Pew Research
3
. Of Canadian Internet users, 77% research
goods or services online, per Statistics Canada
4
. Most
business listings on major search engines are free, they
simply need to be “claimed” on local maps such as bing.com/
local or listings.local.yahoo.com, among others.
Attaining Brand Preference
Brand preference is the degree with which your brand is
preferred – assuming everything is equal to your competitors
in key decision factors. The ultimate marketing goal is to
have your target think of your product, service or cause
when they’re ready to buy or donate. (“The storm broke
our windows. Call Acme Glass.”) How do you achieve it?
Some recommendations:
Fulfill your brand promise
. It’s often summed up in a tagline
such as Target’s “Expect More, Pay Less” or BMW’s “The
Ultimate Driving Machine.” Whatever pledge you make, the
more consistently you fulfill it means the more customers
will come to see you as their preferred brand.
Determine what motivates customers
. Through informal
interviews or commissioned research, discover what your
targets value most. In the case of Acme Glass, perhaps it’s
24-hour service with multiple replacement window options.
Communicate key benefits
. Having learned through
research what prospects value most, be sure to make that the
focal point of your communications: “Acme Glass: The Round-
The-Clock Repair Specialists.”
Maintaining Brand Loyalty
When consumers become committed to your product, service
or cause and make repeat purchases or donations over time,
that’s brand loyalty. And when it’s a commonly accepted rule
of thumb that it costs six to seven times more to
acquire a new customer than retain
an existing one, it’s easy to see
where the best ROI lies. Remember,
these consumers don’t need to be
persuaded nor reminded they’re
making the right choice. Instead, they need to feel rewarded
for choosing you time and again. Here are some tips:
Get personal to build relationships
. Create personalized,
two-way interactions with your customers that are relevant
and customized. Addressing recipients by name and
otherwise personalizing your letters can increase response
rates by
30-50%, according to the Direct Marketing Association.
5
Reward or incentivize customer loyalty
. Look for ways
to increase customer engagement by rewarding actions,
like social media activity, as well as transactions. Loyalty
marketing consultant Colloquy recommends using soft
benefits, such as recognition and special access, in addition
to hard benefits like cash back. Build in mobile access to
program information via apps for ease and convenience.
Encourage Facebook fans to share.
On Facebook,
encourage your customers to become “fans”
and your fans to “share” their endorsement of
you with others, perhaps with an incentive.
Why? Nine out of 10 people trust the
recommendations of friends, according to
Nielsen Online. Or, host a Facebook Group.
Invite customers who are on Facebook to
join like-minded consumers in a Facebook
Group where they can share experiences,
post tips and ask questions.
n
1
Millward Brown,
Using Neuroscience to Understand
the Role of Direct Mail
, 2009
2
Nielsen, Consumer 360
®
Conference, 2011
3
Pew Research Internet Project,
Online Product
Research
, Jim Jansen, 2010
4
Statistics Canada,
Individual Internet Use and
e-Commerce
, 2012
5
Direct Marketing Association,
2012 DMA Response
Rate Report
09
