In today’s marketing world, many are claiming that brand loyalty is a thing of the past. As one of the key aspects of relationship marketing, the end of brand loyalty would make a lot of marketing managers’ jobs harder. The truth of the matter is that brand loyalty isn’t actually dead; it’s just harder than ever to capture. Most markets contain a number of brands that are able to effectively deliver a high quality product so it’s easy for consumers to switch between brands. Thankfully, as markets have evolved so too have the strategies marketing managers’ use, and we’re going to explain a few of these so that you can make sure your consumers stick with you for years to come.
1. Give the Best First Impression
First impressions mean a lot anyway, but in business they mean a whole lot more. The consumers of today are not as forgiving as they once were, and if you fail to deliver the best service the first time round then you may lose a customer for life. Consumers are more inclined to try out a different brand rather than give yours a second chance.
Branding is one of the most important tools you can use to give a good first impression. Just like wearing shorts and a t-shirt would give a bad impression in an interview, a bad brand will put consumers off your business. You need to make sure that your business is “wearing” the appropriate brand at all times, so that it can make the best first impressions every day.
2. Deliver the Best Quality Possible
At some point in your life you’ve probably had a bad meal at a restaurant. And you’ve probably never been to that restaurant since. Even if the food was bad because one of the chefs were absent on that day, or the wrong ingredients ordered, the consumer will judge you on that forever.
This may seem unfair, but consumers will also judge good quality very favourably so one instance of this will leave a lasting positive impression.
3. Stay Relevant
One of the major causes of brand switching isn’t to do with anything you’re doing; it’s what the competitors are doing. Even if you are delivering products and services with a consistently good quality and giving great impressions, your competitors will always be developing their strategies to better compete with you. If they come up with a new product offering that is more exciting than yours, consumers will be intrigued and may even switch.
To counter this, you should always keep an eye on what your competitors are doing so that you can always stay one step ahead.
4. Provide Value
Consumers love to receive more value than they’re giving out; it’s one of their favourite things. This could be in the form of a discount, a free gift or even an upgrade to the product without more having to be paid. Delivering that extra bit of value not only makes consumers feel like they are getting extra for their money, it also makes them feel valued as customers. This is one of the easiest ways to develop relationships that will capture loyalty.
5. Understand the Consumer
Nobody likes to be misunderstood. Whether it be changing a product in a way that nobody would want or using the wrong tone in communications, misunderstanding consumers damages relationships. Aside from delivering things the consumer doesn’t want, it also makes consumers feel less valued.
The best way to understand consumers is just to ask! Having a good system for capturing feedback will allow you to understand what the consumer wants, how well your brand is delivering this, and other ways to service your customer that you may never have thought of before.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of how to keep consumers coming back for more, even at a time when they’re least likely to.
Here at Direct Letterbox Marketing, we’re passionate about all things marketing and that’s how we can deliver the best service in leaflet delivery and design. If you need any leafleting services then look no further! For more information about our services, don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 028 6353 to speak to a member of our team.
