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| Worse than not having a car?! Source: Wikipedia |
The long term value and association of a brand lingers. It can be repaired, it can be altered, but our emotions towards a brand are personal and affected by our own interactions with the brand - it's not a quick fix. This obviously creates a nightmare for marketeers who would love to deliver quick changes in a homogenous manner.
The brand relationship is particularly powerful with cars. We have recently changed our family car, and it forced my wife and I to look outside our usual brands. As a couple, we have a number of shared values, and a respect of German cars was one of them (albeit, not something we lingered on in early dates). For reasons of budget and model range (we "needed" 7 seats and 4x4) we were taken away from our German bruders.
(as an aside, research from Motors.co.uk shows that German brands have the biggest brand allegiance - 59% of BMW drivers intend to stick with a BMW next time)
Naturally, I used the Motors.co.uk Smart Search to help decide the best car for our criteria. I'm afforded the responsibility of identifying the shortlist of cars for consideration. This one took some convincing, because it you're not spending north of £40,000, a 4x4 purchase tends to be a utilitarian purchase. The romance of the process was lost as we conceded the need for practicality over fun.
When it looked like a Volvo was the most likely outcome, I was satisfied, my wife was in shock. "How can I be a Volvo driver!" she exclaimed. I was perplexed. She knew that the decision was a good one, based on a market leading car search tool(!), but her emotional reaction to the brand put her hackles up. As far as Bianca was concerned, we might as well get two labradors, wear cardigans and become bores who discuss A roads and NCAP ratings.
I, on the other hand, was very comfortable with this. Not only do I back myself when it comes to A roads and NCAP ratings, my parents had Volvos when I was younger and my perception of them was very different. The first car I drove on passing my test was a Volvo 440, quickly moving onto 2 different S40s. I didn't perceive them as boring. I knew that such a view existed. But I viewed them as almost luxury cars. No other 17 year old was driving as nice a car as me. I was a Volvo driver, and proud of it. (If you didn't know me as a teenager, this paragraph will give you a very good impression of just how cool I was)
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| Hilarity from the Volvo Touing Car Team - I loved it! Source: TouringCarTimes.com |
Common sense, and a lack of other attractive options prevailed and we are now Volvo owners. I'll probably wait a couple of years before joining the owners' club, but I do hope that I'll be able to transform Bianca's views on the brand. For the millions spent on glamorous TV advertising, the real connection with the brand comes from personal experience. This is an area that should never be underestimated by brands. Your brand isn't your advert, it is your product and everything that surrounds it.
I'm pleased that we reached a rational outcome. Though, I should probably admit that on paper arguably the best choice for us was a Land Rover ... but I refuse to become a Land Rover driver.
Perfectly rational.
