Marketing: It’s the experience, stupid!
With the Clinton’s back in the news and running for president, I couldn’t resist the title to this post – it’s similar to the sign on Bill Clinton’s former campaign office wall – “It’s the Economy, stupid”. Admittedly, it’s a sad attempt at humor.
Creating a powerful brand, whether it’s a small business south of Boston or a large corporation, comes down to the feeling people have about your company. Often it starts with a simple web search, reading your web site, and perhaps making a phone call or visit to your company. Each stage of this burgeoning relationship provides a business owner access into the mind a consumer and prospective client.
Each interaction is building block. Each connection builds on how your company is positioned in their mind. An amateurish web site. Poor printed materials. Less than satisfactory sales copy. Each step should be considered by a company owner. Perhaps the most important part of the relationship is after the research has been done and human interaction takes place. This is the part of a brand that will make or break a company. All the fancy marketing materials in the world cannot overcome a bad experience.
The most essential part of brand building is the experience a company provides for its clients. If the experience is positive, then the logo, web site, print materials, etc. all reinforce this experience. When your logo comes back into their purview in the future good feelings come to mind. Perhaps a personal recommendation to a friend is the result.
A friend of mine recently shared a helpful article that speaks to this issue. This quote was his favorite part, and I agree:
“What do companies like Nordstrom, Jet Blue, Amazon and Dell have in common? They have built their brand value on providing a positive experience for their customers on- and offline. Successful companies match business objectives with customer needs. They combine ongoing testing, feedback and improvement cycles into their daily practices and invest in listening, learning and modifying the user experience to create positive returns in revenue and loyalty.” click here for full article…
Design, look and feel, etc. are an essential component to a brand, but when it comes down what’s essential, it truly is about the customer experience. Regardless of company size, the more thought and energy that goes into creating positive customer experiences the better.
The experience a customer has with your company is key, which is covered in detail in the article mentioned above. In addition to some of the ideas in the article, some companies have gone beyond the specific customer-company interactions and have found some success in building a community. Some community/experience building ideas include:
- Sending thank you cards
- Remembering birthdays
- Creating an online discussion board about your products (hint: don’t delete negative comments – be real!)
- Personal phone calls after a service has been provided
- Email newsletters with valuable information (not sales pitches)
- Referencing past interactions (a good Customer Relationship Management system is key)
- Annual company party for existing customers
- Sending random gifts for no apparent reason
- Golf tournament for customers (maybe a charity event)
Your company is unique. Create your own list. Ask your customers about what they think – develop an ongoing feedback system that includes surveys, phone calls, personal email, etc. Engage your employees in the creative process. Have fun!
If you have any questions about south of Boston web design or marketing feel free to request a free consultation from our corporate site: www.sinatraco.com
