Proliferate memorable values and create empathy
Affinity is about emotions and bonding — a “magic” that shapes the connection between products and consumers as well as politicians and voters. Exclusively, affinity keeps relationships firm, permanent and durable. It’s the appeal of marketplace dominance — a force of attraction.
In the book Affinity Beyond Branding, authors Martin Goldfarb and Howard Aster discuss the principle based on cultural consumer anthropology — observing and understanding your public’s behavior and influencing that behavior. Affinity goes beyond branding since it engages you to “step out of the ordinary” into the next level of consumer awareness. It captures the value structure of an era, transforms product lines, creates leadership, fans and evangelists, changes behavior, and redefines an aspect of our culture.
Truth be told, you often wish for something, and that wish is an act of imagination. It is where you see yourself inside a picture, a product, scene, or relationship. It can be provoked by envy, or hope, and it’s very much an aspect of human motivation. “Today, the power of products can trigger your mind’s eye into wishing. And that’s what triggers affinity,” the authors declare. Your thoughts get fired up with a desire to get connected or linked to it — “I wish I had an iPhone 6 and 6 plus.” “I wish I had a Porsche.” “I wish I had a unit in Rockwell.”
The book offers three important lessons: listening, clarity and integrity — that can open the door to the process of building a loyal, energetic customer following, developing the charisma that compels your publics to sing your praises, forgive your blunders, and keep them coming back.
• Listen to your publics and respect what you hear. The key is to see yourself as an anthropologist — searching for deep, underlying themes and understanding the shared stories that resonate across cultures. In this, Goldfarb and Aster challenge communicators to show humility, and to display great respect for what they call the “wisdom of the marketplace.” The aim is not to communicate new values, but to comprehend and tap into those that already exist. They posit that every consumer product can be understood as an artifact of a culture. Thus, by looking around, by listening, and by studying these artifacts creatively you can get a clue to the culture. Artifacts are loaded with content, emotion, statement and feelings. More than objects, they embody dreams. They bring meaning, satisfaction, and self-definition, and people absorb their power and character.
A great case that illustrates this point is that of a little-known “supportive undergarment” company that listened to a current of young people who saw the body as something to be proudly displayed. The result was a transformative, highly profitable new product: the WonderBra — a risky proposition packaged in a dice cube, and called “Dicey.”
Taking the insight that “both men and women want women to look good and they want women to care about the shape they are in” from nude bars and restaurants in San Francisco, the handlers redefined the basic bra. They branded and built affinity that resonated with society’s emerging attitudes then. They took the creative leap and successfully adopted the concept of “freedom for the shape you’re in,” used the iconic message “We care about the shape you’re in,” and made it stick. The campaign lasted for two decades and even today remains embedded in many a long-term memory.
Another classic example is when Ford listened to the young people who wanted pickup trucks modified to be more comfortable and luxurious. Generating insights from their thoughts helped Ford create an entirely new type of vehicle, now known as the SUV.
• Know your brand’s core values, and cultivate them across your company. Clearly and consistently articulate the values you hear. Much affinity is thus devoted to the practical side of how to help a brand retain focus, and in due course stir up confidence, optimism and empathy. The authors show how Toyota grew a culture that aligns all units of the organization to convey and deliver its core value of quality. They suggest taking caution of the dangers of failing to develop and deliver a clear, consistent brand message. This happens when a brand becomes too fragmented. The brand loses sight of what it really stands for.
• Move with integrity. The concept is basic to Goldfarb and Aster. “If you make a promise, you must deliver” is a mantra that you have to take to heart. For both, “Integrity is living the value that consumers expect over the long term.” One of the book’s many cases that illustrate this point is the Ford Thunderbird. Ford built considerable hype and excitement around the Thunderbird, as a modern car with a distinct, classic look. But when consumers drove and bought the Thunderbird, they were profoundly disappointed with the car’s failure to perform reliably. Ford lost affinity because it did not deliver what it promised.
Using communication strategically to link up with your publics with integrity is vital. You must be able to effectively connect with a significant general stakeholder group or niche clusters. The interests and expectations of these publics are sometimes in conflict, requiring you to strike a balance in what to do first and how to connect your actions to them. More often than not, it is sound advice that integrity and honesty are always in tandem and kept intact when you walk your talk. A good reputation built by good communication is key, but this reputation must be matched, if not exceeded, by concrete achievements. As prophet Silvanus said, “Unhappy is the man whose reputation is greater than his work.”
Why does reputation matter? The answer is simple: It makes you well admired — which most people desire, anyway — and a well-admired persona generally commands greater following and loyalty from followers. You face fewer risks of crisis as well if you are positively received since you are given greater latitude for understanding by your publics. Public approbation commands respect, and respect can bring you affinity, stability and “winnability.”
Key in the demanding task of building and maintaining a good reputation is a clear understanding of who you really are, putting your words into action, and telling your story. And to quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”
While you strive to constantly recreate your image and build affinity, you should attach your branding star to your publics and proliferate memorable values. At the end of it, you are able to create affinity, your publics want to hear your stories repeatedly, and more importantly, they want to return to you and whatever you represent regularly.
* * *
Email bongosorio@yahoo.com or bong_osorio@abs-cbn.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating.
