance and fall in love)

'I feel, therefore I am'. Emotion trumps reason. Studying Dr Damasio's work will provide you with the evidence to support this. You can find out more by taking a look at the Neuromarketing World Forum 2014 Keynote given by Damasio.

This is why smart brands invest so much in to emotional based marketing and advertising. They're seeking to create these micro moments of positivity resonance. This is because savvy brands realise that the brand boom time is over, people realise that most comparable products do the same thing; all beer tastes pretty good and gets you drunk, washing powder washes your clothes to a brilliant white and so on. 

In order to keep up and win your attention in a time where people have simply switched off to advertising, brands are becoming more caring, more authentic and more emotionally orientated in their communication. In effect, more human, more loving.

Why is this important to understand? When you get an understanding of how we work as humans, not just at face value, but understanding the real deep emotional context of what we truly crave, we can begin to create things with real purpose; from human relationships all the way through to love of our favourite products.

If you want to truly win in business, you'll not dismiss the fact that love and business are, by their very nature, intrinsically related. Act on love, get it right and you'll get a serious return on your money.


Simon Bell,
Director,
Sensation Creative

An irresistible edge

As the supermarket price wars continue, the consumer is winning and the traditional big 4 are losing out.

After the recent news on Tuesday that Tesco had issued its fourth profit warning in a year and lowered trading profit expectations by £1bn, an article in the Financial Times asked: What has gone wrong at Tesco? And they aren't the only ones asking the questions.

I don't know many people that claim to love food shopping. Right there, with a lack of love, it's going to be hard to create a premium.

In the UK food is treated by the masses as a non precious commodity - it's seen as a 'right to have'. Therefore largely, it's perceived value has been lowered. Supermarket discounters such as Aldi and Lidl have realised this and delivered what the consumer wants. Unless you're a massive foodie with a high interest and likely higher value perception of food, the chances are you'll be tempted by the lower prices that the discounters offer.

Tesco and the like can win again but building soured / broken consumer relationships takes time and effort. To get back on track, traditional supermarkets will have to offer price and great user experience which delights and inspires.

And they better be quick. Aldi are already making stores bigger and better, making the weeks shopping less painful financially and enhancing in-store experience. To really win, traditional supermarket brands must do all this more effectively and show that they are helping to make the world a better place - all at the same time.

We know that technology changes markets and abundance drives down market value. Tesco and the like can hide behind stats but simply, savvy, switched on consumers are voting with their feet and they are saying that Aldi broccoli at 49 pence tastes just as good as the rest. This consumer movement would also suggest that the other discounted items all either taste great or they do the same thing.

You can see why the discounters are winning. But there is something else that I've noticed that is giving Aldi an unseen edge...

Having visited Aldi, Morrisons, ASDA and Tesco recently, in my area all the staff are all quite friendly. However, the staff in Aldi have an irresistible edge. Why? I think part of the reason is due to a united team spirit and also because they are winning as a business - it creates a feel good factor.

I've said this before; humans do business and we react to this. We don't often rationalise it, but subconsciously we can feel it: it's authentic, rubs off on us and if it's good, we feel good.

You can't buy this feeling but you can experience it and the Aldi staff are creating it. This is a huge part of internal brand communication. When it's done authentically, it becomes irresistible. It's viewed entirely differently by consumers who long ago have become deaf to the standard corporate auto-cue.

To fix a problem, first you have to recognise it. It's nearly always the small businesses and entrepreneurs that notice these market opportunities whilst the corporate giants sit pretending that nothing is happening. For savvy SME's it could be time for some 'Branding from the Edge'. Learn more > 

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Where great ideas are born

Branding from the edge, where great ideas are born

Great brands and branding are so because they are authentic or are considered to be authentic. They are built from great ideas that come from the edge. 

The tools for creating brands and branding for business have never been more accessible. Due to the advancement and subsequent availability of technology, it's become possible for just about anyone to create a logo or a website. Furthermore, these basic branding elements and others can be produced for little or no cost.

Today, largely due to this, nearly every business has basic branding elements: a logo, stationery, a website - all the usual platforms that have become the communication standard.

Yet the inevitable paradox has created a new problem for businesses; our world is now overloaded with brands vying for our attention, meaning it's much harder for them to be heard. Additionally, the glue that binds branded communication platforms together is often missing, resulting in an inconsistent, watered down version of a brand message meaning it's not nearly as effective as it might have otherwise been.

The brands that will win are adaptable. They carefully position themselves on the edge, are fearless and inspire movements with an irresistible feel about them. They are the brands that understand the 'now' and lead by example with sustainable, authentic qualities. SME's must start thinking along these lines if they want to be heard.

We believe that brands that are considered, empathetic and authentic become more than a focal point - they become the very heartbeat of business. If branding programmes are correctly implemented; brands will be talked of favourably and help to inspire loyalty, providing growth and prosperity for business. Brands that adopt this style will create new meaning and relevance with the consumer and win a place in their heart.

Where great ideas are born, they will go on to help inspire great brand design. It's these brands will break away from the stranglehold of the middle and sit brilliantly at the edge, full of creative flare and individuality. Ultimately, these are the brands that will be doing the business.

Read the full article here> 

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Logo: The projection of a brand's heartbeat

Just reading the Wally Olins Brand Book at the moment - incredibly interesting and truthful. It's written with true artistic style.

The late Olins appears not to have wanted to gain specifically from the publication but more to pass on his wonderful life experience of understanding and creating brands.

I really like his understated, 'buzz-word-bingo' free style. Even as a book, it's away from fads and trends and seeks to operate in an environment where really great ideas (and people) sit. I've always believed that 'good design' is so because of this. Good design functions as a solution to a problem, that is all. The longer it is able to function for, the better.

In my area, 'brand design', should be able to enjoy a long life; attracting a constant wave of new consumers, seamlessly transcending, able to communicate a consistent message and tell a great story.

When you look at brand architecture; corporate, endorsed or branded, they all share these common factors even though they are driven by differing levels of scale and strategy.

Often described as 'Just a logo' by today's 'savvy' consumer is a true testimony to the great people in my industry. These are the people that have helped to influence and build global economies by providing choice, creating brand loyalty, sometimes 'beyond reason'.

Logos are the heart beat of a brand - they are a projection of the entire brand feeling; good, bad or ugly. They have the ability to make you feel good about your shopping decisions in the process and make your life 'a little bit better'. 

To add my own spin on a Paul Rand quote: The fact that people in general are seeing all this as being so simple is why designing brand identities, is in fact, so complex.

Simon Bell,

Director, Sensation Creative.

A victory for culture, unity and ultimately, love.

In our hearts the majority knew it. We're better together.

The United Kingdom will remain as just that - united. We will continue to enjoy our rich culture, grow together and build upon our unified status which goes back to 1707.

I was nervous about the outcome, but need not have been. 

The Orkney Islands topped the ‘NO’ vote with a massive 67.2% in favour of staying together followed by the Scottish Borders with a 66.56% vote, and then Dumfries & Galloway with 65.67%.

I was particularly pleased to see the results from Edinburgh - a diverse city rich in culture. A whopping 61.1% voting to stay with the rest of the UK which I think is really good news and demonstrate how the people of Edinburgh, like many people in other areas of Scotland, see the UK.

I can tell you - everyone I know in England, myself included,  are really pleased that Scotland will remain as part of the United Kingdom for years to come.

The results of the vote have had an immediate effect on the strength of our economy and other notable people have spoken about the result.

Here are some key points / comments so far: (source BBC)

• Share prices rose as Scotland voted against independence.
• Royal Bank of Scotland said it would keep its headquarters in Scotland following the "No" vote.
• Wales's First Minister Carwyn Jones said he was pleased Scotland voted to stay in the Union, adding: "Together we will shape a new constitutional future for the UK."
• Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said he was "delighted" Scotland would remain in the Union and he would hold talks with his Welsh counterpart to discuss the wider implications.

But the people of Scotland achieved something far greater than helping to maintain unity and create a stronger economy. They created a lasting effect in all our hearts - we are better together.

I sense a new, stronger bond between the whole of the UK emerging due to today's historic result.

So congratulations to everyone who voted for unity. I for one will be toasting this wonderful result with some of Scotland's finest whiskey this evening which neatly coincides with me becoming a year older today.

What a fantastic day to celebrate - CHEERS to SCOTLAND!

Simon Bell

Director, Sensation Creative

www.SensationCreative.com 

How strong is your emotional quotient?

Let’s measure your intellect. And then we can judge you like big data, accordingly. Nice?

There is no question that intelligence quotient tests have huge credibility attached to them but like many others, I feel like there is much more to measuring how ‘clever’ a person is than this. And it's called emotional quotient.

It’s worth noting what neuroscientist Donald B. Calne states:

"The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions."

Intellectual answers are based upon reason - what you have been stimulated to learn. Are you naturally more gifted than someone else because you can remember things well? It’s an essential part of any IQ test.

What Calne points out is that we aren't rational beings. Our primary motivation for our actions are emotionally driven. Sure, we like to walk round thinking we make ‘Mr Spock’ like decisions – perfectly logical, but the truth differs greatly from this. 

What are Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence?

Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, developed a framework of five elements that define emotional intelligence: 

• Self-Awareness
• Self-Regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social Skills

I think it would be of tremendous benefit if we could understand how to measure EQ as effectively as we have with IQ. The problem is that it's much more complex. To start with the traditional test environment paves way for 'reason' to come in to play meaning that a EQ can't be effectively measured using traditional methods.

EQ is coming to the forefront and combined with IQ you can bet the worldview on how we measure 'clever' will change dramatically.

If emotion is responsible for shaping our primary actions, it means we may have been missing a great deal of things when it comes to our need to score and categorise people based on IQ levels alone.

For now it's worth remembering that emotion comes before reason. Therefore emotion quotient comes before intelligence quotient and must be an integral part of how we measure up as humans.

So don't brush EQ aside. A little like big data: Intelligence is one thing. Being able to read between the lines is something else entirely.

Simon Bell

Director

Sensation Creative

Just a little of that human touch

In a world that seems focused on 'big data's' explanation of what we like, sometimes its easy to forget the human nature of things - just like touch. 

Touch is like your brain operating outside your head; interacting with the world around you to provide an array of information through physical connection. If you can clarify product information that is presented via visual or spoken communication through the use of touch, you can vastly enhance interactive experience. For brands looking to connect with greater purpose this isn't to be missed.

Touch offers the chance to confirm visual information - we know this. It's well documented that once a product is picked up, the likelihood that a purchase follows increases dramatically. When our senses align we take delight (or disgust) in this as it provides information on which we can make rational decisions and it's this information that can provide the type of clarification required to make a purchase decision. 

Use of haptic focused marketing can increase our need for touch. Primarily we can achieve this though empathetic consideration and apply it to the creative process. We can use visual stimuli to enable this such as relevant design; shapes, images and text. If we can create synergy here we can also create greater purpose in the consumer for wanting to find out more information which very often leads to touch.

Emotionally connecting, touch provides an opportunity to empower the consumer by streamlining the rational decision making process, effectively simplifying choice and making life easier. 

Applying heptic marketing techniques can provide brands with an opportunity to enhance consumer brand experience and build relationships simply through connecting physically, bringing real life experience and meaning to visual communications. In turn, this can help to create greater respect, deeper emotional connectivity and higher consumer love for products. Seizing this opportunity then is clearly a no-brainer for brands.

The trick is of course, understanding the effect of haptic attributes and how to integrate them within different media to create relevant consumer brand experiences. Ultimately, full integration with our other senses would create the perfect holistic and humanistic brand experience.

The difficulty is that the more senses we look at incorporating with any creative process the more complex everything becomes. This makes the task of providing the simple, memorable solution that brands desire all the more difficult. If it is to be successful in business terms, haptic marketing must work in real life situations and engage with consumers in the long run in addition to the shorter term where fads usually operate.

Scientific research in to this type of marketing is in its infancy so we are currently presented with a brilliant opportunity to work with our own intuition and to my way of thinking that makes it all the more exciting.

What a fantastic time it is to be in the creative industry and made all the better with just a little of that human touch. 

Simon Bell,
Director, Sensation Creative.
www.SensationCreative.com