As we know, WOM and referrals are playing and increasingly important role in people’s purchase decisions.
So my thought for today…
In this period of austerity brands that show greater benevolence and believability will be more likely to amplify customer attention and loyalty.
First off, by benevolence I mean stressing caring ethics in these uncertain and trying times. Simple but effective ‘physical world’ monetary examples include M&S 'Dine in for £10' meal for two offers and Sainsbury’s ‘feed your family for a fiver’ menus.
Brand benevolence can be further enhanced through digital media. For example the Celebration Facebook widget helped build relationships between friends. It did so by enabling them to send virtual Mars gifts containing mobile barcode redeemable at PayPoint stores. After all who doesn’t like receiving chocolate as a gift?
Social media also gives brands the opportunity to develop longer term relationships with consumers by getting inside and shaping the flow of conversation. However for many brands this appears to be a notoriously tough nut to crack, but needn’t be.
This leads to the second point contained within my thought for today…
As with ‘real’ life, if you want to be perceived as interesting you have to actually say and do something of interest. Translated to the world of marketing, this means building believable brands that meaningfully engage people based on their needs, wants and actions.
By believable I mean:
• Communicating with honestly and transparency
• Doing what you say – delivering on your promises
• And in delivering on your promises, doing so in a compelling and rewarding way
For example GSK’s NiQuitin and Alli products (NRT smoke cessation and weight loss capsules) also give access to personalised interactive support plans. Delivered primarily through online and mobile media they provide access to experts and social community support, advice, tools and inspiration. Arguably with development these programs could become the key ‘value’ components in their own right in driving consumer uptake with the product given away for ‘free’.
Finally, in becoming benevolent and believable brands this also helps humanise them towards forging stronger, more intimate relationships with consumers. And through these intimate interactions this creates more brand advocates…which leads right back to where we started.
