Marketing strategies to build customer loyalty

a young woman has just made a purchase at a boutique

In this article we look at marketing strategies to build customer loyalty and grow the Business of your Company or business.

The Consumer rewards those companies that show not only the product but the world that is built around it, the passions, the discourses, the way of thinking of the people for whom that product is intended.

“The consumer is not a fool. It’s your wife.”

This quote is from David Ogilvy, one of the world’s greatest publicists, someone who knew it all.

The consumer, the user, the Customer, cannot be fooled, cannot be cheated.

With him you have to talk straight, always be honest, always! For better or for worse.

It is a lot of work based largely on the ability to communicate.

Marketing strategies for customer loyalty: What is the “trick?”

Think as if we are the consumer or target audience we are addressing. Getting on the interlocutor’s side is the best way to get to them.

Phrases such as: we are number one, ours is the best product, the Customer is at the center of all our activities, are as obvious as they are now ineffective.

Of course it would be impossible to omit them altogether, but our interlocutor today expects more.

Strategies for building customer loyalty. An example?

When you sell a convertible, you are not simply selling a car.

It is not enough to tell the consumer that that car has a soft top that lowers by remote control.

He probably already knows that. What he may not know, however, is what he will be able to feel, those emotions he will be able to experience, and how he will be able to feel because of the exclusivity of that car.

So we will sell him on the desire to travel with the fresh air caressing his face and, why not, even to be envied by everyone, or to be noticed by that girl he loves so much. Because let’s face it, a convertible always has its charms!

It is crucial, therefore, to unearth consumer insight-that ability to travel on the same wavelength as the consumer.

This is the first step a company must take to achieve success.

Insight means grasping, then, a behavior and need in the lives of a particular group of people, and showing ourselves capable of responding and helping.

If you can determine favorable conditions for those people, then those people will give us their consent.

The Consumer is fed up with companies displaying their products as if they were perfect.

We must have respect for the Consumer.

The Consumer rewards those companies that show not only the product but the world that is built around it, the passions, the discourses, the way of thinking of the consumer for whom that product is intended.

Marketing strategies for customer loyalty. Do the commercials really match the products?

In fact, it is typical of many industries. First among them is food.

Show the best possible appearance of one’s products so as to generate the desire (or gluttony) to get what we are shown.

In fact, for this very reason, there are marketing teams that focus exclusively on product visuals.

So they set up an ad hoc photo shoot, the right lighting, angles, touches of color–and even a good dose of Photoshop.
Not only that.

In the creation of advertising campaigns related to the food sector, “unfair tricks” are often used to alter the appearance of products. Almost completely.

And the result is nothing more than a strategy based on deluding customers.

Strategies to retain customers: Some tricks of advertising in the food industry

We can say that deluding customers is not a good strategy. However, we could consider it almost “an art.”
In fact, as we said, there are several tricks, beyond the use of Photoshop, that companies use to make their products more appealing.

Let’s look at some of them together.

Shaving foam: used in place of whipped cream

It is inserted into brioche filling, and on top of cake slices.

In fact, classic cream could melt (and melt) at any moment. Risking compromising the inviting appearance that a nice spiral of fresh cream can convey.

Instead, shaving foam is able to hold its shape for hours, without melting or breaking down. Thus saving time, and raw material.

Mashed potato powder: with the right dye, it’s the perfect ice cream

Ice cream has a difficult texture to handle. Especially on a photo shoot, with lights, heat and timing against it.
As a result, mashed potato powder is the most popular solution.

In fact, this product has a more malleable consistency, which does not tend to melt with heat. So perfect for standing still, with a harmonious shape, on a cone or cup.
And maybe even accompanied by a cookie.

Cardboard and toothpicks: to create thickness

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen packages of brioche, snacks, and pastries that give the idea of buying a 10-story wedding cake.

Only to find out, upon opening the package, not only that the plans are not 10, but that they have trimmed a basement for me.
Often, advertising campaigns in the food industry, use toothpicks and pieces of cardboard, to give the idea of thickness in their products.
Yes, you got it right. Cardboard and toothpicks.

The first, it is sandwiched between different parts of a cake, sandwich, or anything that needs to appear “multi-layered.” And it is generally covered with whipped cream (or shaving foam), cream, mayonnaise, etc.

Toothpicks are also used to create thickness. Because they offer the possibility of stacking the various layers while maintaining some distance from each other.

In addition, they are very useful in making the fries appear stiff, and thus crispy.

In fact, it will be enough to stick a toothpick inside them, on a styrofoam base, and that’s it.

So is delusion a winning strategy for customer loyalty?

Given the success of these “tricks,” which are becoming increasingly popular, it would seem so.
But no.

Let’s put ourselves in the customers’ shoes for a moment, and consider the emotions we might arouse by teasing out their trust.

It is not the expense, but the principle

If we think of a fast food chain, such as McDonald’s, for example, we will surely have noticed that product images almost never match the actual product that is served to customers.

Some of this is because to prepare a McDonald’s sandwich on the photo set requires two hours of “assembly.”
And therefore a lot of food, but not much fast food.
So with impossible times to replicate in the field.

And a little because the service workers would have to equip themselves with 3D printers, and super-technological equipment, to turn the changes made on the images in Photoshop into reality.
But beyond that.

Surely we are thinking, “All right, for 2€ sandwich, what’s the big deal“
Absolutely wrong!

Because yes, often a paltry expense may not make us worry much.
So the idea of “throwing money away,” almost doesn’t occur to us.
However, it is not the expense that is important, but the principle.

In fact, let’s think about buying a piece of furniture instead of sandwiches and fries.
Surely we would be incurring a larger and more significant expense. And we certainly would not find a kitchen for 2€.

Let’s think for a moment about the frustration (and anger), felt by the customer, when he discovers that what he purchased does not match what he wanted.
And for which he paid top dollar.

In addition to clogging up our customer service, 99% this customer will give us a negative review.

About the poor quality of our products and services, about the inability of our customer service to cope with issues … but most importantly, it will accuse us of misleading advertising.

Marketing strategies for customer loyalty: A relationship based on trust

How can I expect a customer to trust my Company if they feel they are being taken for a ride?

The answer to this question seems obvious, but in order to truly understand the concept, it is a matter of empathy.

And by empathy we mean always putting yourself in the customer’s shoes.

“The golden rule of marketing: Propose yourself to your customers as you would like them to propose themselves to you.”

Philip Kotler

The philosophy ofInbound Marketing, travels precisely on this track.

If we want to increase our business, the best strategy we can implement is based on focus, and customer retention.

But gaining loyal customers necessarily involves gaining their trust.
A bit like a dog biting its own tail.

If we tease our customers, they won’t trust us.
And if we don’t get loyal customers, we can say goodbye to increasing our business.

A real, successful strategy

What is our goal?

It is the starting point for implementing a real strategy, successful, and tailored to each need.
The first step to start improving our business, is to focus on the goal we want to achieve.

At Factory Communication, we believe in the potential ofInbound Marketing, and the philosophy focused on ethics, and the sharing of value.

And we believe it, precisely because we have touched on the results of this innovative strategy. Thanks in part to our partnership with HubSpot, the software par excellence of Inbound.

In addition to performing very well in the short, medium and long term, this strategy fits any goal. Of any business reality.

If you don’t believe it, choose your goal, and we will demonstrate it to you.

In addition, Inbound, is the exact opposite of the strategy based on deceiving customers.
And also for this reason, we are totally against this kind of approach.

Strategies for building customer loyalty: articles

Did you find this article on how to build customer loyalty interesting? You can explore further by reading these articles.

Marketing strategies to build customer loyalty and increase sales