Good vs. Great Brands = To vs. Through

We in the marketing game are constantly looking for ways to attract people to brands. Yet when you look at the brands that are the most successful and most enduring, a subtle truth emerges. People connect to good brands, but they connect through great brands.

Many marketers fantasize about having an asset that’s as iconic as the Harley Davidson brand. The ultimate success, many say, is when your customers are willing to tattoo your logo onto their bodies.  It’s worth thinking for a moment about why they are doing that. Is it to commemorate the great relationship they’ve developed with the brand? Are they doing it as a tribute to the Harley worker or dealer who made their great ride possible? Of course not. They do it to signal to other people.  The brand becomes a way for them to define themselves to others. They are going through the brand to connect with other people about what matters to them.

The Apple logo on the Powerbook computer is an apt metaphor. There was an extensive debate among Apple designers as to the best orientation for the logo on the computer.  Because of Apple’s emphasis on the user experience, the logo was originally placed on the computer so that it was right side up to the user as the computer was opened. But after a few years, the logo was flipped. They decided it was more important for others to see the logo right side up when the computer was opened. Apple recognized that the relationship between the user and the product was less important than the relationship between the user and other people.

This truth is especially applicable as brands continue to adapt to the world of social media. Ambitious marketers should look beyond metrics that measure direct interactions with the brand and strive to enable interactions people can have with others through their brand.  For example, in this framework, Pinterest repins are far more valuable than visits and even more than clickthroughs. In this context, the most important role of the brand is not the direct relationship it develops with the customer, but the relationships it helps that person define with others.