Building Brand Recognition – The Dos and Don’ts

In the ever-evolving world of retail, building brand recognition continues to be that ever-present thorn in your side, that branch that seems to continually be out of reach. Once established, brand recognition is never static, and loyalties change like the seasons (if not even more often). Does this mean then that attempting to create and harness brand loyalty has become a fruitless endeavour? We don’t think so.

Here is our list of the top dos and don’ts when it comes to building brand loyalty. Don’t give up – just think differently.

Do: Recognize that there are differences between the generations as far as brand loyalty. The research shows that differences do exist, and that often the younger generations are less loyal than their predecessors.

 

Don’t: Assume that, since many Millennials tend not to identify as brand loyal, that they should be largely ignored as an attainable target group. Furthermore, don’t assume that because the older generations tend to identify as more brand loyal that they then make easy targets and that once obtained will never switch.  

Do: Consider a customer loyalty program that offers real incentives – but make sure that those incentives are attractive enough to have real value. A points system that takes years to materialize isn’t much in the way of motivation.

 

Don’t: Assume that this is the be all and end all of the brand loyalty game. Just because a customer gets something in return for their purchase, doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t ever shop anywhere else.  

Do: Take visual merchandising seriously. Develop a plan to grab consumers’ interest. Take advantage of seasonal themes, the science of colour, and even interactive displays if possible.

Don’t: Retailers – change things up and then leave them for months at a time. Stagnant displays quickly lose their value. Things need to be fresh and creative to attract attention.

Brands – don’t set it up in store and assume that the retailer will manage it correctly. Make sure you have a system in place to ensure that it is stocked and located in the right spot throughout the entire campaign period.  

Do: Offer various avenues for customers to provide feedback. Social media is a great space for this, if managed correctly, as is the good old suggestion box.

Don’t: Offer various avenues for customers to provide feedback and then ignore that feedback. When a customer takes the time to provide you with this information, use that valuable intel appropriately. Research shows that only a small minority will ever provide feedback (most will just choose to shop elsewhere or buy something else), so take whatever information you are given and act upon it. And, whenever possible, respond to feedback you receive (i.e. on social media). Customers want to feel as though their opinions matter (and they honestly do).

Building brand loyalty is a game without a finish line, and when you take the time to work with what you’ve got you can actually make some important inroads. Take this list of dos and don’ts and apply it to your own approach.

For more about building brand recognition please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

Brand Loyalty and Recognition in the Retail Arena

In today’s retail world it has become increasingly difficult to keep customers loyal to a brand. With the plethora of online retailers offering price comparisons and the ease with which an individual can obtain information about the products they want, it is easy, now more than ever, to switch brands without an afterthought. Does this knowledge then make the challenge of building brand loyalty and recognition a lost cause? Is there any real hope to keeping customers coming back time after time?

To keep brand loyalty and brand recognition high, here are some points to consider.

Keep customer service levels high. This is common knowledge in the CPG industry, but it is often a common complaint – one that can have major impacts when it comes to maintaining a hold on your loyalty and recognition statistics. If line-ups in your store get too long, or it is difficult for a customer to receive the help or assistance they want/need, their first response may be to switch stores. This is big for brands too – if a customer can’t find your product on the shelf at their local retailer, they may just switch to the next best thing.

Provide value – and make that value visible. Nowadays consumers want both quality and quantity – the numbers continue to show that correlations with regard to generational differences mean that you need to focus on both of these elements in order to reach the greatest number of buyers. And, you need to make sure that the current cost is always reflected on the shelf – even a small window of time between a price change on paper and a price change on the shelf can mean lost sales.

Stay relevant. This can mean so many different things – but in the CPG industry it is especially important. Here you may think about our previous point regarding quality and quantity, but you may also want to consider things like customer engagement in-store, or providing wants with things like eco-friendly or sustainable options. This is good advice for brands too – those looking to get a leg-up on the competition. Keep track of the latest trends – falling behind here can often spell disaster.

For retailers and brands in the CPG industry, brand recognition and brand loyalty continue to plague us as challenges that need constant attention. Strategies seem to need overhauling on a regular basis, and things that seemed to work as recent as even a year ago have now lost their luster. In the end, all you can do is provide what the customer wants – great customer service, high value, and the feeling that their needs are being taken seriously.

For more about effectively building brand loyalty and recognition, please contact Storesupport today for more information: 1-877-421-5081.

Going That Extra Mile – How to Ramp Up Your Brand Recognition

In today’s competitive retail environment there are a number of ways to work to ensure sales. There are myriad consumer types and catering to all of these can be incredibly difficult. That being said, one of the most important strategies that every retailer needs to adopt is ensuring brand awareness and brand recognition. Brand recognition is essential not only because it brings people to your store in the first place, but also because it keeps them coming back.  

Sure, we can spout off all we like about the importance of brand recognition, but how about we back it up with something concrete? Consider this: according to the Harris Interactive Customer Experience Impact Report, 60% of consumers often or always pay more for a better experience. That means that if you are providing top-of-the-line service, your customers will remember. Not only that, many of these customers will positively endorse you when given the chance.

Ok, brand recognition is clearly important – but how is it directly related to sales and influence?

Here are some perhaps not-so-surprising social media specific stats from ATYM Market Research that might get you thinking:

85% - Internet users with Facebook accounts

49% - Internet users with Twitter accounts

74% - those Facebook members who use the site daily

35% - those twitter members who use the site daily

29% - Twitter users who follow a brand on Twitter

58% - Facebook users who have liked a brand

Do these make a difference? Big time! People are far more likely to be influenced when purchasing when someone in their social network has liked or endorsed a brand.

Once they are in the door, how can you keep them coming back? The best way is excellent customer service. People don’t want to have to ask for items that are not on the shelf (indeed many will just opt for another item or look for it at a different store), especially if there are no employees around to ask. People also don’t like to shop in unorganized stores - things should be easily accessible as much as they are eye-catching. Your brand is essentially your reputation, so you have to protect it.

Marketing alone will garner some sales, but if your brand can’t live up to or even create an image that consumers will come to trust, you are only doing the job halfway.

Whether you are a brand or a retailer, Storesupport has the tools to help increase your brand recognition and awareness. Contact us today at 1-877-421-5081.

Building Brand Loyalty – Are You Targeting the RIGHT Consumer?

One of the biggest issues that retailers face, especially in today’s mobilizing marketplace, it building brand loyalty and retaining loyal customers.  After all, if a customer can find a better deal, or doesn’t feel as though their needs are being met, they will quickly switch to one of your competitors. In this blog we offer our top 3 steps to building and ensuring brand loyalty. The market is changing constantly, so you need to be focussed on continually updating your strategies.

3 steps to building brand loyalty:

Step 1: Make sure that you are targeting the right consumers. A major hurdle in the Canadian CPG industry is dealing with the generational gap. All consumers are not the same – their wants and needs differ greatly – so if you treat them all the same none of them will be completely satisfied. Instead, you need to cater to the differences. Younger generations are often more receptive to experiential marketing or digital marketing, whereas older generations are often more responsive to coupons and promotions. Don’t ever discount one for the other.

Step 2: Make sure that these consumers are engaged. This can be accomplished a number of different ways (and can be used to market to ALL consumers). Firstly, make sure that customers are receiving the right support (re: finding items that are not on the shelf) and answers to their questions. Secondly, employ an experiential marketing campaign to attract attention, especially when promoting a new product. These things will help establish an emotional connection with your brand. These tactics will also help with brand recognition and boost sales.

Step 3: Make sure that these consumers are experiencing a high level of customer service. Brand loyalty is built upon a foundation of solid customer experience, so if your customers leave your store unsatisfied with the level of service they have received, chances are pretty good that they won’t be returning for seconds. Don’t let long line ups or idle employees cause a decrease in customer experience levels.

A great tactic to adopt when facing stagnant levels of brand loyalty is to leverage the services of a merchandising company to garner a boost. By employing their methods for success, an experienced merchandising company can examine problem areas, suggest changes that will have big impacts, and implement the adjustments smoothly.

For more information about building brand loyalty, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.