Thursday 14 August 2008

Loyalty for Life

That's today's question. Is it possible? An achievable goal? Or is it a forlorn aspiration for a brand? The following website poses the same question and has managed to draw in contributions from folk around the globe.

http://www.loyaltyforlife.co.uk

Have a look and post a comment.

A quick skim of the results so far is interesting. We want brands that change and grow with us. Brands that offer us something at every step. The younger audiences talk about this a lot. They also want to feel that they or their tribe are getting something back from the brand.

People talk about football teams as the ultimate in loyalty. You pin your colours to your chest early on in life and you do not change. No matter how badly they might let you down. Can brands in other catageories match that? It's difficult but you can draw similarities between other high commitment brands, brands that take you from prospect to customer and to advocate in the blink of an eye - take Skoda for example.

For the older audiences the basics have to be in place. The product or service has to live up to the brand promise. Always. And then people want to feel valued. A simple letter will do. A thank-you. When was the last time your bank wrote to you just to say thanks for being a customer?

The post that sums it up for me is this one: '"Tune into my aspirations and values; change with me through my life; be easy to find; give me something back; don’t ever assume I will come back to you and when I have a problem, surprise me with how easy you are to deal with. Simple really."

Check out the website and share your views.