Today I came across an interesting article (Brand Leaders and Sex: The Untold Story) from FastCompay on what differentiates leadership brands from follower brands.
The general gist is: Leadership brands wake the same emotions and reactions in their customers as a great relationship does … follower brands dont!
Going along with the idea, I added some more thoughts to help make sure “your brand ends up on top!”.
Feel free to have some fun and add to the list in the comments!
Brand Leaders and Sex: The Untold Story
By David Brier
Love, lust and sensuality have been around as long as fire. Who knows, maybe they created the first spark that made fire seem desirable.
While that’s conjecture, there’s one thing we know is true. Our passion for brands, branding and “stuff that works” can be as insatiable and hot-blooded as any romantic fling. And brand leaders know that a killer product launch [1] is one of the greatest aphrodisiacs there is.
Honestly, now. Is it any wonder that the whole subject is often referred to as “positioning?” How innocent is the bite taken out of Apple’s forbidden-fruit logo? Is Dyson’s “no loss of suction” really about vacuum cleaners? And let us not forget that great copy line from the Cadillac CTS commercial, “When you turn it on, does it return the favor?”
So how can you ensure that your brand ends up on top? Well, here you have it.
- Leadership brands find new and unique positions. Follower brands do it the same old way, just like everybody else.
- Leadership brands make customers happy they’re doing it and eager to do it again. Follower brands leave them wishing it were over.
- Leadership brands make sure their customers are satisfied. Follower brands are in it only for themselves.
- Leadership brands revel in their customers’ obsession. Follower brands would be thankful for the occasional stalker.
- Leadership brands shower their customers with attention. Follower brands drown them in indifference.
- Leadership brands care about their image and are a pleasure to be seen with. Follower brands are concealed in a brown paper bag.
- Leadership brands earn respect and devotion. Follower brands get the “friends with perks” treatment: I don’t really love you but you’ll do for now.
- Leadership brands enjoy a level of customer monogamy. Follower brands merely have flings.
- Leadership brands routinely incite desire for the C word: Commitment. Follower brands are often subjected to the F word: Fleeting.
- Leadership brands can proudly be brought home to meet the family. Follower brands provoke apologies for getting caught in “Brands Gone Wild.”
- Leadership brands get the ring. Follower brands are left in the aisle.
- With a leadership brand, it’s a joy waking up to it, day after day. With a follower brand, the honeymoon is over before the first bag is unpacked.
——— added ———
- Leadership brands understand their customers’ needs and meet them. Follower brands ask for permission.
- Leadership brands love their products or services completely and are in return loved by their customers. Follower brands waiver.
- Leadership brands are adventurous. Follower brands stick to what always worked.
- Leadership brands are sure of themselves and the pleasure they bring their customers. Follower brands change their minds half-way through.
——— added ———
So never be afraid of the L word.
Leadership = Lust… Love… Loyalty…
Lead on.
David Brier [2] is an award-winning brand identity designer, author [3] and branding expert. His firm’s work [4] has won the admiration of peers and organizations but, more importantly, has helped clients jump-start their brands in new and innovative ways, even (and especially) when they’ve failed in previous brand makeovers. You can follow him on Twitter here [5].
Marlene Hamerling [6] is an award-winning copywriter who has given voice, in every medium [7], to clients that run the gamut from geek to glam.Feet image credit: © Andrzej Podsiad [8] | Dreamstime.com [9]
Links:
[1] http://web.mac.com/davidbrier/iWeb/FamousNapkin/Blog/7FF08A94-515F-4E41-A23D-…
[2] mailto:david@risingabovethenoise.com
[3] http://risingabovethenoise.com/thebook
[4] http://risingabovethenoise.com/
[5] http://twitter.com/davidbrier
[6] mailto:marlene@hamerlingassociates.com
[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcdYwFubHP4
[8] http://www.dreamstime.com/Produkszyn_info
[9] http://www.dreamstime.com/
aljoschakaplan 
A good brand is like a rabbit, persistent and never gives up, a follower brand is one that lets the fence contain it.And on that note I need to chase down my rabbit, who has escaped yet again and is off to continue his tunnel to his girlfriend.growl