Subliminally Brand-Loyal

There are products that you instinctively buy, maybe with little thought – you’re in the grocery on the isle with hundreds of cereal boxes and you’ve gravitated toward the first box of Life and drop it in the basket nearly oblivious to the others that are staring back at you (I wrote a paper on the science of cereal marketing, how the eyes of the cartoon characters are meant to look at you in hopes that the child in the cart will make an instant friend.)

I also subliminally pick up Dove soap without much thought; it’s just another seemingly generic reminder on the post-it I have in my hand – cereal, soap… These general words actually translate to specific items in my mind. Similar to the subliminal urge to buy the soap, is my need to read more about their marketing approach…

Dove was featured in an article in Deliver Magazine, a publication sponsored by the USPS that is mainly targeted toward marketing applications of direct mail. The article focused on Dove’s mini-magazine, Dove Dimensions, a 14-page, 8” x 5.5” publication with features about products, charitable causes and innovations. The publication is sent to the brand-loyal and concentrates on editorial content and general beauty/ health topics rather than serving as a coupon distribution medium.

The most interesting part of the article is also in the subliminal; Dove is concentrating on their existing customers in hopes of making parallel purchases – since the customer has a relationship with the brand, they are more likely to buy other items. The approach is simple, yet seems completely contrary to the way most companies approach their marketing endeavors – looking toward adding more to the ranks instead of expanding those already on board.
Consider your efforts; are you ignoring the loyal who believe that your brand is the only item in the category?