Hey, Hey, You, You – I Don’t “Like” Your Branding

photo credit: ishi.com

LAF Note: This post was written by regular contributor Katie Wall.

What makes a brand innovative and what makes a brand annoying?

Except for the occasional sneaky branding, I tend to pretty sharp as far as day-to-day brand awareness goes, but I can’t always put my finger on what it is that makes me choose one brand over another.

I mean, what *is* it that makes us “like” one brand over another? Is it a celebrity endorsement? A funny commercial? A unique product? An interesting promotion? The fact that your friends like it? Or just plain ol’ fashioned quality?

Or maybe a better question is what makes you not like a brand’s online presence?

I know that my brand preference online does not always reflect the brands I’m using offline – and that’s not saying that I’m a fan of brands online that I don’t actually like, but rather that even if I love a brand in real life, I am not going to seek them out and become a fan if I think their online presence is annoying or overwhelming.

What do you think? Are there still brands out there that are shaking things up? Are your favorite brands as lovable online as they are in real life? Do you even follow or “like” brands?

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Lyndsey

I dont tend to seek out brands that like online. However, I "Like" them if they come across my radar because, say, a friend like them and it showed up in my feed. Why not further publicly define yourself. I mean, Google does need *something* to go on in order to advertise to me!
GoKTGo

haha, that's so true! It's always funny what shows up in my targeted advertisement! :P

And I think you're right - I'm *super* guilty of "liking" a brand because I see it in my newsfeed where another one of my friends added it! But yeah, I rarely seek them out on my own...

Makes you wonder what the brand is doing that makes it cool enough to get on your radar in the first place, where other brands go unnoticed!

Thanks for commenting, Lyndsey!
Christa Marzan

Katie-

Great post! And good points. Honestly, the brands I chose to follow/"like" online are very few and are ones that I love offline as well. If I follow or like them and their presence becomes "annoying," then I'll unfollow. Simple as that!

I'm also into brands that are innovative in their social media use, especially with Twitter and Foursquare (though I don't live in a big city, so I only read about those brands haha). Interaction is key- give me a reason to be a fan or follow. For example, the Twitter accounts for DKNY and Oscar de la Renta (both fashion designers in case anyone doesn't know) tweet photos of fashion design sketches, photos at live events, etc. To me, that's doing a good job!

-Christa
GoKTGo

I love this >> "Interaction is key- give me a reason to be a fan or follow." so true!

But it has to be interaction! not just posting a ton of stuff all day long - there has to be conversation and value to what they are posting other wise it does get annoying!

I have definitely done my share of un-liking or following when a brand starts to get annoying though! Glad I'm not the only one :)

Thanks for commenting, Christ with an "A"!! :D
tomhodgins

I "like" brands that share the same values as me: quality, innovation, giving back to others.

I treat a brand as I would a person - the character of that brand and how they interact with me, and with the community at large determines how I feel about that brand/person.
GoKTGo

I like the idea of treating brands as a person! I guess I do feel the same way about friends of mine who post too much :P

I do think that innovation and quality are important too! Wow me!

And giving back is great too - if you have a following, what are you doing with it? It's easy to feel engaged with a brand that's doing something you care about!!

Thanks so much for the comment, Tom!
Tom O'Keefe

KT,

I honestly don't "like" any brands on Facebook. I "like" a few non-profits and causes, but Facebook is geared toward social for me. On Twitter, I follow a few brands that announce deals, but that's really for learning and networking purposes.

I feel like I'm bombarded enough by brands through advertising to "like" or follow them somewhere else. If I want something, I'll seek them out.
GoKTGo

Hey Tom!

I think that it's pretty interesting that you don't follow brands - but I do like the idea of following non-profs or causes that you are passionate about! Do you think you would be more likely to follow a brand if they were supporting a cause or partnering with a non-profit, like Target's give back program where they let people vote for charities to receive $?

Thank you for commenting! Always insightful! :)
Tom O'Keefe

I think I'm more apt to follow a brand in that case, but usually it's more towards causes that I've had an experience with already (ie. Habitat for Humanity, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, my high school). I think I may be a bit old-fashioned or different in this case, but social media is more about people to me- at least for my personal use.