What Brand Loyalty Means for PR

The power of branding has become more evident in recent years than ever before. A brand of coffee is no longer just "a brand" it becomes "my brand." In every category you could imagine, consumers are attaching themselves to what they believe are the heart and soul of the brands they love.

Brand loyalty isn't something that can be generated in an engineering lab or strategically mapped out by a killer marketing team. Just like making friends in elementary school, the brands we become loyal to are steeped in a ton of other lifestyle choices and personal beliefs. Our environment, goals and even the brands we've already become loyal too will all impact the brands we choose to extend our trust to in the future.

As PR professionals, it's our jobs to help build a bridge between the brand and the consumer. While we can't force any kind of brand relationships to form, we can help our clients promote all of the positive attributes they already have, and keep those at the forefront.

Several brands are doing this very well, and have seen excellent results. Apple, for example, is a key player in the brand loyalty arena. It isn't uncommon to see someone sitting with their iPhone, iPad and Macbook --not because that's the most advanced technology, but rather because they are loyal to Apple. They've managed to create a lifestyle around their brand of choice. Recent reports state Apple's brand loyalty is 87%. Whoa!

Aside from larger companies, smaller start ups are mastering brand loyalty in their early stages. One brand that comes to mind is Dear Kate. This new brand creates women's apparel, and works hard to build that bridge between themselves and the consumer. Their blog does a great job at not only showing off their products, but telling a greater story that gives consumers something to connect with.

How can you build the bridge for your clients? How can you showcase them as a brand worthy of consumer loyalty? Maybe it's through blog posts that showcase the lifestyle your brand contributes to, or showing off the philanthropic efforts of the company. Maybe it's through content shared on social media, or even through events that give back. Whatever the medium, its's up to you, the PR person to gather that material and build that bridge as best you can.

5 Questions To Ask Before You Rebrand

As companies and products grow, change, and evolve, the way that we market and brand them has to change as well. Most if not all companies come to a point where they feel that it's time for a rebrand. This is usually when the company discovers more about who they are, who their customers are, and what the company's goals are. You can watch the growth and journey of most companies by following their rebranding efforts over time. A great example of this is the Starbucks logo, which has transformed dramatically from the original maroon logo.

A successful rebrand goes far beyond changing a logo and updating a website, there is plenty of planning and behind the scenes work that has to take place. Before jumping into a rebranding, here are 5 questions that you should ask yourself and your client:

1. Why are we going to rebrand? Rebranding isn't a quick overnight job, so you want to be sure everyone is in it for the right reasons. Are you working to solve a problem that may not require such a drastic step? What exactly is the client unhappy with?

2. Are we ready for change? A call to rebrand takes participation by the team in order to be effective. Everyone has to be ready for and agree with the changes to come so that they can adjust their work accordingly.

3. What is our story, and how does our brand tell that story now? If you and your client want to rebrand to properly tell the story behind your brand, you have to first define what that story is. How does the current brand lack in getting the message across?

4. Has our customer based changed since our last branding effort? If you are now targeting a different audience, you want to make sure that your rebranding efforts will resonate with them.Discuss what elements of your new audience will be reflected in the new brand.

5. Will the new brand last? A rebranding campaign can be evolutionary or revolutionary, meaning it can be a first step for more change to come, or a bold and more permanent change. Talk about if you could see this brand staying relevant and meaningful 5, 10, and even 20 years down the road.

For more great tips and thoughts on rebranding, check out this great article on INC.

Have you ever successfully completed a rebranding campaign? What challenges or difficulties did you face?

Brand Frenzy

Over the weekend Apple released their two new products, the iPhone 5C and 5S, in stores. Once again, there was a huge frenzy around the release. People lined up in droves just to be one of the first to own the coveted devices. While technology editors and reviewers don't seem to be as dazzled, that didn't stop the crowds from pouring in and giving Apple a record-breaking product launch.


If the product hasn't evolved at the rate that tech editors had hoped, what keeps the lines spilling out the doors? My guess is brand frenzy.

I say brand frenzy as opposed to brand loyalty because that is what it has turned into. The products may not have evolved as much, but consumer loyalty to them has. Customers are glued to their computers to catch the newest innovations announced at the keynote address in one window and to sell their now outdated device in another. Others are already camped outside their local Apple store to snag the freshest product.

Apple has done an incredible job over the years marketing themselves as the cool, popular kid of Silicone Valley. For a long time now, people have stopped buying Apple because they are so revolutionary. Rather, they buy Apple because they are so cool.

In terms of smartphones, many companies have caught up with Apple technology wise. There may no longer be a race to see which brand can compete with them, but Apple is still in heavy competition with itself. Most of the excitement swirling around the Apple keynote address is simply to see whether or not they have outdone themselves like in years past. While the tech editors may not be as swept away as they used to, Apple still seems to have the consumers in the palm of their hand.

Is there a brand that you have become loyal to? Tell us about it in the comments below!