“If your brand is clearly defined enough to have the power to attract enemies, it also has the power to attract raving fans. And the raving fans of your brand are the ones who return again and again. They're the ones who will tell their friends about you. They're the ones who will wear your logo. They're the ones that almost enjoy the annoyance of your brand-haters and will keep coming back for more.”
“So don’t fear the hate. Embrace it. Maybe in your next brainstorming meeting, don’t ask how you can appeal to X. Ask how you can annoy the hell out of Y.”
I love that! I tend to focus too much on pleasing everyone and words like this help me remember that I can't. We need to focus on the people we can please, that we can make raving fans and let the rest worry about themselves.
Posted by: Kevin Behringer | January 06, 2006 at 11:28 AM
I don't know?
“Maybe in your next brainstorming meeting, don’t ask how you can appeal to X. Ask how you can annoy the hell out of Y.”
Do you really think the greats set out to piss someone off? Or were they simply unconcerned with what people thought and surged ahead with their unbridled creativity and passion? I vote for the latter.
Posted by: Tom Asacker | January 06, 2006 at 11:48 AM
Tom, hmmm... I took the quote about annoying the hell out of Y to be a little bit tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic, to make a point. But I agree with you for the most part.
However, I'm not sure that it's about being "unconcerned with what people thought" ENTIRELY.
I think the main thing is, targeting your brand's difference to a specific market. And you should definitely care about this target customer, but I wouldn't worry too much about what anyone else thinks. The haters can say what they like but as long as you've got your brand evangelists, you'll be the one laughing all the way to the bank.
Posted by: Laura | January 06, 2006 at 01:33 PM
Tom ... I’m with ya. Apple , Starbucks, and Abercrombie & Fitch business success was not built upon pissing people off. Rick could have used better examples and that’s why I only chose to only post a snippet of his article.
I did find the posted snippet interesting because it spells out the dichotomy that a successful brand which connects emotionally with customers will also make an emotional disconnect with some. Plus, I found Rick’s suggestion of taking time to ideate on ways to intensify the determined detractor factor intriguing as that brainstorming angle would no doubt result in some very interesting ideas. Some of those ideas might lead to other ideas to further connect emotionally with customers.
Posted by: johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy) | January 06, 2006 at 01:39 PM
In a presentation the other day, Guy Kawasaki called this "Polarizing People."
Basically, do something people will LOVE or HATE. Don't try to make something EVERYONE will like.
Spit out anything lukewarm.
Posted by: DUST!N | January 06, 2006 at 05:18 PM
I'm with Dustin. Too many companys are concerned with everybody liking them, which creates a very vanilla brand. Its like a vanilla shake (you can tell I'm still thinking about that Mikey D billboard)its on every menu and it's the hohum safe choice. Now the Pistachio shake I had yesterday at Port City Java, that's something you love or hate.
Posted by: geno | January 08, 2006 at 11:01 AM
Of course you need a pretty thick skin, but it is possible to "embrace the love" no matter which direction it comes in. Sometimes this can also be a driver for innovation and creativity.
Posted by: Servant of Chaos | January 08, 2006 at 08:06 PM
Excellent. Similar to my vs. theory in "Brand Loyalty vs. Brand Comfort" @ http://thebrandbuilder.blogspot.com/2006/01/brand-loyalty-vs-brand-comfort.html
Posted by: olivier blanchard | January 10, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Oh wait... PCJ has pistachio shakes now?
Posted by: olivier blanchard | January 10, 2006 at 10:38 PM
That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. If you set out to annoy a consumer (such as myself), chances are you will turn them off to your product. The Energizer bunny makes me want to buy Duracell. The Geico-thing makes me want to stick with State Farm ... all in the hopes that they will go out of business and I won't have to be tortured with their advertisements.
Posted by: Jeremy Chou | January 11, 2006 at 02:26 PM
Brand recognition is still brand recognition...whether it is agreeable or not.
Posted by: nbrown | January 16, 2006 at 04:08 PM
What a ridiculous theory. When you deliberately set out to annoy perfectly reasonable people, a certain percentage of those people are not JUST going to be mad, they are going to become anti GoDaddy/Starbucks/Walmart activists.
Now every time you get press, you also get negative press (the other side of the story) exposing all your corporate flaws.
Way to go, Bozo!
Posted by: yaya | February 13, 2006 at 12:44 AM