Brandbite #20 A loyalty strategy is key in brand building Attracting a new customer is much more expensive than taking good care of and keeping a loyal buyer; therefore, a smart, well-planned brand experience that encompasses loyalty as a priority has extra legs, not only to please the customer, but also to deliver to the bottom line. According to Jill Griffin, loyalty expert and author of Customer Loyalty, a loyal customer is one who makes regular repeat purchases, purchases across product and service lines, refers others, and demonstrates immunity to the pull of competition. In establishing a loyalty strategy, you must first understand the distinction between customer service and building loyalty. Jill explains, "When successfully building a brand, the customer's experience with that brand needs to be consistent with the image the brand projects. In other words, real experiences with the brand need to match expectations. Customer service is one important touch point in achieving that consistency, but to build customer loyalty, many other elements contribute to the customer experience besides just service. Marketing touch points, sales touch points, the way the product performs, the visual cues surrounding the product or service, word of mouth, etc. all are contributors." Three ways to make loyalty last:   1. Insulate your best customers from competitive attack.       When you know a competitor is making a move on your loyal customers,       take action. Touch your customers by giving them a gift, providing a special       offer, or rewarding loyalty with a new level of value.   2. Make top spenders your biggest priority.       Treat your top spenders like royalty. Not only do they generate the largest       sales, in most cases they will buy across product and service lines and be       your strongest sources of referrals. Keep them in top of mind and top of       touch when delivering your experience.   3. Build a frequent buyer program that really works.       The right frequency program can be a strong force in building loyalty.       However, many programs with good intentions fail on execution and       turn into a major brand experience deflator. Consider your customer's       perception of valuable rewards, your resources, technology, and the       overall ease of program execution from all parties involved. For more on creativity, read Chapter 7 in Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands that Stick in Your Customers' Minds, by Karen Post. Brand on!

Karen Post helps organizations and professionals prosper with a powerful brand. She is a 20-year branding enthusiast, professional speaker, and author of Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands that Stick to Customers' Minds. If you’d like to learn more about branding, read her monthly column at Fastcompany.com and visit www.brandingdiva.com. You may also call her at 813.250.1730.