{"id":977,"date":"2022-07-19T16:25:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T04:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/?p=977"},"modified":"2023-08-09T12:02:55","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T00:02:55","slug":"build-consumer-loyalty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/blog\/build-consumer-loyalty","title":{"rendered":"Building Consumer Loyalty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trust that undergirds consumer loyalty \u2014 no matter your industry \u2014 is based on a degree of certainty. Certainty that your product will work or taste the same way that it did last time and the last dozen times. Certainty that your customer will experience the same warm welcome and attentive service on this visit as on every visit. Certainty that your product will be sitting there on the shelf when the customer is ready to purchase it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what happens to customer loyalty in uncertain times, when none of those things can be guaranteed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated shutdowns of stores and restaurants and interruptions to supply chains threw all of that certainty into question. And yet, brands stepped up to maintain and even grow customer loyalty amid major worldwide disruptions to consumers\u2019 way of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April 2020 \u2014 about a month after social distancing measures were widely implemented in the U.S. \u2014 Plexure convened a panel of industry experts to share insights into what brands were doing to build customer loyalty in uncertain conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kim-bartley-3440ba6\/\"><u>Kim Bartley<\/u><\/a>, Senior Advisor &amp; Former CMO at White Castle<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shane-wheatland-salas-39407b7\/\"><u>Shane Wheatland Salas<\/u><\/a>, Head of U.S. Marketing at Keurig Dr. Pepper<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chrisdieringer\/\"><u>Chris Dieringer<\/u><\/a>, Senior Director of Industry Solutions at Microsoft (at the time of recording)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/yvettedavis\/\"><u>Yvette Davis<\/u><\/a>, Associate Director of Brand Marketing at Sam&#8217;s Club<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michael-cheney-391191\/\"><u>Michael Cheney<\/u><\/a>, Partnerships Director at Rakuten Ready (at the time of recording)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rishivshah\/\"><u>Rishi Shah<\/u><\/a>, CEO &amp; Co-Founder of Digioh<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep reading to learn more about how the lessons from the early COVID-19 pandemic can be applied to future seasons of uncertainty, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Why brands should take the time to determine the best messaging for customers and how to focus on the value that customers are looking for<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why transparency is the key to earning customer trust amid unpredictable changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to take a creative approach to humanizing your brand, and why it\u2019s important to share those stories with customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why times of uncertainty may be the ideal moment to embrace new technologies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-inspire-loyalty-dial-in-on-the-right-messaging-to-consumers\">Inspire loyalty: dial in on the right messaging to consumers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When uncertainty arrives on your doorstep, it\u2019s an invitation to assess your communications strategies and rethink what customers need to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe biggest challenge we had was to evaluate what was the best way and what the best message was,\u201d Kim said. \u201cWe were getting ready to launch a brand new campaign, which we put on hold as a result of the messaging needing to shift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the team at White Castle turned to the product-focused messaging, and they found an opportunity in an industry-wide initiative called #TakeOutTuesday to promote drive-through and carryout in regions where indoor dining had been shuttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Likewise, Sam\u2019s Club canceled deal-focused marketing campaigns, understanding that driving a large volume of people into stores was not in the best interest of public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe want to ensure that we\u2019re not trying to drive this mass hysteria to the club and then are not able to manage the six-feet apart rule,\u201d Yvette said. \u201cWe\u2019re thinking through every aspect of our business to decide what is best for the member, as well as what is best for our front-line associates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dialing in the right message is only one piece of the puzzle, of course. Brands also have to get that message in front of consumers who have a lot of questions about what\u2019s happening and how it will affect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wish I\u2019d had that in place already,\u201d she said, \u201cbecause I believe that kind of program gives you the opportunity to speak more directly to customers and also have a higher appeal to them in terms of,&nbsp;<em>What do I do next?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"speedbump\"><h3><div class=\"bullet-point\"><\/div>Why Your QSR Needs a Loyalty Program<\/h3><p class=\"speedbump-description\"><p>Building customer <a href=\"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/blog\/qsr-loyalty-program\/\">loyalty<\/a> is the single most important aspect of retaining business and boosting profits in the long run.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-provide-value-to-your-customers-and-recognize-that-value-comes-in-many-forms\">Provide value to your customers \u2014 and recognize that value comes in many forms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One aspect of customer communications that can feel tricky \u2014 maybe even hazardous \u2014 in times of uncertainty is choosing whether or how much to use your messaging channels to sell. You don\u2019t want your brand to be seen to be capitalizing on a crisis, but ignoring the fact that you are a brand with a product to sell helps neither you nor your customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This very issue was a significant point of discussion for Sam\u2019s Cub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor us, it\u2019s really trying to figure out when is the appropriate time to talk about something that\u2019s still relevant,\u201d Yvette said. \u201cA lot of people may want to go outside right now.&nbsp;<em>So is it appropriate to talk about the great offering of patio sets we have in our clubs, or is it not OK?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cThe more genuine a brand message can be to their guests, to their consumers, the better,\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>Shane said in response. \u201cIf that message has to be around value because they&#8217;re looking for it, or furniture or remodeling or refreshment or whatever it is, we shouldn&#8217;t be apologetic about delivering that value to them. But I think it comes with empathy, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rishi gave examples of brands that work with his company, email-capture platform Digioh, to provide value to customers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Coffee roasters eliminated their free shipping threshold<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wedding websites extended their return window to accommodate customers who didn\u2019t want to go into stores<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>News sites offered regular delivery of COVID-related updates at a time when the situation was rapidly changing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ecommerce sites created out-of-stock notifications to quickly alert customers when their favorite items were available for purchase<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been seeing a massive surge in people kind of changing their value proposition,\u201d Rishi said. \u201cIt\u2019s been really interesting to see how they\u2019re combating this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relevance lies at the heart of building customer loyalty, and times of uncertainty open the door for brands to offer deeply personalized experiences that respond to consumer needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-be-transparent-when-reality-doesn-t-match-expectation\">Be transparent when reality doesn\u2019t match expectation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brands have a great opportunity to build strong relationships with customers through direct, personalized communications. But the elasticity in those relationships \u2014 crucial for enduring during times of uncertainty \u2014 is generated by allowing your brand to be vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Use your communications to show that while the situation may be imperfect, your brand is still hard at work to maintain the standards and values that customers expect.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yvette compared the early-pandemic product shortages to some of the challenges that Sam\u2019s Club has faced around its popular One-Day Sale events, where transparency has been the key to maintaining customer loyalty at times when demand outstrips available inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery day is almost like a One Day event for us,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re having to be transparent via mobile or online pages and through email and social media to communicate with our members:&nbsp;<em>We\u2019re short here. The trucks are coming. We\u2019re working on it.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She said some of the club managers have such great relationships with the local community that their transparency even comes up in customer feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe say stories from some of our members saying,&nbsp;<em>Oh, we appreciate Mike for letting us know that the truck comes in around noon<\/em>,\u201d Yvette said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transparency builds trust and intimacy with customers, and brands that are open about the reality of what\u2019s happening in uncertain times will ultimately forge stronger customer relationships than those that try to micromanage an unmanageable situation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"speedbump\"><h3><div class=\"bullet-point\"><\/div>How to Create a Loyalty Marketing Program That Works<\/h3><p class=\"speedbump-description\"><p>An effective <a href=\"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/blog\/loyalty-marketing-programs\/\">loyalty marketing program<\/a> can minimize customer churn, increase your revenue, attract new customers and engage existing customers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-look-for-creative-ways-to-share-the-human-aspect-of-your-brand\">Look for creative ways to share the human aspect of your brand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many brands naturally focused on what they needed to do to keep employees safe \u2014 creating work from home policies, understanding how to keep workers in manufacturing facilities six feet apart, or adopting contactless pickup options to protect both customers and employees. Many brands also shared these stories on communications channels, which invited customers to connect with a human element in the brand story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brands such as Keurig Dr. Pepper also stepped up to support healthcare workers by providing coffee brewing stations to 75 different pop-up hospitals across the U.S. as part of a core strategy to provide for the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe thought it might just be a small gesture to help with the frontline medical staff,\u201d Shane said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s amazing when you\u2019re putting coffee in their hands and donating brewers and thousands of pods and K-cups. It makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, companies like Airbnb and local hotels were opening their doors to hospital workers at rock bottom rates \u2014 creating a win-win scenario in which the hotel could maintain their staff while also providing needed lodging for healthcare workers to rest and even self-isolate if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft helped enable some of this cross-industry collaboration, helping companies share staffing resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAn example we have in the U.K. is Tesco and McDonald\u2019s,\u201d Chris said. \u201cWe\u2019re connecting Tesco (a large grocery chain), who has an increase in capacity directly with McDonald\u2019s to share furloughed employees so that they\u2019re able to maintain them\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chris also saw food distributor Sysco team up with PepsiCo and 7-Eleven stores to share both product and trucking capacity, providing new revenue streams for all players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only do these creative moves help keep the business moving through major shifts in the marketplace, sharing these stories can engender loyalty with customers who see a brand thinking outside of the box to solve problems cooperatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-embrace-the-gifts-of-technology-even-in-times-of-change\">Embrace the gifts of technology, even in times of change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The technology of mobile commerce allows brands to provide great, loyalty-building customer experiences \u2014 even if there\u2019s a bit of a learning curve for customers adopting new shopping habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Sam\u2019s Club, the desire to limit in-person interactions led the brand to drive more shoppers to purchase online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis has allowed members who historically had some hesitation in shopping online, now they\u2019re more comfortable,\u201d Yvette said, adding that most of the technology it was pushing initially \u2014 such as curbside pickup or scan-and-go checkout \u2014 was in place before the pandemic, but customers either weren\u2019t aware or didn\u2019t feel the need to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTechnology has really been the backbone to helping us get through this,\u201d Yvette said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the pandemic, Michael\u2019s company, Rakuten Ready, had plenty of customers who were just dipping their toes in the water of technologies such as mobile ordering and curbside pickup, but most folks weren\u2019t dedicating enough resources to it because&nbsp;<em>it wasn\u2019t necessary for their business<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But once shutdowns mandated that most commerce move online, there was a mad rush to implement new mobile platforms or to find new efficiencies in existing programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two years later, Michael\u2019s comments on this shift are particularly prescient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cWhen this is all over,\u201d he said, \u201cI think what&#8217;s going to happen is \u2026 people are going to really start to realize the benefits of [mobile commerce].&nbsp;<\/strong>And a lot of people who never tried it are going to try it and like it. Or for people that tried it, liked it and did it every once in a while, it\u2019s going to become how they do it all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To build customer loyalty amid uncertain conditions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take a step back to determine the right messaging for your audience \u2014 whether you focus on human stories, sales or new value propositions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Be honest and transparent about changes to the customer experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tell the story of your brand\u2019s creative solutions to new challenges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look for opportunities to use technology to create great customer experiences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Loyalty is the outcome of all of these efforts, and relevance and personalization remain key tenets of building trust with customers. Prepare your brand for future uncertainties by building those relationships starting now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large rounded-30\">\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/products\/loyalty\" target=\"_self\">\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CTA-Loyalty.png\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t<\/a><\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understand how to build customer loyalty through communication, transparency and creativity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-loyalty"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tasksoftware.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}