So, what´s in it now.... where´s the WOW factor I was looking for?

With all the things I´ve heard, can I draw some conclusions on what´s the WOW?

Two things came up in all interviews: performance and emotions.

Performance of a brand is important to all of the people I talked to. However, it´s not the full story. There can be other products that perform better, have an even better functionality, might be cheaper and – let´s call it like it is – better. However that doesn´t matter all the time.

Interestingly, and this is something also the people I talked to didn´t fully realize (or realized it only after thinking about it), emotional binding seems to be even more important. If you look at the LEGO story, at the APPLE statement and the also the other stories in below posts, it´s clearly not readily (and easily)explainable.

So, one question to ask if it is a WOW-brand should be: Do they (consumers) feel good using it, do they feel supported in their lifestyle, maybe as well do they have something to show off with it? Does the brand transmit something of value which is longer term and can be taken from being young to older age? Especially in a world where each individual’s time is tight, responsibilities in making a living for family, job and getting all of that together, consumers have a strong stance towards the individual freetime choices to relax and re-energize, and if they have a brand that helps them doing so (even without them realizing...) - the better and they will be loyal!

A WOW brand has to play a role in that special part of the day! It has to give them the feeling that they can trust it; they can use it in exactly the way they need to in order to make the most out of their precious time for themselves.

And this is where both – performance and emotions – come together.

Offer the right thing, and make it perform to the needs! But you have to find the right balance between pure functionality and the way that people can connect with it and feel they are supported by it on emotaional level in their everyday life.

That´s definitely a WOW-factor for a brand, and somehow also a WOW-challenge for us!

 

 

 

Thomas Ferge, Product Centre-Europe