Loveworks by Brian Sheehan - Book review

Loveworks

How the world's top marketers make emotional connections to win in the marketplace

By: Brian Sheehan

Published: June 18, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1576876403
ISBN-13: 978-1576876404
Publisher: powerHouse Books








"These brands do no less than improve the lives of their consumers via a powerful combination of superior product and emotional engagement", writes Associate Professor of Advertising at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, Brian Sheehan, in his engaging and real world case study based book Loveworks: How the world's top marketers make emotional connections to win in the marketplace. The author builds on the work contained in the groundbreaking and controversial book Lovemarks: the future beyond brands by Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, by providing examples of the Lovemarks principles in action.

Brian Sheehan, himself a former twenty-five year executive at Saatchi & Saatchi, understands that brands that transform themselves into what are called Lovemarks are rewarded by their customers. These rewards in the form of higher sales and prices, and the benefit of the doubt when something goes wrong, go beyond a product and intellectual relationship with their customers. These Lovemarks receive genuine love from their consumers on an emotional level. The book contains the case studies of companies who created a very deep and fulfilling love affair between their brands with their customers.

Brian Sheehan (photo left) recognizes that brands that establish a deep and loving relationship with their customers will enjoy the benefits of loyalty and evangelism. Te author points out that this powerful emotional engagement goes even more deeply to include numerous emotional benefits as well. At the same time, the companies also deliver the best products on the market, strengthening this rich emotional bond even further.

The author includes a myriad of brand case studies that demonstrate the principles in action in the marketplace. The goal of the case studies is to prove the real and tangible benefits of being a Lovemark brand for both the company and their customers. The studies are included under the following Lovemarks concepts as follows:

* Lovemarks
* Xploring
* People power
* Tribes
* Virality
* Rallying cries
* More than a brand
* Forging relationships
* Body language
* Teasing the senses
* Blood relations

For me, the power of the book is how Brian Sheehan examines and tests the effect of the Lovemarks philosophy and principles in real world circumstances. the author moves the concept of Lovemarks from the theoretical realm into the real world of actual customers and their engagement with the brands. The author provides twenty different case studies that demonstrate the range and scope of brands in developing and nurturing very powerful and lasting emotional relationships with their consumers.

Brian Sheehan offers direct evidence that engaging a customer's emotions, is infinitely more critical to brand engagement, than an intellectual or rational understanding. The author also attempts to quantify the effect of brand emotional engagement. He readily admits, to his credit, that while the results shown in the various case studies are very compelling evidence of emotional engagement, they don't provide absolute proof either. With that important caveat in mind, Brian Sheehan opens the door for even more research and study into the principles of Lovemarks and emotional attachment to brands.

I highly recommend the very inspirational and research based book Loveworks: How the world's top marketers make emotional connections to win in the marketplace by Brian Sheehan, to corporate leaders and strategies, brand managers and marketers, and to agencies and advertisers seeking a clear and concise assessment and appraisal of the power of brand emotional engagement. This book, regardless of how the evidence is understood and evaluated, is an important book for opening up conversation and futher research into the realm of emotional impact in branding.