You as a Customer must have experienced how the promise of the brand is delivered through the call center, distribution channels, billing and service departments – in short, the Brand- Customer Relationship.” Therefore, advertising may get the initial sale, but only marketing can keep and retain customers by making sure the promise is delivered, and from every contact point possible. It is critical to be consistent across the entire company and convey the same brand message and experience. This is crucial to the development of the Brand-Customer Relationship.
The Brand-Customer Relationship becomes – if properly done – part of the goodwill and core competency that a brand can leverage in gaining and maintaining customer trust and business. This relationship can lead to stronger brand equity, thereby creating a differentiating factor between your brand and the competition. Strong brand equity allows us to retain customers better, service their needs more effectively, and increase profits. Brand equity can be increased by successfully implementing and managing an ongoing relationship marketing effort by offering value to the customer, and listening to their needs.
Customer service, and the relationship a company has with a customer, is indeed part of the brand, and it is imperative that it is recognized as such. The relationship is in many ways the strongest part of the brand. Competitors can copy packaging, product, ads, etc., but they have a much harder time copying your customer relationships, and more importantly your customers’ loyalty. People aren’t just buying a product or service from a strong brand; they are buying an idea, a perception, even a wish. In fact, many customers will pay more time and time again if they are getting what they perceive as fulfillment of the promise, and a great experience.
The central brand idea may be static among the entire customer and prospect bases, but the total sum of the brand idea or perception is rooted in the customer’s experiences with the brand itself, and all its messages, interactions, and so on. In light of this, customer service and the entire marketing effort has a great deal to do with the strength of a brand. The fundamental strength and success of a brand lies in its ability – via marketing – to create and cultivate a strong and lasting relationship with its customers.
A strategy is not enough either. The organization must be aligned in ways that anticipate and fulfill customers’ emotional expectations at every touch point to create meaningful relation- ships and lasting competitive advantage.
Brand Identity-the Touchstone
A brand identity is the centering idea of an organization. It captures that which you’d like to become, giving the organization something to aspire to. A common pitfall for many companies is not taking the time to think about whom they are or what kinds of companies they want to become. While it may be easy to articulate revenue goals, developing a brand identity requires a different thinking process.
Customer Value Proposition-the Marching Orders
A successful customer value proposition clearly communicates the brand’s functional, emotional, and self-expressive benefits. It is delivered in a way that is superior or unique when compared to competitors. While a brand identity is a big-picture vision, the value proposition provides the strategy for reaching that vision, linking the brand to the customer experience.
Customer Perspective-the Continuous Thread
Customer experience is shaped by a series of interactions with an organization. What products or services are offered? Does the package arrive on time? Does the help desk answer the phone promptly? If you don’t take a customer perspective when creating the customer experience, you’ll make it much easier for a competitor to copy your product or service and steal market share. You should always base the brand-customer relationship on an outside-in perspective, creating a customer- centric experience.
Listen, Understand, Respond-the Way T o Grow
The final ingredient that binds a customer to your brand in a lasting relationship is dialogue. Your company’s brand isn’t a monolithic, hermetic face that the organization presents to the world. Rather, it’s an ongoing exchange where you listen carefully to your customers, understand what they say, and respond by modifying your value proposition and extending your businesses appropriately to fulfill customers’ desires.
