[Photo: katherinecenter.com]

I recently read The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. The book was great, and I believe it will make a great movie one day. If I had the power, I would recommend A24 buy the rights so they can, as the book states, “rescue the rom-com” genre. Though I adored Charlie and Emma, the two protagonists, I was deeply moved by Center’s Author’s Note at the end of the book.

Center unknowingly—or possibly knowingly—crafts an argument for all industries, especially marketing. She states:

“Maybe love is more valuable than we think. Maybe stories that help us see our best possibilities are exactly what this bedraggled world needs…It’s not nothing to witness acts of goodness. In fact, it creates an expansive, uplifted, physical feeling in our bodies that psychologist Jonathan Haidt calls “moral elevation.” It impacts us—it changes us. This is documented. Witnessing other people doing good makes us want to do better ourselves. And don’t forget: We learn by watching.”

Here’s what I have to say in response:

We (marketers) can learn a lot from love stories. These narratives, often dismissed as frivolous, offer profound insights into human connection and the power of prosocial behavior. In love stories, characters must—as Center states—master the arts of listening, nurturing, trusting, and empathizing to achieve their happy endings. These are the same qualities that successful marketers must cultivate to build strong brands.

By understanding culture, marketers can craft campaigns that resonate meaningfully with our many intersectional identities. Authenticity and vulnerability, often central to love stories, can help build trust and loyalty in brand relationships. Love stories also emphasize the importance of storytelling, showing how compelling narratives can capture hearts and minds.

Moreover, love stories demonstrate the value of celebrating milestones and showing appreciation, reinforcing the emotional bond between a brand and its customers. But that’s the thing. Brands must stop referring to customers as customers. When brands box their customers as demographics and even psychographics, they write off the ability to craft meaningful relationships based on understanding culture and their multiplicative identities.

Love stories teach us that marketing is not just about selling products or identifying demographics but about building culturally significant connections. By embracing these lessons from love stories, marketers can create campaigns that not only attract but also profoundly resonate with people—amazing, awful, ordinary people—fostering loyalty and long-term engagement.

Beyond these fundamental principles, love stories provide marketers with the power to make people feel seen and drive them toward action (which is our job). When individuals feel recognized and valued, they are more likely to engage with and support a brand. This sense of being seen is crucial in a world where consumers are constantly bombarded with countless messages and advertisements.

Marketers can make their people feel understood by crafting messages that reflect experiences, aspirations, and challenges. Just as a love story character feels validated when their partner truly understands them, consumers feel validated when a brand acknowledges their specific needs and desires. This deep understanding can be achieved through thorough market research and empathy-driven strategies.

For instance, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign successfully made women feel seen by challenging traditional beauty standards and showcasing real, diverse women in their advertisements. This campaign resonated on a personal level with many women who felt excluded by the narrow definitions of beauty perpetuated by the media. As a result, Dove not only built a loyal customer base but also drove significant social impact.

Moreover, love stories illustrate the power of driving action through emotional engagement. When audiences are emotionally invested in a narrative, they are more likely to move. Marketers can leverage this by creating emotionally charged content that inspires, motivates, and compels audiences to act. This can be seen in campaigns that address social issues, promote charitable causes, or encourage positive lifestyle changes.

Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, for example, has consistently used emotionally powerful stories of athletes overcoming adversity to inspire and motivate its audience. By tapping into the universal themes of perseverance and triumph, Nike has not only driven sales but also fostered a community of loyal customers who share and promote the brand’s message of determination.

Furthermore, marketers can drive action by creating a sense of community and belonging, much like the supportive relationships depicted in love stories. Brands that foster a community where customers feel connected to each other and the brand can drive higher engagement and loyalty. This can be achieved through interactive campaigns, social media engagement, and creating spaces for customers to share their stories and experiences.

The success of brands like Peloton, which has built a passionate community of fitness enthusiasts who support and motivate each other, demonstrates the power of community in driving action. Peloton’s use of live classes, social features, and customer stories creates a sense of belonging that keeps customers engaged and committed.

In conclusion, love stories offer marketers invaluable lessons in creating meaningful connections, making people feel seen, and driving them toward action. By understanding and empathizing with their audience, crafting authentic and emotionally resonant narratives, and fostering a sense of community, marketers can build loyal and engaged customer bases. Embracing the power of love stories in marketing strategies can transform campaigns into powerful tools for connection, impact, and success.

So, let’s embrace the lessons of love stories and create marketing campaigns filled with hope, joy, and human connection.

Author: Sarah Lindenbach

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center: LINK to buy from Literati Bookstore Ann Arbor; LINK to visit GoodReads reviews.