Using love and hate to grow in marketing

We all have things we like and things we don't. Something that doesn't appeal to you in the slightest can be endearing to others. And the same goes for brands. There are brands we relate to and brands that we wouldn't consider on name alone.

Everyone has tastes and preferences and whether it's conscious or not, we form opinions based on our beliefs and experiences.

It's what makes us human. So why then, do we so often fall into the trap of needing our work liked by all?

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The classic example of a dichotomous brand

How could we talk about using love and hate in marketing without mentioning Marmite? Marmite is the classic example of a dichotomous brand. And they do it well.

When we learn to drive we're told that if we ever find our car skidding out of control, to steer into it. Don't try and turn in the other direction or put on the breaks. Steer into the skid.

This is a teaching that Marmite have grabbed with both hands.

Whilst it might be instinct to cover up a distaste or negativity associated with your brand, Marmite have steered directly into the skid. They've built on the public sentiment and embraced the split in opinion. In fact, their Twitter takes advantage of their position everyday.

The one-or-the-other mentality that they've instilled within our brains increases the feelings and emotions associated with their brand and product. In other words, if you hate it, you really hate it but if you love it, you really love it.

You can't sit on the fence. You've got to pick a side and once you're in, you're in for life. And this is where the real benefit of using love and hate in marketing comes in. Because for all those people out there that hate Marmite, there's someone who loves it. Someone who loves it so much they'll be a customer for life and a brand advocate defending them at any opportunity.

Marmite have implemented a sense of identity and a feeling of belonging that you just can't walk away from.

Now, this might all seem a bit deep for some toast spread… but their celebration of people hating them has placed them in a strong brand position. So much so that their name is used as a benchmark across a whole range of topics and industries: “The Marmite of…”

It's also led to some great ads that relish in the competitiveness and debate of human nature. And the real win is whether you love or hate Marmite, I bet you enjoy those adverts, right?

What does it mean for brands?

To really understand what it means for brands, we need to think back to the school playground. Everyone always wanted to be the most popular kid in school and craved to be liked by everyone. But why? Chances are there were people in that playground that you didn't like at all. So why did you want them to like you? Whether they were outright bullies or just had different hobbies and interests, you can't like - or be liked by - everyone.

Brands should remember this. Because at the end of the day, why do you need people to like you if they aren't who you're targeting? You don't have to be liked by all - just the people you want to buy from you.

Taking risks is a big part of business. And using love and hate can certainly be a risk. One key example is Nike's Colin Kaepernick campaign. They took a huge gamble by using a controversial issue that divided the world. But it paid off. They demonstrated what they stood for and those who agreed respected it massively. And those customers they lost, they didn't want anyway.

Regardless of which side of the argument people were on, the ad created powerful emotions. And it's feelings and emotions that drive our purchasing behaviour, not the product itself.

Another brand that stands out is Paddy Power. Their reputation for ‘not playing it safe’ in their advertising campaigns relies strongly on the use of love of hate. One campaign that took a string of rumours and took a hit at Manchester United left their loyal supporters furious and hateful towards the brand. But what about the fans of the other 19 clubs in the premier league? They loved it, of course.

Can you ever go too far?

As with anything, you still need to approach with caution. You can't go in all guns blazing with a ton of controversial content because the chances are you'll do more harm than good. If you go too far, you risk alienating your target audience and you could end up securing a place on the top 10 most complained about ads.

There are particular issues it's best to steer clear of completely, especially those where opinions and emotions are spread far and wide and are set deep within.

Don’t be controversial for the sake of it. You need to create a balance and ask the question ‘how does this serve my brand?’.

Having said that, if you do mess up, hold your hands up and apologise - you're only human. People are much quicker to forgive and forget when there's genuine remorse as oppose to denial and cover-ups.

How can we develop the right message?

The best approach to using love and hate in your marketing is to know your target market - remember you're not targeting everyone.

You need to figure out what they want to hear and the best way to understand people is to talk to them. Ask them what they want and they'll tell you. Then you can see how your brand personality fits in and match what they want with your own messaging and opinions. 

As with all content, consistency is key. Once you've developed your brand voice and tone, stick to it. Out of the blue controversial messages are just going to confuse your audience.

Finally, analyse the risk vs reward with every message you put out to the world. Assess what you've got to gain and, equally, what you've got to lose and let that drive your decisions.

And remember, you don't need to be liked by everyone.

Listen to more insights on using love and hate to grow in marketing on the Humans Come First podcast.