Romancing the Brand: How Brands Create Strong, Intimate Relationships with Consumers

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Romance and the Brand

I had already been in the dark room for three-and-a-half hours, a bowl of peanut M&Ms in front of me, observing groups of women through a two-way mirror that felt like something out of CSI, as they explained their beverage consumption habits. Observing focus groups was a common practice for Coca-Cola brand managers. We were always striving to understand our consumers better so that we might find a way to connect with them. Our ultimate goal was to give folks like the women in this room a reason to purchase our brand rather than the hundreds of other options available to them.

I found myself wondering how much of what I did every day—trying to meet the needs of a finicky consumer base with some creative new message or ...