Creating lockdown loyalty with print

I don’t know about you, but this lockdown has felt like the hardest. The dark nights, the inhospitable weather, and the general greyness of it all have made it much harder to stay positive this time around.

It got me thinking about what we want to do when restrictions are eased. What treats do we have to look forward to, and how will we choose to spend our time and money?

There’s talk of pent-up demand in the leisure, hospitality and travel industries, and that’s not really a surprise. Earlier this month, travel bosses suggested there could be a UK staycation boom in 2021 as people avoid getting on a plane to their usual sunny destinations. And it’s fair to assume that pretty much everyone is looking forward to arranging something that could be considered a treat.

So how can the businesses that are eagerly waiting for restrictions to be lifted create loyalty during lockdown by capitalising on the power of print?

I chatted to Susan Binda, a marketing expert experienced in creating and running loyalty programmes who has been Head of Marketing and Loyalty at Merlin Entertainments (the company behind Madame Tussauds, Alton Towers and LEGOLAND Windsor) and at British Airways. It was interesting to get Susan’s insight into print’s place in driving loyalty and demand for future experiences.

“In a digital world, print creates an opportunity for that coffee table moment,” Susan explains. “It’s a time when you can be totally absorbed in what you’re looking at, free from other distractions, so you can dream and be inspired.

“We know that print stays in the home longer, that it aids loyalty by helping a brand be top of mind, and that clever use of your data, images, and brilliant messaging can create powerful emotional connections.

“That’s important because we often make buying decisions with our emotions, and our rational brain gets to work reverse-engineering a reason afterwards. Creating those connections and cutting through the digital noise is the power of print.”

Susan points to the clever combining of print and data by successful loyalty schemes such as Clubcard and Nectar, which both tailor offers based on what they know about the cardholder. And brands such as the National Trust have used data to send relevant mail-outs to members containing information about what’s on at properties they have visited, so encouraging them to go back again.

Most people are at home more than usual right now, so it’s the perfect time to catch their attention.

And Susan points out that there’s something special about print when we’re so used to dealing digitally. “I love to receive my RHS membership pack, which is beautifully styled and packed with printed information to explore,” she explains.

“They use hero images which make it a technicolour joy to look through and include clever extras such as vouchers for family and friends. Because what is more likely to create a purchase decision and then loyalty than a recommendation from someone we trust?”

The current news stories about pent-up demand for travel might just be clever PR on the part of the brands behind them. But it’s true to say that we can’t wait to go out for dinner at a nice restaurant, to book our next holiday or plan a family day out.

So if we’re representative of the average family, there’s certainly a space for using the long, monotonous remaining days and weeks of the latest lockdown to inspire potential customers and secure the loyalty that brands will need to successfully make it through 2021. And print is in prime position to create that connection. But then I would say that, wouldn’t I?!