The law of attraction

There can be immense gains if the basics of the attractiveness quotient are understood and applied to brands

A lot has been said and written about brand appeal, brand trust and loyalty. But did you realise all these brand properties are governed by the basic laws of attraction? If appeal is the inherent force of attractiveness of a brand that interests, stimulates or makes a brand desirable (or not), trust forms the basic platform for any exchange, which largely depends on the powerful intangible force, attractiveness, according to Trust Research Advisory, a brand intelligence company.

Why attractiveness? N Chandramouli, CEO, Trust Research Advisory, explains the rationale, "If one attempts to send a rocket from the Earth to the moon, and needs to chalk out a trajectory, he needs to know the forces that govern these planetary bodies. Likewise, if you want to take your brand into a certain trajectory, you will need to know the forces that govern the brand." The forces that determine attraction, broadly, are rational and emotional appeal, which are usually part of many contemporary communication exercises.

Every brand has to attract its audience. Not surprisingly, brands spend billions in marketing and advertisements trying to be attractive to customers. And this romance with brands is no different from humans. Their bond with consumers might, in many cases, begin with an intense desire, and, with the right approach, turn into understanding and companionship. Attractiveness of a brand, by textbook definition, is its intangible force which goes beyond the physical appeal. It is the overwhelming pull which unconsciously but irresistibly draws the audience towards itself, and every such intimacy has a different tale to tell.

To understand this, let's look at Amul, India's most attractive brand in the food and beverage category and 18th among all categories, according to India's Most Attractive Brands 2013, a study by Trust Research Advisory. Its emotional quotient leads to a patriotic feeling (Amul, the taste of India). From butter to ice-cream, the rational quotient of Amul lies in its undisputed quality of products. Its aspirational quotient is the happy feeling the brand tends to bring in, and recognition of the brand among competitors as well. Consistency with the 'utterly butterly delicious' Amul girl, for half a century now, is the hallmark of its communication quotient.

Samsung Mobiles tops the list of India's Most Attractive Brands 2013 among all categories, closely followed by Sony and Nokia, according to the study. India's fourth most attractive brand is LG.

Samsung's key lever definitely lies in its turnaround strategy. Till a couple of years back, there wasn't much expectation from Samsung in the mobile handset category. Suddenly it transformed to offer customers some great products in terms of technology, innovation, pricing and performance.

Now look at Apple. Apple has become a great brand by virtue of its exclusivity. Restricted accessibility is in the DNA of Apple­ - a conscious strategy to keep customers interested. Samsung Mobiles, on the other hand, is an available brand that is also good in many respects. Marketers believe, this is where Samsung will gain in the long run. After all, a brand cannot keep its customers on the edge forever. Nokia, has also been a robust and available brand. But it lost market and attractiveness to Samsung due to a lack of enthusiasm to hard-sell products. Samsung doesn't rest; it is always hungry and survives on a positive desperation, says the study. It is one brand that is truly paranoid about its customers, in a positive way.

In the consumer durable segment, Sony has an innovation legacy that is apparently difficult to break. LG can be seen as an 'I-can-also-make-it' brand that is yet to create a distinct identity of its own. While Sony has its strategy right, LG needs to change a bit. However, it will be incorrect to analyse the two brands from past experiences alone. LG is poised to enter the mobile handset category in a big way, but other than Xperia, Sony's mobile handsets couldn't make a mark. In other words, the rules of attraction vary from market to market.