The 3 Cs Corroding Brand Loyalty And What You Can Do About Them

Across the board, brands are seeing a noticeable lack of brand loyalty, with customers and clients happy to move to alternative providers with far more ease than has ever been seen before.

There are three factors corroding brand loyalty and if businesses don't do something about stopping the leak they will not recover from it, losing more than they gain and spending far more than necessary to rebuild their clientele.

1: Choice

We have all experienced the impressive adaptation many brands have gone through during a global pandemic and it could be argued that we are at an all-time high in terms of speed of innovation.

Retailers who previously saw no need for an online presence either withered away or jumped on board. Service businesses that relied on face-to-face interaction embraced digital connection and new products and services that supported people at home were developed and introduced.

And they did it within 12-18 months, where previously the push for online or alternative connections was undervalued and unhurried.

There is far more choice available to consumers today than they have ever had. The business marketing place had fractured and niched to the point that if you really want a vegan pizza with chocolate sauce and ribs on the side, you can probably order that from more than one establishment nearby and have it delivered to your door.

Brands have pivoted and begun offering additional services, products or deliverables in order to keep up with demand, making it harder to keep everyone happy and often to the detriment of their core values as they cannibalise their range.

It is a balancing act but brands that can ensure they offer clients a range of services or products and provide even the illusion of choice as added benefits or personalised packages will at least maintain their presence in the minds of customers who demand options.

This leads to C number 2...

2: Convenience

Who can attest to the fact that they have shopped with another brand just because they offered something easier?

Couldn't wait a few more days for a delivery or be bothered to get up off the couch to log in using the laptop, so you opened a new account on your phone with someone else?

Switching brands is so easy and convenience has become not only a desire but totally necessary in a world where instant gratification is expected.

If a website is too slow to load, an app doesn't work or the delivery area requires more time you will probably lose your buyer. They will not wait around any more. Consumers today are not prepared to wait a short time - just take a look at how often we reach for our phones if we ever have to wait in a queue for something - we can't even do that without needing some sort of distraction!

Patience is a virtue, but today with streaming services, high-speed internet and increasing AI and competition, the fastest and easiest wins.

Putting any sort of barrier in the way of purchase will drive customers to seek alternate brands and the brands that invest in constant review of their customer journey to ensure there are no fallen trees or potholes that could delay them, will win over and retain clients.

Making it easy to log in, remember passwords, pre-fill orders or respond to their requests does help and remember that the client is not going to wait around for you if you take too long to respond, they will simply leave and never return.

This brings us to C number three...

C:3 Control

We all know that the industrial age gave way to the innovative age and now we are firmly in the age of the consumer. They are in control.

Like it or not, if your price, positioning or product doesn't give them what they want, when they want it, they will go elsewhere.

You probably thought that the third C might be COST, but consumers will pay more for convenience and choice, as long as they feel they are getting a good deal and being delivered what they asked for.

Managing margins is vital while the world is in turmoil and distribution chains are under pressure however, the brands that add those little touches of value, things that cost very little but mean so much can be the easiest way to buy brand loyalty.

The personalised note, remembering a birthday, following up, friend-get-friend offers, valuable rewards for long term memberships, partnership deals with like-minded brands...all the things that make clients feel they are part of an exclusive club, will help brands retain clients if they are prepared to invest in retention.

We all know that the price of retention is far less than acquisition and that loyal clients will refer and recommend brands to similar prospects but it's vital brands also realise that they must create some feeling of control for clients and not simply push them around to your way of thinking.

Create your loyalty program with convenience, choice and control in mind and make sure your brand values reflect how much you respect your clients.

Partner with causes, charities and organisations that mean something to your clients. Give them a reason to fall even more deeply in love with your brand and what it stands for.

Ask questions, survey and get feedback regularly to ensure your messaging and offers are relevant and valued.

Above all, share brand stories of client success and make them the hero of the brand value. Put your clients at the centre of your brand purpose and make it all about them - not just lip service, actually G.A.S - Give A Shit about them and what your brand does to help them in their lives.

It may be a hard road to follow but if you want your brand to retain its market share it's worth taking a walk on the wild side and reviewing your customer journey to make sure your brand keeps them on track.

Lauren Clemett is a Keynote speaker, International award-winning Neurobranding specialist and best selling author with over 25 years brand management experience. Lauren shares how to overcome overwhelm and lead with direction, purpose and meaning, making marketing your professional services a walk in the park!

www.yourbrandtruenorth.com