The language of Brand Desire

A brand can’t be desirable unless it means something specific to people. This meaning is established through our experience of each and every brand touch-point over time.

So what is it about the Mercedes experience that commands respect? Why is Absolut cool?

Statistical analysis of the Brand Desire data reveals that there are six fundamental ways that ‘meaning’ can be used to create desirable brands. We refer to these as the six languages of Brand Desire:

1. The language of cool
Employed by sexy, risk-taking brands that appeal to our love of novelty, excitement and fun

2. The language of sociability
Used by brands that want to establish a sense of empathy, community and social currency

3. The language of status
Advocated by brands to assert a sense of confidence and sophistication

4. The language of care
Championed by brands that seek to promote a sense of wellbeing, consideration and co-operation

5. The language of respect
Projected by brands that want to communicate success and performance, appealing to our sense of ambition and reward

6. The language of reassurance
Used by brands that appeal to our desire for comfort, reliability and consistency.

Examining the visual and verbal themes that brands use to speak these six different languages is one of the keys to unlocking Brand Desire. In the coming weeks we will give a brief introduction to the major themes that constitute each of the six languages of Brand Desire.

In the meantime, read more in Marketing Week’s “Six Codes that Reveal a Brand’s Real Personality” to get a glimpse of the top desirable brands using each of the languages.

Featured image detail from Mercedes Left Right Brain campaign, taken from Ibelieveinadv.com

By James Wallis, Senior Consultant at Clear Europe