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Brand Intimacy by Rina Plapler, Mario Natarelli

The Kardashian family has made a fortune branding themselves through social media.  Regardless of how you feel about this family, their self-promotion techniques have been so effective that the name “Kardashian” is synonymous with a number of products, most recently Calvin Klein, but if anyone were to ask what exactly they are famous for— before having a successful reality show— most would draw a blank. Essentially, the Kardashains have become “famous for being famous” in such a way that the name speaks for itself; to be blunt, there is no brand associated with the Kardashains— they are the brand.

It’s not just speculation, either.  Look around, there’s a host of information on the Kardashians as a brand written everywhere from Forbes magazine to books on The New York Times Bestsellers list. People are trying to figure out how to duplicate the success of this model because it has proven profitable for one family, but, questions remain: Can this work for everyone? What makes a good brand great? Finally, how do I brand myself and get people talking about me on social media?

In an interview with BookTrib, Rina Plapler, co-author of Brand Intimacy: A New Paradigm in Marketing talks to us about how the particular type of branding we see with the Kardashians works, how technology has changed the way people present themselves and how to gain followers, specifically on social media!

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BookTrib: Just to start out, let’s talk about technology. We see that a lot of people are using technology, specifically social media to connect with people. What kind of effect has that on brand-building, both good and bad?

Rina Plapler: Our book talks a lot about the good and bad implications of technology and building intimacy.  Another interesting nuance we’ve found is how the smartphone is becoming the window to our world, fostering our social connections, communications, entertainment, finance and even our mobility.

We’ve found that any brand associated with a smartphone (manufacturer, content, service providers, apps) does better being an intimate brand than brands outside this ecosystem. This suggests the powerful role this ecosystem can play in fostering intimacy.

BookTrib: A new company, Brandless, whose selling point is that they don’t have a brand. Yet, they have a very loyal following. In an environment where every company and market wants to have a definitive brand, why do you think Brandless has done so well?

RP: Ironically, Brandless has trademarked their name, so they are a brand for all practical purposes. They may call themselves Brandless, however, they are building relationships by offering quality products at a good price. In fact, their brand promise is: Here at Brandless we put people first, which means value and values stick together. Better stuff, fewer dollars, no nonsense… sounds like a value brand to me.

BookTrib: Now, this book, Branding Intimacy, is about creating consumer intimacy with a brand and creating an emotional connection between the two. This sounds a lot easier than it actually is. How did you go about breaking it down in a way that was easy for readers to understand?

RP: We started by listening to people describe their close and intimate relationships with brands. This was our initial data, 20,000 stories from 350 consumers over 10 weeks in online communities. We observed the language they used, the ways they connected, the stages they went through in their relationships and how those relationships impacted their lives.  Those insights became our initial approach, we modeled it after real people describing real bonds with brands. The approach then got validated and refined through quantitative research.

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BookTrib: In the book, you say that brand intimacy is rare. Besides creating a connection between the customer and the brand, is there a concrete way to foster and keep that connection?

RP: Our research indicates about 25% of people report being intimate with a brand. Brand intimacy takes work. Even when you create that connection, you need to foster it. This is really no different than any human relationships. They need attention to thrive. We always emphasize fostering and building engagement, further the two-way nature of the relationship and to never stop trying to deepen the bond.

BookTrib: What’s been the biggest change in brand-building that you’ve seen?

RP: Broad changes are things like the consumer control and social media as a vehicle for democratizing brands. From a client side, it seems like there’s more pressure, shorter timelines, greater expectations and the continuous need to demonstrate results.

BookTrib: Lastly, when creating a brand, what is the most important thing to remember?

RP: Build it based on emotion!

Brand Intimacy: A New Paradigm in Marketing is now available for purchase. For more information on the authors, the book, or the MBLM: Brand Intimacy Agency, please visit their website at MBLM.com

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Buy this Book!

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Brand Intimacy by Rina Plapler, Mario Natarelli
Publish Date: 10/23/2017
Genre: Business, Nonfiction, Self Help
Author: Rina Plapler, Mario Natarelli
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press
ISBN: 9781578266850
Rachel Fogle De Souza

Rachel Fogle De Souza was born and raised in Connecticut, and traveled extensively throughout Europe, parts of Asia, and the United States, before attending college at the University of California, Davis, where she received a B.A. in Comparative Literature, with a double minor in Women, Gender and Sexualities studies, and Middle Eastern/South Asian studies. When she's not writing, she's reading, boxing, or thinking about traveling.

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