Using emotion to create loyalty was the theme of the keynote address given this morning by Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts, author of “The Lovemarks Effect: Winning in the Consumer Revolution.“ Roberts continually emphasized the need to connect individually with fans, and stressed how fundamental such loyalty is to sports.

“You have to create loyalty beyond reason because the money in every one of our businesses comes from loyal users,” he said.

---

The power in the relationship between companies and brands has switched to the individual, said Roberts, and the structure of sponsorships should follow, with a goal of creating individual experiences for fans. Similarly, endorsements have become too hero-focused and less about how those heroes affect people. As examples, the New Zealand rugby loyalist showed ads in which brands and sponsors focused on the emotional connection that already exists between the All Blacks and their fans.

“Mass marketing is dead,” he said. “We need to move to personalized marketing.”

Roberts said that ROI — return on investment — “is the bane of my existence,“ and suggested a new measure of ROI called return on involvement.

“All the research techniques are out of date,” he said. “We need to revolutionize the industry so that we can get much more around 'How involving is this stuff?'"

His seven ways to create loyalty beyond reason:
1)      Share a dream
2)      Connect with emotion
3)      Leap to lovemarks (brands built on love and respect)
4)      Take the reality check
5)      Use the three secrets (mystery, sensuality and intimacy)
6)      Seal it with sisomo (sight, sound and motion)
7)      Perform at peak

Roberts’ presentation was sprinkled with images and references to emotional leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, but he chose sports clips featuring South African leader Nelson Mandela to lead and conclude his one-hour address.
“Sports is the greatest show on Earth,” Roberts said. “It has the power to unite nations. It has the power to add unbelievable depth to brands, to relationships ... and I, for one, believe that sports has never been more important.”