Seven dwarves of brand relationships
The seven, scientifically-proven relationships that drive brand loyalty
We all know that relationships drive successful recruitment and, consequently, brand loyalty. But we’ve not known which specific dimensions of customer relationship create that loyalty. Well, a crack team of scientists from across a broad field of disciplines has uncovered some useful insights.
We can apply their extensive research on consumer-brands and the relationship metaphor to our recruitment brands.
They identified seven dimensions of relationships, these give us intriguing insights into how we can create, measure and manage client / brand relationships.
These dimensions provide lessons on brand loyalty but come at it from a people perspective. We can use them to understand and develop our client relationships, in order to create brand loyalty, advocacy and value.
Like the seven dwarves, their names, descriptions and characteristics are listed below, along with relevant tips for recruitment agencies.
The two statements associated with each dimension provide meaning and items for a measurement scale (for the few agencies which conduct brand surveys). In addition, I provide my views on each item in relation to recruitment brands. The seven dimensions are:
1. Behavioural Interdependence (The teamplayer dwarf)
The extent to which the relationship is dependent on each others actions. Signs are the frequency of interactions, the importance and involvement of you and your client in these interactions.
• This brand plays an important role in my life.
• I feel like something’s missing when I haven’t used the brand in a while.
Relevance to Recruitment
Recruitment often requires the client and the agency to adjust their recruitment practices to suit each other’s needs, and more importantly, to achieve successful placements. Therefore, I believe Behavioural Interdependence is a goal for agencies, especially with clients you recruit for frequently.
A word of warning though; blindly following your client’s VMS portal system to the detriment of your business and the recruitment outcome is not BI. It’s closer to a mater / slave relationship. Not good.
Suggestions
Set up client review meetings and explore ways of improving the process and service. Run recruitment design workshops with your client to discover improved methods of recruiting.
2. Personal Commitment (PC the sticky dwarf)
The partners are committed to each other. There is a desire to improve or maintain the quality of the relationship over time, and guilt when it’s compromised.
• I feel very loyal to this brand.
• I will stay with this brand through good times and bad.
Relevance to Recruitment
An agency should choose its ‘major accounts’ carefully and aim for PC where it matters. The challenge here is getting the personal commitment from all the players on the client’s side.
Suggestions
The leader of the agency has to show personal commitment to the client, they need to follow up on any issues, and take a zero-tolerance approach to complaints and issues raised by the client.
The client commitment is dependent on the preceding agency commitment; therefore, think about ways of expressing your commitment to the client. How can you deliver results and a great experience?
3. Love and passion (the loving dwarf)
The strength of the emotional bonds between the customer and brand, the inability of the customer to tolerate separation. A reflection of love and passion that exist. In brand relationships, customers can develop passionate links to brands. Substitutes create discomfort.
• No other brand can quite take the place of this brand.
• I would be very upset if I couldn’t find this brand.
Relevance to Recruitment
Let’s be realistic, this is too much to expect from our recruitment brands. These so called ‘love brands’ are in the emotional product categories of shoes, cars and holidays.
It would be great to hear of an agency that made achieving this dimension part of their brand strategy. Examples welcome.
Suggestions
We should aim for love and passion for our brand amongst our staff. Arguably, it’s more feasible to generate this level passion from the people who turn up to work every day. I witnessed this staff passion in the better years at SThree within several of their brands.
4. Nostalgic Connection (NC the sentimental one)
The relationship is based, in part, on the memory of good times.
• This brand reminds me of things I’ve done or places I’ve been.
• This brand will always remind me of a particular phase of my life.
Relevance for Recruitment
Although not instantly recognisable for recruitment, I suspect certain sectors benefit from this form of relationship, namely, professional sectors such as law, which have clearly defined career paths.
Graduates placed in their first successful role by an agency may hold fond memories of that agency.
Suggestions
Two scenarios for NC spring to mind. First, the brand positioning of mature, recruitment brands, companies with over twenty years’ history. Link your history to your clients’ and candidates’ good times.
Secondly, in sectors enjoying growth, agencies should build messages and associations with the last upturn, e.g., “welcome back to the good days of 2007, it’s time for us all to start hiring again”.
5. Self-concept Connection (SC the mimicker)
The partners share common interests, activities and opinions. The brand reflects the interests and activities of the person.
• The brand’s and my self-image are similar.
• The brand reminds me of who I am.
Relevance for Recruitment
This dimension is prominent in agencies staffed with ex-industry players; prevalent at head-hunting and creative agencies. One creative example is Major Players, which supply the advertising and design agencies in London from their funky offices in Covent Garden.
Suggestion
There are two methods of appealing to someone’s identity. You can mirror the client’s industry and culture within your agency, or you can build an elitist image and attitude that only places the highest-grade candidates.
This elitism will appeal to those candidates you place, by building their self-image and associations with your agency.
6. Intimacy (the intimate one)
A deep understanding exists between partners. The customer will achieve intimacy by knowing details about the brand, in particular, its superior performance.
• I know a lot about this brand.
• I know a lot about the company that makes this brand.
Relevance to Recruitment
Intimacy is highly relevant to recruitment; the ability to project superior performance – in concrete terms – is (or should be) the holy grail of agencies. Too many agencies peddle the same sales mantra, and few try to differentiate themselves.
The good news though, if you can demonstrate the superiority of your service, your customers will seek out knowledge about you, which leads to deep brand loyalty.
Suggestions
Build one-to-one sales and marketing messages that communicate clear, relevant and factual superiority above the competition. Use social media to display, transparently, what makes you unique and special; make it easy and enjoyable for clients to find out more about you.
7. Partner Quality (PQ the judgemental one)
The evaluation by one partner of the performance and attitude of the other. The evaluation by the customer of the brand’s attitude toward the consumer.
• I know this brand really appreciates me.
• This brand treats me like a valued customer.
Relevance to Recruitment
We should all be seeking – and responding to – feedback from our clients. On both our performance and our attitude towards them. It can be a challenge in contingency recruitment though, with its commission-driven culture, to value the client above and beyond the transaction and the deal.
Suggestion
Senior managers should conduct regular client review meetings that truly uncover views about performance and attitude. Remember, you might fill the client’s roles but if your consultants have been perceived as rude or abrasive, then you’ll find yourself replaced.
It is unlikely that your brand will need or want to gain superiority on all these dimensions. There will be a need to focus. To start with, pick the two most important dimensions you can achieve and start measuring your business against them.
Do you want a strong recruitment brand: Black Slate can develop your brand, whether you want to take small steps or big leaps.
