Anticipation is the best measure of Brand strength

Tomorrows launch of the Tesla Model Y confirms that the more people are anticipating a company’s next product release, or new service announcement, the stronger a Brand is. Sure customers are hardly going to be waiting with bated breath for a new mouth wash product (See what I did there 🙂 ) but for cars, fashion, technology it really is a great measure of Brand strength.

While some of this anticipation is built though carefully choreographed marketing strategies, in the case of Brands like Apple, Tesla, Nike, Supreme, Marvel, most of it is built by customers. Customers that feel deeply connected to the Brand.

In Tesla’s case this anticipation is driven by a combination of “the mission” and their products but I would argue it’s mostly the mission. As many Tesla fans don’t even own a Tesla (can’t afford), it’s mostly the mission they are attracted to. When customers truly believe that a Brand makes them a better version of who they are (Brand + Self = Ideal Self) it converts them into powerful brand advocates.

Any brand looking to build this level of anticipation needs to look first at their “mission.” Buying should be an emotional reward as well as a physical one. A mission doesn’t have to be super grand or earth changing, but a step in the right direction, a desire to do better, a vision for positive change. Get this nailed down, find ways to communicate it, to live it and act on it and customers will look forward to the next product release as an opportunity to be part of something bigger and better.

https://www.tesla.com/modely