Are you a brand fanatic?

What causes people to become so attached to brands? The answer lies in their ability to promote a lifestyle, a way of thinking, and the opportunity to be part of a like-minded community. Strong brands meet emotional needs as well as physical ones. Some people believe that a relationship with a brand can be as fulfilling as one with another person. But I'm not too sure about that. What do you think? Is your partner your No.1 brand?


What would the devotees of iPods, Harley Davidsons and mySpace think? iPod owners would not swap their beloved device for another MP3 player even if there was a significant price difference. iPods claimed this market with an incredibly strong brand which had very specific attributes. Other MP3 players may do the same, perhaps even more, but owning an iPod means something very special. An iPod is an iPod, where others are mere MP3 players. It owns the category. There is only one iPod, in the same way Hoover and Biro once owned their own categories.


You make a statement when you ride a Harley. You only have to sit on the saddle to immediately gain a sense of freedom and rebel-rouser status - you become taller, bigger and more capable as a person. You become one with the machine, a member of an elite group of like minded individuals - a brotherhood of followers. Followers who are so fanatical they tattoo the brand in their own flesh – the brand literally becomes a brand! There is no other motorcycle like a Harley. No riding experience is like that of a Harley. There may be several Japanese look-a-likes out there but they sure as hell don't ride like a Harley. So ownership delivers a unique riding experience while the 'mind trip' satisfies the emotional need to express your individualism and make a statement, while satisfying the need to connect with others who share the same beliefs and lifestyle desires. One of the major strengths of the Harley Davidson brand is its determination to involve all its stakeholders, from customers to employees, suppliers, and the community at large. Employee loyalty has added amazing strength to the Harley Davidson brand. Strength from the inside out, where each employee lives and breathes the brand and is a brand ambassador, in many cases for life.

MySpace satisfies that sense of community. The capacity in us to communicate and interact with other people and prove to ourselves that we are not alone in the world. The MySpace brand has immense value basically because of the traffic it has generated and its 'sticky' nature where members are unlikely to drift away to competitor sites. It has satisfied a desire.

What brand are you fanatical about, and why? What lengths would you go to to defend that brand and what it stands for?

Tony Heywood is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, founder of Heywood Innovation in Sydney Australia and joint founder of BrandSynergy in Singapore.

View some of Heywood’s work on www.heywood.com.au

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