Warning: Undefined variable $listtag in /home/storage/752/3595752/user/htdocs/wp-content/plugins/image-gallery-reloaded/image-gallery-reloaded.php on line 202
This is the first question to answer in order to build a meaningful brand, with consistent identity. When you understand what are the emotions and feelings that drive your consumer, the process of brand development becomes simpler and straight-forward.
There are 4 great motivational needs we experience throughout our lives, as human-beings and as consumers:
– Independence: helps consumer to find individual happiness, learn and grow
– Mastery: helps consumer to develop and achieve something
– Belonging: helps consumer to find and give love, be part of a community or relationship
– Stability: helps consumer to feel safe, be in charge of the situation
Which one is the main drive for your business?
To find out, do a “brand soul searching” exercise and ask what are the brand values and beliefs, how do you want it to be perceived, what will consumers see in you that motivate them to buy, how do you want them to feel when purchasing your product and so on. Then, make a list of emotions and attitudes you would like to be associated with. For example: optimism, freedom, expertise, courage, disruption, transformation, empathy, intimacy, fun, self-expression, altruism, status…
At this point, the motivation should be clear and you are ready to go on and streamline the brand meaning by bringing archetypes to the table. So, if the brand has the Independence motivation, it’s very likely that the words optimism, freedom or expertise have popped up during the brand therapy moment which means that your main archetype will be either the Innocent, the Explorer or the Sage. If it is Mastery, courage, disruption or transformation will be among the emotions you are trying to convey, then we are talking about the Hero, the Revolutionary or the Magician. It may be Belonging and the desire for empathy, intimacy or having fun, the attributes of the Everyperson, the Lover or the Jester, respectively. Or the motivation for Stability has revealed the need for self-expression, altruism and status, attitudes linked to the Creator, the Caregiver and the Ruler.
Now the emotional side of the brand building process is sorted out you are closer to start telling a compelling and engaging story, one that will deeply connect brand and customers. Are you ready?