“Lovemarks,” third part

I’ve been writing about Kevin Roberts’ new book on marketing, Lovemarks: The Future beyond Brands [ Link to part one Link to part two]. Roberts’ main contention is that marketing has to move beyond brands to something new. Here’s one more take-away point from the book:

Brands vs. “lovemarks”

Throughout the book, Roberts says that the key to a new kind of marketing is to develop “emotional commitment.” To show what he means, he includes a table contrasting qualities associated with brands, and qualities associated with a new kind of marketing….

BRAND –> Lovemark
Information –> Relationship
Recognized by consumers –> Loved by people
Generic –> Personal
Presents a narrative –> Creates a love story….
Symbolic –> Iconic
Defined –> Infused
Statement –> Story
Defined attributes –> Wrapped in mystery…
Professional –> Passionately creative

Apply some of these contrasts to Unitarian Universalism:

  • On promotional literature for our churches, instead of giving Information, how about promoting a Relationship?
  • Instead of worrying about being Recognized by consumers, how about worrying about being Loved by people?
  • Instead of Generic statements about what “we affirm and promote,” how about Personal statements about who we are as persons?
  • Instead of Presenting a [historical] narrative of a church, how about Creating a love story of our life together in faith?
  • Instead of trying to Define exactly what we are (which too often involves negative statements of what we’re not), how about Infusing our living values through everything we do?
  • Instead of Statements about who we are and what we believe, how about Stories about our lives and relationships together?
  • Instead of Defined attributes, why don’t we just Wrap some things in mystery?
  • Instead of being Professional, why don’t we try being Passionately creative? (…and come to think of it, that’s exactly what I try to do here on this blog….)

Things to think about as we try to spread the word about our churches.

Next: final installment on “xploring”

1 thought on ““Lovemarks,” third part

  1. C

    Thank you, Dan.

    You have put into words (or translated) my practice, my passion, my hope. I’ve been trying to articulated it and explain it to others (all the while trying to do so through stories and relationships and connections) and have lacked the proper framework to wrap it in.

    Even across the country, without my side of the conversation, you are helping me refine my theology and my message.

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