Everyone has certain brands they like or are obsessed with. It might be a tagline, the quality, the images, aesthetics, humor, or something else notable. Whatever the reason for the love, the idea came from a smart marketer.
Here are some of Clarity Quest leadership’s favorite brands:
I love it because they are the best combination of showcasing style with ease of ordering. It’s like they combined a runway show with Amazon.
How marketing played a role: they leverage instagram to showcase fabulous styling posts.
I love it because insurance is a topic we don’t actively seek out because it represents events in life that could be very sudden, serious, and even life-threatening. And historically the marketing and advertising followed suit delivering those types of messages: serious, sobering, arguably fear-based recipes: Happy family, sudden tornado, lost home, devastated family. We all need to thank the Gecko because, insurance marketers over the past two decades have figured out the right mix of humor, education, and relatability in their messaging to get consumers to pay attention.
After doing a quick Google search, I learned insurance companies have been infusing humor since circa 1999 with Geico’s Gecko. Now we have Flo and Dr. Rick from Progressive, Jake, from State Farm, Farmers Hall of
Claims with J.K. Simmons,Nationwide’s Peytonville with Peyton Manning and Brad Paisley, and of course, Allstate’s Mayhem with Dean Winter.
Which ones are your favorite? I still laugh when Mayhems ‘tailgating to get to a tailgate’ and Dr. Rick’s ‘Methods’ air.
How marketing played a role:
Marketing and advertisers have flipped the paradigm. Funny. Understandable. Human. Relatable. It doesn’t make reviewing my policies any more interesting … but I do appreciate the humor and how it got me to take a more active role and audit my coverage annually.
I love it because as the automotive world continues its shift into electric vehicles, I appreciate Ford’s commitment to electrify its entire fleet – not just 2 or 3 vehicles. By 2022, Ford will have multiple mainstream vehicles in or ready for market. While the energy switchover is not without challenges the brand has enjoyed recent market share increases from other OEMs as a result of their glowing EV debut.
How marketing played a role: The brand is iconic, long-lasting, and speaks of history to me. The classic blue oval has withstood over 100 years of business and virtually remained unchanged during that time. Even during troubled times, the mark was valuable enough to leverage as Ford rebuilt and survived the turbulent industry during the mid-2000s.
I know one of my favorite brands of 2021 is a bit controversial, to say the least, but hear me out on why I still love Peloton. Did they completely botch the controversial recall of their treadmills? That would be a big “yes”. But the momentum Peloton had leading up to that snafu and lessons they will learn from it still keep me as a very loyal customer.
As an avid runner and exerciser, the pandemic really put a wrench in my workout plan. My wife and I stopped the two gym memberships we had and decided to give the Peloton Bike+ and Tread+ a try. We converted a spare bedroom in our basement into our workout room and welcomed the countless classes and amazing instructors into our lives – virtually. Having the gym in our basement eliminated a lot of excuses we used to have for not working out (no time, it’s cold/raining…) so we have Peloton to thank for our health. The breadth of classes offered and the positivity that exudes from their instructors make exercising…. FUN (if you can believe it)!
Peloton is the brand that truly transformed the home gym experience and I believe they will continue to be the brand that most think about when it comes to having exercise equipment that people will actually use.
In the end, Peloton admitted they messed up how they handled the recall request and sincerely apologized, promising to make safety a major priority in future software/hardware updates. How amazing is it when someone admits to messing up and says sorry? Big brands rarely do it, but I think it humbled and humanized Peloton.
I love it because as someone who appreciates consistency, my loyalty is a very small price to pay in return for the perks. From the luxurious benefits (an ocean-front suite upgrade with chilled champagne on my Hawaiian honeymoon) to the more basic (restaurant comps and free nights) — all of the ways Marriott makes its members feel special enhance the travel experience.
How marketing played a role: Their new rewards program branding (Marriott Bonvoy) offers a fresher, more exciting vision that can make a bigger splash in a very crowded travel rewards and booking market. Beyond marketing, it comes down to customer service for Marriott. Keeping each individual member happy is what leaves a lasting impression and builds momentum.
I love it because they have well-made, adorable designs and they give back (for every purchase, they donate to local homeless shelters/organizations).
This is probably the first product I consciously looked up and purchased as a direct result of its marketing. They sponsor numerous podcasts that I listen to and the
20% off your first purchase offer hooked me. They have a happiness guarantee and their emails are a sheer delight that “gets me.” The one I still remember is about dogs who’ve destroyed Bombas. As part of their guarantee, if something happens to one of your socks, you can call them to replace them. Yes, even if your dog destroys them.
Their brand is attractive to those of us who want socks with a bit of spunk, dare I say flare, but are also of the highest quality… and bonus, speak to our values. Bombas aren’t for everyone, but they’re immensely appealing to those for whom they are made.
And of course, we’re still totally obsessed with the brands we help shine.