• by Zain Raj , February 2, 2012

Rituals are associated with religious observances and are defined as a set of behaviors that spring from an integration of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

In the world of commerce, brands become brands because they have enticed consumers with value propositions that, in turn, make their behavior surrounding that brand ritualistic. Successful brands know that the marketing game isn’t a sprint but a long-distance marathon in which the relationship with a customer ebbs and flows, almost like a marriage, and the goal is to create an elastic but strong -- ideally unbreakable -- bond.

Advertising during the Super Bowl is not the road to ritual building, but serves as a grand-scale reinforcement to existing brand rituals. These TV spots remind customers what a given brand stands for and what its values are and can reinforce the intersection between the brand’s values and those of the consumer.

Let's take a look at some of the first-time Super Bowl advertisers and identify which stage of the ritual-building process they occupy.

There are four stages to establishing brand rituals.

1. Getting the initial transaction by providing consumers with a new value equation – product features + customer service + added value, for a competitive price.

 2. Magnifying customer attraction to your brand by creating engaging experiences

3. Building connections with relevant innovations. Here is where most companies stumble because they remain more focused on innovations for new consumer acquisition and don’t pay enough attention to the evolving needs of their existing customers.

4. Creating a bond by aligning on key values: The most sustainable bond is built when brands connect with their core customers through shared values.

Toyota has bought a 30-second spot on the Super Bowl for the first time for its Lexus brand and will introduce the 2013 Lexus GS series model. This buy has the hallmarks of being Stage 1 of the brand-ritual building process to attract new consumers. Usually, luxury brands do not use broad-based avenues, as they appeal to a very narrow target group. In this case, by launching an entry-level GS series for its Lexus line during the Super Bowl, the automaker is trying to broaden appeal for the Lexus imprimatur. This product will deliver the innovative product features you would expect, supported by the promise of Lexus’s legendary customer service, and added value performance features that luxury Lexus drivers enjoy -- but now at a competitive price. Lexus is extending into the new value equation to feed the brand with new customers that will bond with it over time.

Dannon is at Stage 3 of the brand-ritual building process with its 30-second spot to tout its new Oikos Greek-style yogurt line. Dannon already has deep connections with its core customers. They consume the different flavors of yogurt with consistent frequency. This brand innovation will keep those customers inside the franchise by providing a new and differentiated experience, especially if they are curious about Greek-style yogurts: They don’t have to go outside the brand to try one. Oikos also can fulfill Dannon consumers’ need for an ethnic experience with their connected brand.

First-time Super Bowl advertiser Century 21 has bought a 30-second spot. As a realtor brand, Century 21 does not have the ability to create a brand ritual because people only use them episodically when they buy or sell a home. However, their brand representatives -- the agents -- can help create a Stage 4 bonded relationship. Customers are looking for an agent to whom they can relate and trust to understand their needs, desires, location and geography. So, if their message focuses on their agents, then Century 21 can get to a brand ritual state, like State Farm, leveraging its agents' shared values with their customers. Century 21 should direct all activity from their Super Bowl spot to get their customers connected with their agents through the digital channel and experiences.

Fashion retailer H&M is advertising on the Big Game for the first time and will launch its David Beckham Bodywear collection. H&M has built a strong franchise by offering great designs at reasonable prices. They’ve also been evolving their lifestyle proposition. Customers of H&M who are into soccer and celebrities and share the values of an athlete like David Beckham (family-oriented and fashionable) will make a deeper connection with the brand as a result. This effort shows H&M is attempting to get to Stage 4 in the brand-ritual building process.

Finally, the Super Bowl itself is a brand ritual, built over decades by bonding the values associated with [American] football (resilience, toughness, fair play) and those of the brands associated with it.