Loyalty Is Earned, Not a Given The biggest misconception brands have when it comes to the loyalty question is the definition of where it starts and what it looks like. Too many make the mistake that loyalty begins and ends with great offers and meeting the customer’s needs at point-of-sale. While this definitely impacts how a customer views your brand, it’s a small part of the much bigger picture. Any brand can offer great discounts. Any brand can undercut competitors and make an offer a customer really can’t refuse. Any brand can make split decisions in the showroom or retail space, and entice the customer to buy because of that decision (an extra 10% off, for example, or an extra year’s warranty). That’s the easy part – but it doesn’t build loyalty. Instead, the bigger customer experience is key. • How does this product answer my immediate needs? • How does this product make me feel? • What’s the brand experience like? • How does the after service look, both reactively and proactively? • How does the brand listen to feedback and future product suggestions? • Does this improve my everyday life through use? • These are just some of the very simple, yet important, questions that brands need to consider when it comes to loyalty building. Which brings me to BlackBerry. BlackBerry delivered on its promises. Its hardware was secure, making it perfect for Enterprise-level organizations and small business owners everywhere. Its operating system was one of the best around. And it’s BBM messaging service was a unique feature not found anywhere else. And then the wheels came off. Whether it was arrogance based on its lofty position, or the fact no one had come close to disrupting its Enterprise model, BlackBerry got complacent, expecting that its name alone would be enough. And it might have been, had it not been for a combination of circumstances that looks to have sealed the company’s fate. • Its once-secure network saw major security issues and its new...
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:01:54 +0000
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