• by Andrew Ettinger , November 1, 2007

Driving through Kentucky I had two choices: Maker's Mark 18 miles to my left, or Jim Beam 8 miles to my right. I turned left. A tour of the Maker's distillery seemed like it would be an authentic Kentucky experience. The tour, vibrant and engaging, turned the intangible Maker's brand into something real and powerful. More importantly, I now drink the whiskey.

This is branding at its best - measurable sales results coupled with enthusiasm for the product. We forget that before the Web, there was another interactive medium: real life. Physically interacting with a brand creates and reinforces brand loyalty.

Earlier this year, people waited on line (not online, but actually on a real line) to be the first to purchase an iPhone. Based solely on Apple's core brand strength, consumers queued for days. The empirical benefits of the phone are debatable, but certainly Apple's brand appeal brought out the people. Not many companies can say their newest products are bought sight unseen. Those first buyers absolutely had to have an iPhone regardless of price. Surely their brand fanaticism plus this larger than life event helped Apple's broader marketing appeal.

It's not enough just to establish brand awareness. We also have to create brand perceptions. Consider, everyone knows about Coca-Cola, but not everyone drinks it. Therein lies the difference. If the purpose of a brand is to sell, our media choices must enhance those specific sales efforts. For people who proudly stand in line, the experience enhances product. It turns the ethereal into a real consumer experience.

Much has been written about Second Life and its Web 2.0 virtual property. Some brick and mortar stores have even successfully created virtual stores there. But I would recommend that e-commerce sites focus more on First Life, the real world. Web retailers especially need to create personal relationships with their customers. If they can turn an online experience into a corporeal event, they can turn customers into friends who want to do business.

Every year eBay holds the eBay Live exposition - an event that's part trade show, part town hall and part family reunion. The expo unites eBay fans and power sellers, and helps shift the dynamic from a purely commercial site to a social network too. Most consumers leave the show feeling good about eBay. Good vibrations turn into good sales.

Companies must WHAM the consumer - Win Hearts And Minds. In other words, they must generate consumer passion. Because shopping is both a rational and emotional experience, advertising needs to address both reasons for buying. Just as in our personal relationships, we spend time with people we like, so too with brands. People stand in line, overnight no less, for products they care about. That is successful brand management.

Some men salivate over electronic gadgets, so perhaps creating ardor among those consumers is relatively easy. But other verticals can accomplish this too. Look at the lines of people at Whole Foods. Other stores sell organic food, but few replicate the Whole Foods enthusiasm for their own product.

Behavioral targeting isn't just for online campaigns. Women waiting for end-of-season sales are obviously a fashion forward group. Someday a smart retailer will capitalize on that behavior. Clearly, the group has expressed an affinity for luxury goods, so why not target them for associated products? That is a perfect opportunity to guerrilla market a group that has exhibited a specific, upscale fashion behavior. This is a real world example of using a person's behavior as an advertising opportunity. Targeting groups who display a relevant behavior is an old idea. We should translate best practices across all forms of media.

Event marketing and online marketing are similar: both create personal relationships with the consumer. Online we can narrowly target people of similar mindsets; in person we can actually have a conversation. Brands that do this well get people to stand in line for them. That is why you are nobody until somebody stands in line for you.

Thinking back, if Jim Beam could communicate that they have friendly, down-to-earth distillery tours, I might have turned right. I'll have to go back next summer and find out.

Andrew Ettinger is the director of interactive media at RJ Palmer Media Services (aettinger@rjpalmer.com)