Interactions between buyers and brands are behavioral, social, and they’re definitely emotional. Think about some of the companies you buy from and what qualities you associate with their brands.

For instance, Amazon offers convenience, Disney delivers multi-generational entertainment, and Target provides low-cost shopping for the essentials.

But as budgets tighten and people become more hesitant to spend, they’ll make purchases based on cost and how a brand makes them feel.

This is where brand intimacy comes in. It’s a deep emotional connection buyers have with a brand that isn’t based on incentivizing the relationship.

And businesses can use it to create and solidify long-term customer relationships.

Using brand intimacy to connect with your buyers

People expect more from the companies they buy from as they’re inundated with more options and distractions than ever. As such, they want to quickly get information about what a brand stands for.

And their calls for transparency have only grown louder.

More businesses are answering the call to form tighter bonds with consumers. And when companies successfully cultivate authentic relationships with their customers, those people are more than happy to share their love of their favorite brands.

This type of connection can be your greatest differentiator and trust builder for new customers.

Athletic shoe brand, Allbirds, uses its sustainable business and production practices to set itself apart throughout every touchpoint, including email.

Allbirds calls out the recipient’s one-year “bird-aversary” in this celebratory message while politely encouraging them to get another. This messaging indicates how the brand wanted to stand out against juggernauts like Nike.

As Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown says, “The initial idea of Allbirds was all about the reduction of the shoe down to its simplest form, which is the opposite of the streetwear model, with small changes and a million different models. So we want to compete, and we want to grow, but we want to do it in a completely different way [by opening retail stores and broadening the audience].”

Working with a much smaller budget than their competitors, they focused on clever PR, personalization, and word-of-mouth marketing across all their channels. Ultimately, this scrappiness led the young startup to become a billion-dollar phenom with a dedicated following.

But Allbirds isn’t the only company creating intimacy with their customers.

Sony gaming console PlayStation was named as one top 10 brands millennials had the highest emotional connection with.

And there’s a reason why.

خبر عاجل!💥
العثور على PS5 ضخم في JBR مع ظهور ثقب في سماء دبي#LiveFromPS5Arabia#Dubai#LiveFromPS5 pic.twitter.com/RAMdM5HOgd

— PlayStation Arabia (@PlayStation_ME) January 31, 2023

They aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves. Since the release of the PS5 console in 2020, they’ve been in short supply due to supply chain issues caused by the pandemic.

But in 2023, they announced the return of the much sought-after console in a big way, with statues and giant PS5s placed on sites worldwide, giving buyers a reason to celebrate.

Delivering intimate brand experiences

Branding deals with the whole of what businesses show to the world. From its identity (logo, color palette, graphics, etc.) to its message (tagline, copy, brand promise, etc.), these components make a brand expressive and recognizable.

But this is only the beginning since a brand is also defined by what consumers say it is. And the path to getting them to share the positives of your brand means:

Underpromising and overdelivering – Want to delight customers instead of disappointing them? Make promises you can keep in your marketing campaigns since it is easier to exceed baseline expectations than to repair a tarnished reputation.

Keeping your brand consistent – A disjointed brand leads to a confused customer. When your identity and messaging differ between your company’s website, social, and advertising campaigns, it reduces your ability to build and maintain the trust needed to achieve brand affinity.

Recognizing when to pivot – Making assumptions about what your customers want is the first step in delivering an experience that doesn’t click with them. But when you listen to what they want from your business, you can bridge the gap between your brand and their expectations.

Every email, ad, video, or other marketing piece your customer sees is an opportunity for you to give them a unique experience, leading to greater connection.

Authenticity leads to enduring brands

When businesses create genuine bonds with their customers, they provide memorable moments that help build community and increase affinity for the brand. Engaging in initiatives showcasing a commitment to your buyer’s values—and your own—influences how they perceive and engage with the brand.

And how they tell others about it.

By consistently delivering on your company’s promises and positioning yourself as more than just a product or service, your brand can cultivate enduring relationships for years to come.