Consumers have always had relationships with brands, but today, more sophisticated tools for analyzing customer data and translating that into a more precise snapshot of who your customers really are and what they want from your company are allowing marketers to organize, personalize and manage those relationships in a more productive way.
People now expect companies to understand the type of relationship they want to have with a company they buy from, and to therefore respond to them appropriately within that context. They want companies to uphold their end of the bargain and to deliver on their “brand promise.” Either overtly or sometimes more subtly, all companies – through their various advertising and marketing messages – promise something to their customers.
It is so critical for that promise to, first of all, ring true. Is it believable? Can the customer count on it every time? Is it backed up by other messages that reinforce it? Secondly, do the actions of the company make the brand promise real? Can customers track these actions over time and conclude that corporate decisions and resulting actions are in sync with what the customer expects as a result of the brand promise? If the answer to these questions is “yes,” great! But if the answer is anything less than a resounding “yes,” the company had better rethink its marketing messages. Today’s consumers are relatively unforgiving in regards to broken promises.
However, even companies which recognize the importance of authenticity and of not disappointing their customers frequently don’t realize that there are a wide range of relationship preferences that the buying public may wish to have with their preferred brands.
Many firms still think of their customers as resources to be harvested for the next up-sell, cross-sell or special promotion, rather than as individuals looking for certain kinds of interactions with them.
For instance, do your customers merely wish to have a “fling” with your brand (try it out, enjoy it and move on, without investing deeply in it)? Or do they want to be treated like a true friend (in other words, the opposite of a “transaction”)? There are even customers who want to “get married” and envision their relationship with a particular brand as very committed and long-term.
It is critical for companies to understand what type of a relationship their particular product or service offering lends itself to and behave accordingly. It’s all about understanding and managing those key relationships, not simply “selling something to the customer.” Smart companies are learning how to truly tune in to the degree of intimacy and connection that their customers prefer, and they are devising outreach programs and communications plans to match those preferences.
Obviously, stronger bonds with customers tend to create more durable, long-term relationships. But those bonds have to be constantly nurtured and reinforced. Companies which rely on deep, abiding relationships for their business models to succeed must spend time constantly investing in these relationships. The reward is usually increased market share.
On the flip side, sometimes less resource-intensive relationships can lead to more profitability for companies whose brand promise does not revolve around deep commitment and keeping customers forever. It all goes back to that relational promise – what do you tell your customers they can expect of you, and does that promise resonate with what your key audiences are looking for?
The best starting point in determining your optimum relationship with your customers is to create a “profile” of your best customers – age, gender, educational background, location, buying habits, leisure activities, family size, etc. By studying this profile, you can begin to extrapolate what is most important to them. There are numerous research tools available to you as well, including secondary data, focus groups, online surveys, etc.
You can then choose your most appropriate behavior model relative to your customer’s needs and preferences, and put a messaging strategy in place that promises them what they want and what you will be prepared to consistently deliver.
Cathy Ackermann, founder and president of Ackermann Marketing and PR, may be reached at cackermann@thinkackermann.com.
For the online version of this column, please visit www.thinkackermann.com
