They’re passionate about your brand? How can you be passionate about them?
People are passionate about brands. Some people will go to any length to buy from a particular shop or store (just look at the queues outside Abercrombie and Fitch in London at the weekend). Some people will tell anybody who will listen (and even some who don’t) just how their Aga, Dyson or Gaggia has changed their lives. Some people and some people even tattoo the logo on their body.
That people like a brand is nothing new. Nor that they will become passionate about it. There have always been fan groups and on the Internet you can find thousands of sites which discuss even more niche brands. Until now, however, it has been difficult for any but the smallest brands to be equally passionate back about individual consumers. They can’t be expected to spend as much time or effort being passionate back except in the cases of the most valuable customers.
The web changes this. There has been a rush for brands to set up a presence on Facebook or bebo, but these sites are spaces for customers - they are about them. You can go their and create a space for them but it still feels more like you are intruding on their space. Better still to set up a place specially for them - that has reasons for them to go back (either over a short period or a longer term). A special club for your most passionate customers where they can interact with you, find out about the product or brand they love, discuss it and comment on it. If it’s a place you’ve created you have the benefit that not only can you see all of this commentary in one place rather than spread around the internet, but also that you can respond. Change opinions or harness positive ones. This is the start of true brand advocacy and true brand advocates. Ones that feel the brand cares about them as much as they care about it.
