As marketers, we tend to get wrapped up in the idea that consumers are deeply connected to brand values and meanings. We like to imagine we live in a world where people are eager to be best friends with their toothpaste or join a loyal "tribe" of potato chip fans.
Reality Check: Most consumers don’t form emotional bonds with
the brands they use. Sure, there are standouts like Apple or Nike that command
genuine loyalty, but for the majority of products, the connection is
surface-level at best. People gravitate toward brands they know and trust,
often out of convenience or habit, rather than a heartfelt attachment.
Does this mean brand meaning doesn’t matter? Not exactly—it’s just not as pivotal as many marketers would like to believe. For most people, the relationship with a brand is more transactional than transformational. It’s not a love story; it’s a practical choice.
That's how I started this post.
Then I stopped.
Because Bob Hoffman had already written it ... 3 years ago.
And had done a far better job writing it than I would've done.
Here it is: The Three Word Brief from Bob Hoffman's Ad Contrarian
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about advertising. Each has been an Amazon #1 seller.
