By Anne von Loebbecke / February 2023
CONSUMER RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Constant sensory overload. 24/7 access to information & content. Nearly unlimited connectivity. It’s tough to reach your consumer as a brand. It’s though to make an impact & leave lasting impressions on potential consumers. Awareness & image transfer are no longer the currency in Marketing. It’s even more about how to engage directly with your consumer & how to build an individual, personal & emotional lasting relationship.
There a 4 critical steps that enable you to build lasting relationships with your consumer. they are simple, yet impactful.
Expectation
What are your consumer’s expectations
Before developing creative & innovative experiences, It’s important to discover, to start looking outside, to get a deep understanding of your consumer & even have clear picture of who your consumer is. Understand your consumer’s expectations - wishes, anxieties, behaviours, desire & needs.
Who is my consumer?
What’s driving my consumer?
How does my consumer behave?
What is my consumer looking for?
What is influencing my consumer?
Purpose
What you are going to do to authentically serve & meet your consumer expectations
When you think about purpose, a lot of times Brands haven’t properly framed it, or even haven’t thought about it. But it’s a foundational element without you won’t be able to build a personal relationship. It’s crucial to develop & to know your Brand belief & purpose, your mission & vision, the reason why you exist , why consumers should care about your Brand & why consumers should get involved.
Why do we exist?
What is our belief, our soul & heart?
What is our mission?
Why should consumers care about us?
What is our consumer promise?
Behaviour
The way how you will engage & interact with you consumer, the way how treat your consumer & how you build relationships
Often Brands try to engage & interact with consumers in a way they would interact with their business partners. A corporate language, that sounds arrogant, stiff & comes across like a teacher. Something consumers don’t appreciate, something consumers don’t like. They don’t need another teacher in their live. They want to feel equal, they want to belong. to achieve it, you need to start speaking their language, a language they understand, a language that resonates with consumers. But it’s not only about the language itself, it’s even more about the way how you engage & interact with consumers. Consumers want to feel heard & valued, you should treat them with respect, integrity & listen to them, involve them & learn from them. the way how you interact should reflect & resonate with your company values.
What are our values?
What’s our Tone of Voice?
How do we apply our Tone of Voice in the right way?
Does our Tone of Voice intersects with our consumer’s language?
Do we create personal interactions?
How do consumer feel about our interaction?
Experience
The experience - future needs & desire you will create
Creating an experience sounds easy, but it’s complex & requires new ways of thinking & innovation. It’s about keeping up with the speed & getting a step ahead, ahead of fast moving consumer generations who actively seek for change. Be in sync with the consumer isn’t anymore enough, consumers don’t want to be treated like anyone else, they want to be treaded in an unique & personal way that’s tailored to their lifestyle. The better you know your consumer, you listen to your consumer, the richer the overall experience which will result into a deeper engagement & interaction. This implies that you need to constantly generate consumer data & insights to fuel your experience, keep it relevant for consumers, make & keep consumers loyal to your Brand.
What’s our aspiration?
Where do we engage with our consumer?
Which experience is most relevant for our consumer?
What do we miss in our experience & how can we enhance it?
What’s the reason to come back & stay with us?
START BUILDING CONSUMER RELATIONSHIPS NOW
Building consumer centric relationships is a revolutionary way of doing business. the practise may sound challenging (and it is), but how are your consumers faring with your current proposition?
Now it’s the time for you to look critical at your Brands Purpose. Mission, Vision & Behaviours and consider what you want in the future to look like. Be brave & drive meaningful, consumer relevant change, your consumer & your business with thank for it.
Would you like to learn more or do you need support? Get in touch with us!
