In today’s market, customers are constantly bombarded with brands vying for their attention. It seems like everywhere they turn, another retail brand is working to gain their attention, dollars, and loyalty.
To break through this congested marketplace, an organization’s brand must resonate with customers on a personal level. Whether it becomes a trusted source of the most current fashion advice, a reliable resource for customer service, or a meaningful connection to a mission or cause, an organization’s brand identity can be one of the marketer’s most powerful tools.
Like the personalities of the people we know, a brand’s personality is the foundation of the feelings, thoughts, and emotions customers have about an organization. It sets the tone for all interactions they have with the brand across all channels, in-store, online, and everywhere in between.
Take, for example, fitness retailer Lululemon. The team at Lululemon has designed a brand where everything down to the logo aims to reflect a specific lifestyle. The company states, “we created more than a place where people could get gear to sweat in, we wanted to create a community hub where people could learn and discuss the physical aspects of healthy living, mindfulness, and living a life of possibility.” Through careful and thoughtful marketing strategies, Lululemon has incorporated this perspective into the very personality of its brand, and consumers can feel it come through across every channel.
Today’s digital and mobile age has given brands more access to their target customers than ever before. From social media to mobile devices, brands have a multitude of channels they can use to access their target audiences and communicate their brand identity. And they have to do so.
B2C companies must find ways to attract and retain loyal customers to drive success. However, with so many organizations vying for consumer attention, building and maintaining a consistent company brand can be difficult, no matter where the starting point is.
Below are a few B2C marketing strategies to help get it right:
1) Create Lasting, Impactful Membership and Loyalty Programs
High-quality customer loyalty programs are present in some of the most successful B2C brands, programs that link a brand’s identity to the concept of rewarding its customers. Not only has this strategy proven successful for many organizations in brand building, it also plays a huge role in ensuring customers return, by rewarding buying behaviors and customer engagement.
Luxury cosmetic retailer Sephora leads the way with its loyalty program, Beauty Insider. This program separates customers into a three-tiered, merit-based program. Top-tier rewards are so appealing to customers that they not only have a great incentive to join the program but also continuously shop at Sephora again and again. In the end, Sephora delivers real value to its rewards program members, and the members reward the brand with their loyalty.
2) Build a Genuine Social Media Presence
Customers certainly don’t open Instagram or Twitter because they want to be presented with ads. However, by carefully and thoughtfully cultivating a brand image through social media, a retailer can not only subtly work in advertising such as new product releases, but can also create a unique brand personality.
Social media creates a perfect opportunity to interact with a target market on the customers’ terms, through their medium of preference. The ultimate goal for the retailer is to be viewed as a trusted insider and a valued addition to a consumer’s social channels.
3) Consistently Provide Top-Tier Customer Service
Customer service: It’s one of, if not the, most critical points of interaction between a brand and its consumers. By creating a brand that revolves around top-tier customer service, retailers show their customers that they are valued and respected, and that the brand will abide by a golden rule: treat customers the way they want to be treated.
From digital customer service interactions, to the way shoppers are treated in a brick-and-mortar store, providing exceptional customer service has a huge impact on a brand’s overall reputation.
4) Provide a True Omnichannel Customer Experience
Whether through social media, a mobile app, a physical storefront, or other channels, creating a brand identity and seamless, consistent experiences across all channels is one of the most important aspects of building a brand. Customers today expect that no matter where they interact with a retailer, they will get the same personality, personalization, customer service, and benefits.
At its core, omnichannel marketing is a multi-channel sales approach that provides the customer with an integrated overall shopping experience, putting the customer in the center of all marketing activities. What kind of brand wouldn’t want to build its identity around their customer?
Final Thoughts
Building a brand in today’s environment can be difficult; having to differentiate yourself and stand out from the noise is a challenge every marketer faces.
However, by using these strategies, marketing experts can build a retail brand identity that will drive loyalty and customer retention.
For more inspiration on B2C marketing strategies powered by Emarsys, click here.
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