what's your brand's reflection

what is your brand’s reflection?

humans have a deep rooted need to belong

we need to feel

connected

loved

and a part of something larger than ourselves

brands play a major role in helping us fulfill this need

not only can they facilitate connecting us to others

but they also help us signal who we

belong with

and because of this signal…

a key of component of any brand’s identity is defining it’s “reflected consumer”

why?

“a brand is a customer’s (desired) reflection”

— jean-noël kapferer

a brand’s communications

stores

and products

all work to build a reflection of it’s customer

Was a result…

we have an idea of the type of person that drives this

watches this

and uses this

and uses this

versus this

marketers often mistake target and reflection

The problem is marketers often mistake the target customer with the brand’s reflection

the target is your current & potential

purchasers

the reflection is the way your target wishes to be

seen as a result of interacting with the brand

although your target may look like this

they may want others to see them

like this

at least this guy

did

one key way marketers speak to the target instead of their desired reflection is through the constant use of “that’s why” advertising

and we all know “that’s why” advertising

problem: can’t sleep?

solution: that’s why there is brand X

“‘that’s why’ advertising navigates by reference to consumers. it holds up a mirror to their lives—or what the advertisers supposes are their lives—and gives them a reason to believe the product we are selling contains something that will make their day better in some regard. in this situation i, the brand, am acting in effect as a mirror.”

-adam morgan, eating the big fish

and so we speak to them as they are

And so…

We speak to them as they are, not as they want

to be seen

Need new

not as they wish to be

seen as users of our brand

do you know your brand’s reflection?

to answer this question, finish this sentence

to answer this question, finish this sentence

when others talk about people who interact with my brand they say:

“they are…”

when others talk about people who interact with my brand they say:

“they are…”

brands can have incredible power…

be extraordinary

brands can have incredible power…

be extraordinary

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marketing consulting, workshops, speaking engagements: detavio@gmail.com