Transforming a brand into a Lovemark with social media listening

As you might guess from its name, a lovemark is more than just a brand. It's something that goes beyond rational decisions, something that makes you buy or advocate the product because you feel the need without actually having it. When the new iPhone is released, Apple advocates are ready to book a place in line in the morning to buy the latest smartphone, even though their previous one can still cover all their needs. That happens because Apple has become a lovemark for people worldwide, and we can truly consider it the best example of this phenomenon.

So, what about persuasion? The main objective here is to make people believe that your product is the best in the category and make people choose it by default. Previously, brand managers had to build these associations for years to make the product become top of mind. But with the rise of social media, the process has increased as it's much easier to build close relations and Glossier – is one more great example of a lovemark. The company managed to create a cult-like community using social media platforms as a primary tool. Below we'll explain how they did it and, hopefully, help you understand how to succeed based on their experience.

When analyzing what unites such lovemarks as Apple, Glossier, Moleskin, Ikea, and others, we've realized that the key to success is a mix of such elements as a community, brand ecosystem, content, design, and brand values.

So, let's return to the example of Glossier, a relatively young brand that managed to become a lovemark for millions of millennials.

The brand describes itself as a people-powered beauty ecosystem as they are putting their customers first. Being digitally native, Glossier managed to gather like-minded people around its brand who are not just clients but more like stakeholders. They communicate with the audience all the time, and it's more like a dialog rather than a monologue. For Glossier, customer involvement is not just lip service as the brand listens to what customers say and hears their needs to later create products that enhance their client's lives.

For example, the company realized that people had to use two separate products to wash the face, first – to remove the makeup and second to actually clean the skin. This insight made the brand develop a Milky Jelly cleanser – dual-use face wash so that the customers didn't have to spend too much time and money on their skincare routine. Even though Glossier could have earned more profits by launching two products instead of one, they've put their audience's interest in the first place.

As a result, the audience's sentiments about Glossier are the dream of any CEO, marketer, brand, or PR manager. When analyzing the aspects which are mainly discussed online, the results are incredible. Not only do people share their experiences on social networks, but also the majority of the mentions are positive, not just neutral, as usual.

The next point is content. As a digital brand that relies on online sales, Glossier also pays tremendous attention to content, especially on social media platforms. It looks simple, stylish, and wholly reflects brand values.

Nevertheless, content is more than pics on Instagram. It's also about packaging, messaging and everything, a customer can interact with.

And what makes people even closer is that the brand is constantly reposting user-generated content, which creates the desire to post images of Glossier products to get the minute of fame on the brand's pages. Besides, such content is generating more conversation and community trust.

In the case of Glossier, its statement and brand vision drove the company to success as women lacked the beauty brand that didn't require to meet any expectations or reach the impossible beauty that is never enough. The brand's approach is skin first, makeup second. Meaning health is more important than any beauty standards, and makeup should just give options on how to look like but never cover you up.

But how can you find what bothers your audience and offer them products and ideas they want?

Start analyzing social media first. People love sharing their experiences with others, especially if something went wrong or extremely excellent. Tracking your brand's mentions online, you can quickly provide customer support in negative situations or engage your client even more in case of positive posts.

Besides, social media listening tools like YouScan allow you to monitor not only your brand but also a category or industry in general. And, what's also critical, your competitors.

Suppose you don't have the crafted message about your brand values, mission, or corporate social responsibility. In that case, you can use social media to find insights that help you build the message that will resonate with your audience. For example, check what aspects of similar products or services are valuable for your prospects, their general sentiments about your category, the most engaging posts in social media, and who are the influencers in your niche.

For instance, Glossier is a cruelty-free beauty brand, and for some part of its audience, this feature is crucial. So, we've decided to find influencers who are into cruelty-free cosmetics, thereby partnering with them might be a great strategy to communicate brand values that correspond to their followers and the company's prospects.

Brand values are essential, but what is even more important is to stick to them, not just use them for marketing. Modern consumers tend to choose brands whose mission aligns with their beliefs. But if they find that the company uses their statements only for pr or even worse - for greenwashing, their love will be lost forever.

Crafting a lovemark is tough, but using the rule of 5 Cs: Consumers, Content, Conversations, Co-Creation, Community like Glossier does might help you to reach the hearts of your audience.

At least, YouScan can become your partner in handling content, conversations, and community, so book our free trial to become more than just a brand.