With all of the avenues to communicate with consumers, there has been an explosion of branding efforts, particularly among food and beverage marketers, aimed at getting up close and personal with consumers. Creating brand fans and champions has become a national pastime, but how close do consumers want brands to actually get?
The Journal of Consumer Research recently published a study, We are not the same as you and I: Causal Effects of Minor Language Variations on Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Brands, explored the nuances of familiarity in branding communication. The short answer to the question of how close is too close in branding is: it depends. When presented with brand messaging that linked the brand to the consumer using the pronoun we, consumers reacted favorably when they expected a close relationship with the brand. In contrast, consumers overwhelming preferred the brand-consumer link to be characterized as you and I, a subtle but distinct separation, from brands they expected to have a distant relationship with.
What’s a food and beverage marketer to do? First, know your brand by conducting some consumer research to determine where your brand sits on both the familiarity and attitude continuums. If your brand is well known and favorably viewed by a wide margin, brand messaging can probably successfully use the pronoun we to strengthen consumer connection with the brand. It is very important to note that consumers view lesser known brands much like they view strangers, and expect the same social protocols.
Understanding the nuances of language and consumer attitudes is one of the many facets that food and beverage marketers need to consider in developing a branding campaign and ongoing consumer communication. With online and social media, as well as off-line/traditional media, there are more opportunities than ever before to connect with consumers and spread the word quickly
. You just want to be sure that the tone and familiarity of the message makes continuing positive impressions.
