Today’s strong brands are also strong communities.
As we saw at the beginning of the year in the trends for 2022, in these times, more than ever there is a desire for community, interpersonal communication and bonds.
And in this sense, brands, as is the case with social groups, provide trust, certainty, security… Attributes that are all highly desirable in a context as fickle as the one we live in.
But, in order to form this link from the brand, the user must be really listened to. Today’s brands have to go beyond the promise to the customer and focus on the consumer experience, letting them contribute and making them co-owners of the brand.
It is not about creating a brand that is self-managed by users, but a brand that is highly participative, where interaction is an important pillar and where the consumer feels a relevant part of the brand.
Brands must abandon the old merely transactional approach and generate value beyond the product.
They must create meaning but also a sense of belonging.
After all, brands are already communities. Groups that, in one way or another, bring people together around a common interest, a way of life, a desire for status…