Brands Need To Be More Canine, Not More Human

Why do brands feel the need to say they’re “human”? This Ad Age article highlights the trend.

I think more brands should be like dogs, not humans. Dogs simply have more qualities worth emulating.

Dogs are loyal — when you feed them. Keep feeding them, pay attention to them, and they’re forever yours. Human loyalty doesn’t exactly work that way and many brands institute so-called “loyalty” programs that have nothing to do with an emotional affinity for customers, just a desire to maintain sales. So it’s better for brands to strive for dog-style loyalty. Customers who feed a brand the way you’d feed a terrier ought to feel the reciprocal love.

It’s the subject of my new column on Talent Zoo. (And that’s David’s awesome dog Lucy in the cover photo.)