Of course, a brand-customer relationship can also be based on a functional benefit, just as two people can have a strictly business relationship. A friend is there for you, treats you with respect, is comfortable, is someone you like, and is an enjoyable person with whom to spend time. This type of relationship was a driver for much of the Saturn program as was discussed in Chapter 2. WordPerfect, a software company that has always been a leader in customer service, would rate high on the friendship dimension. A friend relationship can involve very different brand personalities.
Some friends are fun and irreverent.
Others are serious and command respect. Others are reliable and unpretentious. Still others are just comfortable to be around. A focus on the friend relationship rather than the brand personality can allow more scope and flexibility in the implementation of the brand identity. Fred Posner of Ayer Worldwide has observed that people live in a world characterized by stress, alienation, and clutter.