Habitual Purchase

We gathered in the lobby for a social lunch.

"Where are we going?" I asked. "Any ideas?" he replied.
"How about x?" I offered. "No." he replied. "What about Y?" I volleyed. "Nah."
"Then you decide." I snipped. "Oh, I don't care." he said.

Most purchases are made from habit. If we stopped to rationally discuss and weigh every decision, nothing would get done. We'd find ourselves in internal and external dialogue similar to the one above. Habitual purchase is convenient and expedient. It's how we navigate life.

Habit is a wonderful "cheat" for marketers. Once our brand becomes a habit, human nature kicks in (and we kick back). But don't confuse habitual purchase with true brand loyalty or affinity or preference. It may just be convenience. Habits aren't even conscious decisions.

Habit may have been born in brand preference. A decision long ago, perhaps weighed carefully, resulted in repeated behavior. But the trap is to assume that this initial brand preference is still active. That they still love your brand. That they are even aware of your brand. I have talked to many consumers that can't name brands that they use regularly. (What brand of toilet paper is in your house? Paper towels? Spices? Air freshener?) If they can name them, they can't tell you why they use them.

The question is....what will happen when the consumer awakens and makes a conscious choice in your category?

As a new brand, half the battle is just getting that unconscious, habitual shopper to awaken and re-examine the category. But it's not easy to do. People are busy and most are fundamentally happy with their habitual choices. How do you interrupt? How do you insert doubt into this happy routine? I personally feel this is one of the primary roles of creative. To awaken, to start a new consideration.

As an established brand, the challenge is diligence and intellectual honesty. Do you know how your consumers really feel about your brand? Is there passion? Is there still a point of difference? Or do they just buy from habit. Most of our biggest brands are over 50 years old. We are on the 3rd or 4th generation of consumers many of whom learned to shop categories from their parents. A habit passed down through generations. I bet that if we compared our parents pantries with our own, we would find many of the same brands. We inherit more than our good looks from our parents. And the same is true at work. Institutional habits are often even stronger, and more deeply rooted than individual behavior.

What's the point? A brand built on habitual purchase is vulnerable. Better figure out where you stand.

Emotional Consequences

It was a long trip. Travel home was a grind. I was tired. Weary. Road worn.

As I neared my house there was a growing sense of anticipation and yet, hesitation. Had I been homesick? No, but yet I wanted to get home. Then again, re-entry was not always pleasant.

I walked in the door and was overcome by a sense of familiarity. Sound, smell, touch, sight. Then I was noticed. I was greeted, touched, accepted, loved. I felt belonging. Contentment. Happiness. At peace. Connected.

Your brand has an audience. Their days are grinds. They are weary. They are worn. How do they feel as they near your brand experience? How do they feel in the moment? What is your brand's emotional consequence?

When consumers interact with a brand, there is an emotional consequence. Brand failure, even in the most insignificant categories, can cause frustration, anger, even embarrassment. Brand success can lift spirits and turn a bad day around. What’s interesting is these emotional consequences are often not just directed at the brand, but at the user. Ever felt like a sucker for buying a brand? Ever felt more confident about yourself when using a brand?

As a brand builder, the goal is to marry your brand to a positive emotional experience that enhances the user’s day and their self opinion. In short, interaction with this brand makes me feel ______. So when I want to feel that way, I reach for the brand. This is the essence of the emotional benefit.

Unlike with functional benefits, it is often much easier to differentiate your brand with its emotional benefit. When I was young, Nike and Adidas were functionally marketed brands with little differentiation. Nike figured out the emotional benefit of running (and fitness in general) to its users, and the rest is history.

While functional benefit remains precedent to emotional benefit in my opinion, it’s the MARKETER that is typically the author of emotional benefit strategy. Net, this is where we earn our keep in brand construction.

The Unity of Freedom Has Never Relied on the Uniformity of Opinion (JFK).

INDIVISIBLE is a precious word that the Left and Right seem to ignore in their self-serving rhetoric. Civil discourse has been replaced with flatulent, garrulous braying. Personal gain over public progress. It's distasteful and has pushed many from the political process.

Just because politicians have a live microphone ...doesn't mean they speak for me. Same goes for the political talk-heads.

America is ultimately about unity and common cause; has been since our start. We stand united here in the United States. Together we have always been stronger. Have we lost track of this?

Let's start a new discussion that respects different views and seeks progress on our common problems. I think we understand each other's positions, how do we move forward? The unity of freedom has never relied on the uniformity of opinion (JFK).

America, Still the Shining City on a Hill.

NOTE: I wrote this little rant about the state of the American political process. But guess what? If you replace America with the name of your organization, I bet some of these points will hold true.