People (consumers) and Brands live in two different worlds; they briefly cross paths but move on soon after and live as strangers once again. Neither reveal their true personalities to each other; they think something, speak otherwise, and do things that defy their thought and words. A live-in relation has only remained a wish.
People have always seen products as brands only until their time of consumption; ok, maybe a little longer to tell other folks about it. But then the conversation dies, the charm wears away and the brands become the product or the service. My pair of jeans, the taxi, my bike, the TV, the mobile, the sneakers and the hotel-i-stayed-in finds its way back into the vocabulary which was once the seat of brand names and often complimented with some mushy adjectives.
On one side, the brands spend time and energy to build a great product/service, brand them, package them, top it up with a cherry and advertise them to get the attention of the right kind of people.
People, in turn, either informed and/or mesmerised by the brand message become the brand customer. And then they return back to their own world.
On another day, it's another new brand, with a new message and a new incentive to buy into it. That's as much loyalty that's left in all of us today; loyalty to the newest message.
When the mindspace is so crowded, how can a brand stay etched in one's memory?
Our mind needs stronger connections to leave an impression. This is why we learn more through experience than information, bond with relations than acquaintances, and value interactions more than messages. As newer brands, businesses, products, services and experiences pour into the market every day, it becomes increasingly important for the older/existing ones to enter new battlegrounds. It is time to look beyond price-wars, feature-fights and, freebie-traps. It is time to think beyond eyeball and footfall driving SEOs & SCMs. Few individuals, organisations, and few brands have recognized the need for change and new concepts began emerging. It is time to wake up the human side of the business. It is time to have a heart to heart relationships with people. It is time to fight for affection, not attention.
IdeaCulture partnered with GladMinds to grow the transactions between brands and consumers into a long-standing relationship. Post-sales relationships have never been an area of interest for most brands, though its been a well-established fact that the odds of repeat purchases are much more than trying out a new product, service, or experience in the market.
GladMinds' SaaS technology product helped consumers stay connected with multiple brands all through one single mobile app. Not only would it spare an individual the inconvenience of installing multiple apps for every brand they consumer, but it also opened up a world of opportunities for innovative experiences involving the brands and consumers.
Imagine asking a brand why they discontinued merchandise in your favourite colour. Imagine telling your restaurant how today's dish wasn't just as good as the last time. Imagine the brand informing you to grab their stuff at throwaway prices before they open the sale to the public. Imagine you earning greater loyalty points for traveling an extra kilometer to shop at their store. Imagine not having to preserve all your invoices and warranty cards because they are automatically stored in your app.
While the first-generation product focused on the automobile industry, what lies ahead is a wonderful world full of opportunities. A world where mutual affection ensured that the brands no longer have to fight for consumer attention. And spare the world the flood of hoardings, irritating popups, spam, and all the noise.