Passion Pit (not the band)

In Brandland, the kings of the marketing realm are known as “passion brands”. Although many have tried, few brands have achieved the “passion” status in the hearts and minds of the consumers. If you’ve set your sights on achieving a similar brand clout to cultural icons such as Apple and Zappos then the following seven tips are for you.

The guys at The Blake Project identify a passion brand as one that has a high "life force engagement" factor. Dumb nomenclature aside, their list of markers that distinguish the high engagers is worth reading. A list that starts with Work the Worldview and Differentiate By Design is off to a good start.

From their post:

"The leading passion brands identified in our research for their 'life force engagement' include:

Apple, Sony, American Express, Starbucks, Folger's, Target, Nordstrom, Craig's List, Whole Foods, Toys "R" Us, Camel, Absolut, Kraft, Cadillac, BMW, Acura, Infiniti, Jeep, and Arizona Iced Tea.

There are seven accelerators of Passion Brands, which represent a consumer syntax, a step-by-step process that marketers must honor and follow with the goal of forging a passion brand...

Work the Worldview, not Age, Race, or Gender
The passion brands I studied rarely seem to target consumers in a traditional way, as in women eighteen to thirty-four. More often, they identify shared values about the world...

Differentiate on Design
Consumers respond to clever, intuitive products. Great design engages. There's a joy in a well-designed idea that can trump other performance features. We just want to get our hands on it.

Hire Passionistas as Brand Stewards
...Passion isn't static, in brands or in people. Once people have become passionate about your brand, it takes true passionistas to ensure that the brand continues to grow and evolve in exciting, relevant ways. Don't take your consumers or their passion for your brand for granted.

Know They Know You Need Them
...Get out and watch people in bars, malls, grocery stores, movies, sports events, regardless of the category you're in. Talk to them. Follow them while they shop. Engage them. Notice that you are one of them.

Democratize the Brand
...Real engagement comes from mutating because you're responding to the beat of the people who love you. Let them in....The ability of the consumer to have it 'my way' is a tremendous engine of ownership.

Mine the Mythos
Passion brands have a heritage and they respect it. They know what is in the DNA of the brand and how far they can and should go without putting their genetic code at risk. This doesn't mean they are old and stodgy, just that they know how their personality can legitimately evolve.

Brand the Buzz
...This is about being genuinely interesting and engaging, being a brand that people want to talk about, gossip about, and share with friends. What would they do on Sex and the City?"

Source - Titanium