Donna Tocci emailed Shel and I to discuss our entries on Lovemarks:

Lovemarks and Trustmarks are something that Kryptonite was striving to obtain a good 4-5 years ago....It's a wonderful feeling and I truly hope you obtain this and can enjoy all of the warm fuzzies that go with it.

However, there is a downside to that, too. Not to be negative, but to share some of what I've learned with two people I respect and have learned from recently. When people put your company on a pedestal there is no place to go but down. You've both witnessed it as you followed Kryptonite this last year....

What Donna is talking about here is the same thing that happens when someone gets their heart broken...they feel hurt. Sometimes vengefully so. When we are hurt, we find ways to maintain our pride, protect our hearts and heal overall. We turn that love to hate, we change the story so we don't look like fools for falling and being burnt, we move on, we refocus or we just wage absolute war on the party that hurt us.

That's the danger of becoming lovable. Someone may get hurt. Someone may feel slighted.

So, what would the gameplan be to prevent that? I don't know. Like in affairs of the heart, I don't think you can prevent all affairs from going awry. However, in order to prevent mass heartbreak, you have to be true and authentic - this can't be a marketing exercise to merely sell more stuff. I can't stress this enough.

Deep-seeded and long-standing Lovemarks like Apple stayed true to their original goal, even when they seemed to be losing the battle to PC systems. When IBM and other PC manufacturers have come and gone, Apple continues to grow, adding products that invoke the same passionate fury their Macs did years ago. I have already said that I love my Mac for all of the wrong reasons. (and, they may be starting to break the hearts of their lovers as they make their gains in the marketplace...it will be interesting to see where they go)

It's important to me, personally, as well as to the entire management team and staff at Ojos to be 100% authentic. We are hoping to form long-term, deep relationships with our customers. Like anyone entering the realm of love (or Lovemarking), we are, of course, afraid of rejection. We want everyone to accept who we are, blemishes, glitches and all. We want to grow with you and learn from you and have a long and fruitful relationship.

Be gentle with us...;)

Tag: Lovemarks
Photo Credit: 'secrets' by dickuhne on Flickr