Commitment, intimacy, dependability – that’s all we want in a relationship with a person, or a brand. Because, we don’t just consume or interact with a brand, we engage in a relationship, because it’s something that can define us, as well as them.
Relationships have natural stages, just watch Love Island, it’s a condensed melting pot of the dizzy first days and decisions that are made towards something with real commitment (or at least commitment to win £50k!).
Know yourself, what is your chemistry, your makeup, the things you believe in, the special something that makes you stand apart from the rest.
Know your type, who will be attracted to you, what are they looking for – what turns them on? Do you have it?
First dates, those first few encounters where your brand meets your customers, you establish connections. Are you having conversations, answering their questions, showing up on time, demonstrating what they are looking for in a brand – are you giving them a positive experience?
Getting serious, they love you enough to think of you first, they follow, and like what you say, and they don’t stop talking about you, they LOVE YOU!
Keeping the spark, in any long-term relationship we can get too familiar, too used to the same way of doing things, and so it’s good to keep trying to stay relevant, offer something new. To grow together. Look at Apple, it’s 40 years old, but still fresh in its outlook and offer.
Getting the ‘icks’! EEK! Something goes wrong, but you try and work it out, and you might then part company when they realise you weren’t quite what they were looking for, but you had a good time and stay friends.
I’m pleased to say that I have a few long-term working relationships that have lasted pretty much all my independent career, and also some very new ones.
