How can you build customer loyalty and avoid a brand crisis?

In my experience the best way to know your costumers and what drives their thinking and behavior is to carry qualitative research. You do not need many respondents if you make sure the ones you recruit are representative. Then meet them in their homes, understand their context and talk to them about their experiences related to your product/services but also the overall theme you work with: food, body, traffic or what ever. Understand their perception. The way they see things and you will get rich data to drive meaningful innovation and connection to your users.

Maybe we should talk about the concept 'loyalty' in the first place. What is it and what do we mean when we say loyalty? What do we want from loyalty and loyal customers? What can we offer loyal customers? A network, a club, shared services, or... is it just a way to sell more to the same people, again and again? Is there a life and a death for a loyal customer - and when is that? So what does loyalty mean to your company?

In my experience - put customer needs ahead of yours - always offer good options - customer might forget what you say but never how you make them feel

Before the iPhone, Nokia ruled the roost for handheld devices. In meetings there and in all of their communications (internal and external) they had one centering phrase; “Connecting People”. It wasn’t just a marketing statement, it was the cultural lynchpin for all of their behaviors internally first and then to their partners and finally end users. The point is, first know who you are how you behave and what actions you take to exemplify the “who you are” statement. You can’t be to the outside world what you aren’t to yourself first. Current day examples of this are REI, Echogear and Chobani Yogurt. House in order first. Live your brand statement in tactics. Let customers internalize your actions. Loyalty follows.

In our data-driven world, "Know your customers" easily becomes "Try to collect data about what your customers want", and while that is often a good thing, it's also to remember the words of marketing genius David Ogilvy: “Consumers don’t think how they feel. They don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say.” Couple that with the (wonderful, even if unsubstantiated) Henry Ford quote: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” By all means, KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS, but do that by actually understanding them and not by asking them what they want. :-)

A compelling value proposition is the most important thing you can communicate. It is the reason behind your business. It’s what makes people stop and listen to what you have to say- from customers to employees and investors. Everyone wants to know the“why you” versus something else. I have been guilty of assuming customers know our value over the competition. In reality the landscape changes and you need to be constantly reviewing and revising. And don’t wait too late or you risk losing valuable customers. It’s not good enough if it worked yesterday. Does it still work today? One evident answer is the moment you start losing deals. Show them that and your customers will be your biggest evangelizers. Want specific examples? Ping me.

Customer Loyalty cannot be built in a day. In order to build something solid we need to : 1. Know our customers-what makes them tick 2. Be consistent in providing good service / product 3. Have a great after sales support 4. Provide clear communication -crisp and easy to understand. 5. Engange the customers through value driven contests, communications. 6. Keep a two-way communication where compliments and criticism both are taken positively. 7. And lastly focus on the customer experience.. If the customer experience is not upto the mark - everything else fails.

There are thousands of other businesses just like yours. Communicating your value proposition is telling your prospective customers why they should choose you and not the 1000 others. This has to be clear and consistent across all communication platforms.

Este tópico tem rela??o com o anterior e refor?a a importancia de conhecer as necessidades do cliente e desenvolver uma proposta que entrega as respostas, mas vai além disso. Demonstre que se preocupa genuinamente com o cliente, e que o objetivo é estabelecer uma rela??o de confian?a, n?o apenas uma venda.

A strong value proposition simplifies the choice for customers, making it clear why they should pick you. Letting customers know what makes the brand special is super important! It helps them trust the brand, stick around, and feel good about choosing products.

In my experience, brands need to understand the issues their consumers might be facing. Accurately communicating how the brand is solving consumer problems, makes consumers relate better and become a part of the brand journey.

Customer loyalty also means effective communication to me. When you clearly understand their needs and open your channels to hear what they expect, it becomes easier to establish a relationship of trust between you and your customer.

Meet your customer where they are. Engage directly with them by maintaining regular, personalized interactions through newsletters, social media, and if absolutely necessary, with surveys (which most people hate unless incentivized). Boost engagement by creating valuable, customer-centric content that educates or entertains. Humor in marketing always works (Think Ryan Reynolds). And remember, when it comes to social media - one size does not fit all. Tik Tok is not Facebook is not Pinterest is not linkedin... personalize content and show empathy.

In the digital era, it is of utmost importance to communicate with the customers directly. This can be done via social media channels as well as physical on-ground events. Customer interaction shouldn't just be limited to customer care and grievance redressal but should go ahead to further strengthen the brand loyalty.

Like every other relationship, the 'vibe' dies out when there's no communication (or engagement in this instance). You should endeavor to build the habit of regular interactions with your customers. This can be done on social media, through personalized emails, vlogs, webinars, events, etc. Always remember, the 'human touch' can never be replaced, even with the most intelligent AI.

Brands need to regularly use listening tools and align their narrative accordingly. We need to remember that brand loyalty and brand perception may change in a fraction of second. Hence, brands need to be one step ahead to identify what is working and what can be bettered.

As an individual, you may choose not to care about what people say about you. As a business, you simply cannot afford that. Always be on the lookout for what your customers and the general public are saying about you. Make use of inbuilt metric tools on the various social media platforms such as comments, shares, likes, reviews. You can also employ the use of 3rd party reputation management tools to give an in-depth analysis of your brand's reputation

Esteja atento a avalia??es e comentários sobre sua empresa ou produtos. Reforce os valores da marca, use cases para mostrar autoridade e corrija os problemas rapidamente, para garantir o cuidado com o cliente e o refor?o na reputa??o.

Early in my career as a PR/communication’s practitioner, a mentor gave this timeless advice for managing a crisis. Tell the truth. Tell it fast. Tell it often. These are the keys to minimizing risk, shortening a crisis life cycle and emerging from the crisis with your reputation in tact.

The best thing that one can do during the time of a crisis is to communicate with clarity. Be honest and forthcoming during any crisis. If there is a blunder, which deserved an apology, let that be an unconditional one without a defensive tone.

N?o ignore os problemas, mostre-se disponível e disposto a resolve-los. Pior que uma crise, é negar sua existência ou n?o se empenhar na solu??o.

First and top priority should be clearly telling what has happened in that particular crisis, so that top managements and departments which is related to this can make full proof plan. In the face of a crisis, swift and transparent communication is paramount. Acknowledge the issue, take responsibility, and outline corrective actions. Engage with customers openly, leveraging social media and other channels to rebuild trust through genuine efforts and resolutions.

No meu período como diretora de conteúdo e PR de uma startup unicórnio ou mesmo como editora chefe de uma revista, enfrentei algumas crises e esse foi o principal aprendizado: Numa crise, qualquer que seja, o mais importante é manter a calma. O nervosismo pode levar a a??es desastrosas para a marca. Mantenha a calma e investigue a situa??o. Levante o máximo de informa??es que conseguir (o que aconteceu, como, quem, por que, qual o impacto etc.). Depois, planeje a a??o. Seja transparente e sincero. E passe sempre os valores da marca. Fazendo isso com calma, tudo acontecerá no timing certo - n?o apressado nem lento demais.

Experience they say is the best teacher. The same applies to building customer loyalty. We learn from mistakes and we take those mistakes to make customers experience better, feedback and criticism are an important part of a business and vital for growth. We use all this to improve our strategy for communication and relationship with our customers thus making them loyal to the brand - you become the brand who listens and does. not one who ignores

Like with excelling at any task at hand, handling a crisis also comes with time. Expecting to learn everything at the first go, or considering a learning aid that you received once from a teaching faculty or senior at work to be 'absolute' - is not the way to go. Brand Communications is no different in this regard. Other than finding the voice of a brand, gaining loyal customers/followers for your brand is most critical. The real test of how successful has been your brand identity-building exercise comes during a crisis. For the simple reason that loyalty is an emotion that thrives on trust. The primary goal that you can aim for is to retain the trust of your target audience in any crisis.

In the age of cancel culture, where reputations can be shattered in an instant, building customer loyalty is not just a business strategy; it's a survival imperative. Brands must prioritize genuine engagement, ethical conduct, and transparent communication to cultivate enduring relationships with their customers. Overcoming a scandal requires swift action, sincere apologies, and a commitment to accountability, demonstrating a brand's ability to learn from its mistakes and emerge stronger.

Loyalty stems from Trust. Trust in your message, trust in your product, trust in your services among others. So I would say, if you want your customers to be loyal to your brand, be truthful with them and authentic in your message. Provide an experience that creates value for them.

We're in that era where the customer is at the very centre of every business. Building customer loyalty isn't an option. It's a MUST. Here are a few points to consider: 1. Be intentional about building customer loyalty 2. Be genuinely concerned about the wellbeing and satisfaction of your customer. 3. Nothing (not even the smartest AI) can replace the 'human touch'. Personalize your interactions with your customers. 4. The key is not to have a good product. The key is to have a product that satisfies your customers' needs.

A solid public relations partner is worth their weight in gold. Don't cheap out on this relationship. Don't hire yes people. Don't try to be everything for every media outlet. Learn to write. Embrace public speaking. Know your angles. Stories matter. But delivery can make or break them.