Love, Hate and Jealousy: Marketers Playground

We talk so much about how marketing and advertising has become authentic and real.  In reality (excuse the play on words), marketers have just gotten more in tune with the hot buttons that fuel our human desires.  With the uprising of social media, it’s not an us and them – it’s a “we”.  As marketers and branding agents, we have had to come down from our “take our word for it” pedestal and become part of the conversation.  And the conversation is about taking a stand for something.

In a world of uncertainties;  with our recession peeking back in, jobless rates, a war that rolls on, natural disasters and man made oil spills, our American nature is to stand for something.   Hold on to something that we can call our own.  Harmlessly, this has taken the form of new brand loyalty.  We LOVE this brand, We HATE that sports team and we are JEALOUS of what we are not.

The “we” approach is prevalent in social media.  I can’t think of one medium that isn’t “social” now.  Television commercials are becoming more entertaining and campaign for our loyalty.  Print campaigns (those that are left) are usually geared towards connecting online.  Most brands are not trying to appeal to everyone, especially now.  They understand the value of discernment.  The rise of social media and citizen journalism put a microscope on trying to be everything to everyone and blew the whistle on brands that speak out of both sides of their mouth.  Some people will love them. (Harley Davidson is still the #2 tattoo right after “Mother”)   Some people will hate them and choose what they consider to be a polar opposite brand, those who are not in the target brand demographic.  And some will be jealous, that could be people who may not be able to afford the brand (as in fashion), but align their loyalty and plan on obtaining as much as they can of the brands products.  Jealousy is a marketers savings account. It will realize itself in time if the public does not become fickle and the brand stays true.

“Jealousy is the fun you think they had”, Erica Jong

So, how are marketers using the Holy Trinity of human nature?  We are asking you to “join”, “like”, pass on to connections and friends you haven’t seen in 20 years.  And, it works.  Social Media has, in some ways, reinvented the “high school clique” on a mass basis.  And as the old saying goes, you have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.  We take that to heart.  We join, and then we buy.

Bold marketing is closer to the reality than “authentic” marketing.  Eliciting a response is what it’s about.  TV commercials are viral entertainment and they have to be to remember when we are saddled with more than 10,000 advertising impressions daily.  They have taken on a whole new level of production quality as well.  Check out Kia’s CGI TV spot, though it’s short, it speaks to a youth audience and captures the attention of those who may buy with song and imagry.  The response solicited is love.  Cute, furry animals, an old school song favorite and CGI.  Recipe for viral video and love.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfJnqbudMzs

Being an Aquarian, my personal marketing style is to encourage consumers to fall in love.  But, remember that love in marketing isn’t gooey, emotional or fake.  Loving a brand is about being entertained.  With the need for levity, the most effective way to become “we” and have consumers is to relieve their stress.  Make them laugh, show them that life doesn’t have to be so “heavy”. 

Being a girl, also means we are pretty darn good at “jealousy” marketing, as well.  It’s the “don’t you wish your girlfriend was hot like me” syndrome.  Jealousy marketing can quickly turn against you if you don’t have enough brand equity to back it up.  You are essentially saying in your advertising messages that your brand is the cool kids, and you are not.  But, you want them to join.  Fine line.  And as I have said in a hundred conference speeches, it is the old rules of dating that apply here.  Tease them with messages, leave them wanting more.

Hate is not negative campaigning.  It’s one brand vs. another.  Apple and PC are the best examples of this type of marketing.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcDpFLSTZWU  Negative campaigning hasn’t ever really caught on with our social culture.  But, tongue-and-cheek, “we are cooler” has.

One thing to remember when you are putting together a human emotion trigger campaign, is that we experience all of these things in a cyclical cycle.  Love, Hate, Jealousy.  We cannot only hold one of these in our brains for long.  Be ready to move your consumers through that cycle, or they will get bored.  Break up your messages to your medium and see what’s most effective there, chances are you will be hitting all three in a one year marketing plan.  The script has flipped, and it’s no surprise.  We are slaves to the citizen journalism of today’s online society.  All media should affect your message, what’s going on in the news, what daily challenges are your consumers facing?  Do they need a pick me up?  Do they feel out of control and need to take a stand?  They move through the cycle and so should you.

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