The power of positive branding

In these difficult economic times, with consumer confidence at an all time low, successful brands need to do more than just convince consumers to purchase their brands over and above their competition. They need to make consumers feel positive about the very act of consumption, particularly where it is of a non-essential nature. Of course advertising which creates a positive emotional connection to a brand, in addition to or in place of, a rational argument for it is nothing new but in my view it has never been more important than it is now to get these things in the right balance. The current Virgin Atlantic Still Red Hot campaign and the T-mobile Life's for Sharing campaign are both great examples of this. Both create a very positive emotional link to the brand but do it in a way that links back to a rational brand truth. In contrast the latest 'Portrait' TV ad from Cadbury tries hard on the emotional side but fails to make a strong enough rational connection back to the brand and thus falls flat. No surprise then that I'm booked on a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York next month but I'll be economising on the chocolate front to pay for it.