Are Your Customers Having An Affair With Another Brand?

Never Let The Honeymoon End With Your Customers

By David Miranda

If you closed your eyes and listened to any marketing presentation, you would think you were listening to a dating consultant or marriage counselor referring to their brand, as in, the brand "personality", the brand "identity", the brand "relationship", brand "loyalty", and most recently, brand "engagement".

There is a great deal of similarity in marketing brands and marketing yourself, as in a social relationship.

As a single male or female wishing to meet that special someone, you typically get all properly groomed and attired and seek out places where you are most likely to find that special someone, say a popular watering hole on a Saturday night. Upon entering, you peruse the landscape filled with others with the same idea. If you are fortunate, you will connect with someone who meets your criteria. If first impressions are positive, contact info is exchanged and perhaps a date will follow. A successful date might lead to steady dating. Steady dating might lead to engagement and engagement might lead to a walk down the aisle and, presto, marriage.

Marketing brands is similar. Brands want to meet "that special someone" - their target audience. Brands get marketing groomed and attired and seek out places where they are most likely to find that special someone - store shelves, television, radio, print, online, direct mail, and out-of-home. Brands seek to enter into a dialogue with consumer and contact info is exchanged. If the consumer experience is positive; it may lead to a relationship with the brand and perhaps even moving to the ultimate committment - brand loyalty.

The similarities don't end at the altar or with brand loyalty, however. Strong marriages and strong brands with loyal customers have a great deal in common. Each requires efforts to keep the bonds strong and robust over time. The biggest challenge is apathy - taking the other for granted.

We're all familiar with "You don't understand me anymore"; "You don't appreciate me"; "We've lost that spark in our relationship"; or "We don't communicate like we used to". Normally attributed to personal relationships, they are just as applicable to brand relationships. Only problem is that customers don't bother to express these thoughts. They just move on to another brand who really cares about them and promises not to take them for granted.

Treat your customers today like you are wooing them for the first time. Never let the honeymoon with them end or they might decide to have an affair with a competitive suitor and eventually show you the door.

Save the brand marriage!

Great Brands Are Like Great Friends (Or Friends You'd Like To Have)

Or As Dale Carnegie Put It - How To Win Friends And Influence People

By David Miranda

The photo on the upper left is sign language for the word "friend". As a consumer (or a client), there are many brands who want to be your best friend - and they try very, very hard. Today alone, hundreds of millions of dollars have been earmarked to befriend you and your wallet. The solicitations are everywhere - on TV, the radio, newspapers, outdoor signs, the internet, your mailbox, in elevators, washrooms, on buses, flyers, by paid spokespersons, grocery carts, salespeople, brochures, airports, your mobile device, movie theaters, infomercials, powerpoints, etc. etc. Think for a moment. How many of these solicitations worked? How many of these brand "friends" did you open your wallet to? Chances are none, zip, nada. But no need to worry. They'll be at it again tomorrow. There are ways, however, to make all this effort a bit more productive. It's winning friends and influencing people along the way.

How should brands win friends and influence people? Let's start with some simple basics.

1. Friends are good listeners.
Do you listen to your audience? What are the problems that you can solve? What are the things important to them? What is it that you can deliver that can make their lives easier, better, more satisfying, more rewarding?
2. Friends are there when you need them.
How is good is your customer relationship management? Do you respond quickly enough? Are you empathetic to their situation?
3. Friends appreciate friends.
Do you recognize loyal patronage? Do you know when they stopped coming and why? Do you make an effort to win them back?"
4. Friends look out for each other.
Are you proactive with your customers or clients? Do you alert them of upcoming events or trends that could affect them positively or negatively? Do you put their friendship over your economic gain to insure their long term business?
5. Friends communicate regularly.
Do you have a formal process of communicating with your customers and clients - soliciting feedback on their continued satisfaction or suggestions; providing updates on new products and services; or welcoming testimonials and recommendations to others?

Winning friends and influencing people is not a daunting task, but it is one that requires commitment and perseverance - and it must start from the top. It's time to take a good, hard look in the mirror and see the reflection of your company to others.

I'm only telling you this as a friend.