Have you ever called a company with a comment/concern or suggestion and felt like you never got a response? How did that make you feel? Unappreciated? Taken for granted? Did it make you feel like the company really valued you as a customer? Did you decide to purchase that product again, or did you abandon the product/brand of choice for a more responsive, comparatively priced product? How did the choice company’s non-response affect your thoughts about the brand? Did you still believe wholeheartedly in the brand? Could you?

Brand loyalty is a hard thing to build and even harder to keep. New brands are developed each and every day with the desire to replace other brands, even yours. So how do you keep your brand loyalty campaign in tip-top shape? Some of the easy ways to do this is to keep your customer engaged into the core philosophy of your brand and what it stand for, as well as taking the time to reply to your customers, especially the most important ones that are brand loyal, yet are feverishly courted by other brands for their business.

Sometimes it’s not about a company producing a better product as it is the effectiveness of its relationship with its customers and clients. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and the companies that actively apply the Marketing 101 adage that the customer is king rules the roost.

Brand Loyalty Campaigns are much more than loyalty rewards programs or awarding discounts. Yes, customers love gifts and discounts, but true brand loyalists enjoy the thought that their chosen brand cares about them in an individual way instead of just being one in the number. This is where many companies have gone wrong. Compromised brands think that the easiest way to keep a customer around is to dangle discounts as a trade-off for loyalty, when in reality certain consumers prefer not to have a discount, but a more solid relationship with the brand itself. Everyone loves discounts, but people (myself included), love superior products more.

However, just having a superior product is not good enough. Customers value the engagement that a brand provides and this is a deal breaker when it comes to brand loyalty. If the customer feels un-valued, it won’t be long before they find a comparable product that values them. Customers that have proven to be brand loyal don’t mind working hard, paying top dollar, or being a champion for the brand as long as they feel appreciated in the end.

Stay tuned for more fabulous branding commentary at www.theuptowndiva.com and don’t forget to find me on Twitter @thesocialiteprj and Facebook at Cristal Carrington
Smooches & Stay Fabulous!
- Cristal Carrington