Branding is Just Like Life: First Date Edition

How would your brand do on a first date?

When we say that we build human brands, we aren’t spouting corporo-speak. We imagine brands as people. Even better, we imagine brands as people doing what people do: hanging out at the park, figuring out which trash bin to use, or—in this case—meeting someone on a first date.

Imagining a brand on a first date lets us think about brand introductions — how a brand makes an initial impression. There are so many opportunities to succeed and fail on a first date. There are, of course, some basic requirements. Show up on time, dress well, shower. These basics will get you in the door. Locking down a second date takes more.

We’ve assembled a few examples to give some insight into how we think about branding. Some brands will pick up the check and never get called again. Some will find lifelong partners.

Don’t like our approach? We didn’t want a second date anyway.

DON’T: Ask for commitment too soon

LIKE:

Wow, it’s a mobile site that works as well as an app.

It’s like a back-end developer who wears deodorant to your date and never talks about coding. Refreshing.

DON’T: Treat employees like trash

LIKE: Uber

Uber has come under fire for denying drivers tip money and underpaying. At the same time, their relationship with customers is great.

It’s the date who orders with a cold voice and a blank stare before turning to you to ask, “So, how much do you love this place?!” The contrast between the way she treats the waiter and the way she treats you is seriously creepy.

DO: Recognize and reward value

LIKE: Moo Cluck Moo

A happy-go-lucky brand only works when it makes others happy, too. One way to make smiles—and the news—is to pay your short-order cooks $15 an hour.

It’s the date who’s as nice to the waiter as he is to you. Sure, he asks about the menu and expects good service, but he smiles and leaves a nice tip.

DON’T: Boast about a modest rebrand

LIKE: Pandora

In anticipation of a larger web audience, Pandora rebranded and announced it via the video above. They’re talking about change with people who just met them. What’s more, good rebrands focus on the company, not the logo.

Your date says, “I bought this shirt today. I just got it. It’s new.” You just met them—should they be talking about their shirt at all?

DO: Rebrand without fanfare

LIKE: Burton Snowboards

Burton changes their logo almost yearly. They never announce, they just get on with business. Brand introductions to Burton will never be about the logo – it’s to the company and the products it represents.

The date’s clothing isn’t what makes you go on a second date, it’s a supporting feature that should keep the attention on the wearer. Good clothing gives you subtle confidence. Good brands should do the same.

DON’T: Talk about yourself like a crazy person

LIKE: Facebook

Facebook’s first commercial had a hard time telling its audience who it was. It felt as though the brand said, “I’m like a chair. I’m also like doorbells, airplanes, and bridges. I can explain–wait, where are you going?”

‘Show, don’t tell’ is the first rule of most writing workshops. It’s the same on dates: when someone asks you to talk about yourself on a date, you don’t start with your height, weight, or eye color. You sure as hell don’t use random nouns as frames of reference. Telling a story gives a much better sense of your character.

DO: Google

LIKE: Talking about yourself through story.

Do brand introductions like this. Google’s in the background—it is the background—while the story takes over. There’s enough left to the imagination to let you forget, momentarily, that you’re watching an ad.

Imagine the person who makes you forget you’re on a first date. You’ll definitely want to go on a second.

And so, in the end, branding is just like life. Every move that your brand makes can and should be imagined as the action of a person. If you’re concerned about first impressions (you should be), imagine that you’re on a first date. Leave the door open. Keep your employees happy. Change without talking about it. Above all, tell a story.

Can we see you again sometime?