What's your brand glue?

No, I haven't been sniffing it and it isn't a typo ... brand glue: every brand should have it but few do. Some call it brand engagement but examples of that tend to be a bit too campaign based and lack longevity.

Now, there are quite a few sceptics of "brand engagement" ... apparently no-one wants to engage with a brand - just with each other, so all a brand should do is facilitate networking ... and nothing else. But I think they're falling foul of just dealing with semantics and rebelling against buzz words.

Let's take Nike + ... sure it facilitates networking, but it's also a very personal tool for users; and this is brand glue. It gives me a reason to use a facility or tool that I find useful ... but is linked to the host brand product.

So when you're creating customer or prospect programmes, ask yourself what communications, content or tools can you provide your target audience that will, in some part, stay in touch with the brand until they're ready to purchase ... and this is not the typical selling or MGM communications.

Ask yourself: "how can I be useful" outside purchasing mode to keep yourself top of mind. Nike, Johnson and Johnson and Huggies have done it successfully ... despite the nay-sayers.