Posted on : 2022-12-04 20:44:45
Article : Good morning, Monday management solution for the TASK 219-When customers develop a sense of brand loyalty, they're building an emotional connection to a business, they also get excited to represent a company in some way, as a fan and an advocate.
There are numerous brands that have their brand loyal customers and they are retained by the companies through valuable bonding strategies. To count, every company may have multiple choices of marketing choices to gain brand loyal customers and here in we wish to discuss on few salient strategies with relevant brand examples to relate with.
Connect With Your Customers using ‘Emotional Branding’-Emotions are the driving force behind a majority of purchase decisions. You know then term ‘Brand Intimacy’ which depicts how intimate and close your customers are with your brand. Fostering an emotional connection with your users can boost customer brand loyalty as a study by customer thermometer showed: 65% of participants mentioned that being emotionally connected to a brand made them purchase more often.
Example: Think of brands that people love the most and you would most likely find Apple on the list. Over the years, Apple has mastered this art of appealing to crucial human emotions. In its marketing campaigns, Apple brands itself as a platform to explore one’s creativity, be respected by society, and belong to a community of people who believe in technological advancement. It’s no wonder that users across the world connect with this brand.
Bring the Focus Back to In-Store Experience-While e-commerce sales might be going through the roof, it still showcases its own set of limitations. People still wish to touch, feel, and see products before they spend a dollar. Customers perceive offline shopping as an escape from the cacophony of their busy lives and look to embrace a memorable buying experience. The in-store shopping experience is simply irreplaceable and statistics reveal the same. In 2019, sales from retail establishments amounted to 5.46 trillion US dollars.
Example: It took IKEA, the Swedish-origin furniture company, 75 years to earn the tag of a retail royalty. IKEA stores are known to offer a branded customer experience right from the moment a visitor steps in. The global retail giant has designed its stores into numerous room-like sections that look nothing short of movie sets. According to their brand experts, they want every customer visiting their store to have a ‘feel at home’ experience.
Charm Your Customers on Special Occasions-Days that appear normal for your business, might actually be special occasions for your customers. To foster a deep and meaningful customer relationship, you need to keep track of your customers’ special days like birthdays, marriage anniversaries, etc. Your customer data is incomplete if such important dates are missing. According to a survey, customers who received birthday messages from a company thought more positively about the brand. 84% of those positive reactions translated to increased brand loyalty.
Example: Sephora, the French personal care and beauty products company paid great attention to offer a delightful experience to customers on their birthdays. Its popular Beauty Insider Program seeks to offer rewards to customers on merchandise purchases. The members of this program are entitled to receive a free product sample if they visit a store on their birthday. This initiative has made the brand save on shipping costs and increase brand loyalty, all at the same time.
Be Innovative with Loyalty Programs-While there might be different types of brand loyalty programs in the market, most fall flat as they lack a long-term perspective. There has to be a lot more to your loyalty programs than discount coupons. Contemporary businesses have realized that it is way easier and more cost-effective to sell to existing customers than new ones. Keeping this in mind, brands are getting creative and innovative with their reward programs to create an army of loyal users.
Example: The brand, North Face has hit the bull’s eye by offering an innovative and flexible loyalty program to its regular consumers. Through its VIPeak program, customers earn points as they shop and can choose to redeem them either on purchasing new products or on memorable adventures such as a mountain climbing trip to Nepal. So rather than offering heavy discounts, the brand chose the road less travelled and successfully encouraged customers to spend on both products as well as experiences.
End point-A cult-like brand is one that delivers a superior level of customer loyalty. Beyond that, customers feel a sense of ownership with the brand and its products, and no other brands can compare. A cult-like brand doesn’t just fizzle out like a fad; its customer loyalty is sustained over time and continues to build a close-knit community of dedicated followers. In the end, these brands not only provide customers with a product, but a lifestyle they can continue to embrace for a lifetime. True fanatics will not only remain loyal to your brand, but they will also tell their family members, friends, and social networks why. Loyalty even yields more revenue.
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