Customer Experience: the only path to brand loyalty
A brand can be seen as “an identity or image considered an asset.” In some cases, a brand now implies the values and promises that consumers can perceive and purchase. When people talk about brand management, I think about progressing through different stages of brand maturity. Marketing and advertising influence the first two phases, as they aim to make an impression on buyers. However, to reach the third phase—brand loyalty—companies must consistently deliver exceptional customer service.
Why? A single (or multiple) poor experience can damage and destroy a brand just as a series of exceptional experiences can establish and strengthen it. No amount of advertising can save a poorly executed experience. When a “poor experience” occurs, companies move mountains and spend enormous amounts of money to recover. Even then, much evidence suggests that recovery efforts rarely foster customer loyalty.
Companies often stumble when attempting to bridge the gap between promise/potential and reality. As they build their brand in the market and strive to earn loyalty, they must make the necessary investments in customer experience to solidify the brand. For example:
- Marketing and advertising must reinforce the brand promise.
- Engineering and product management must develop products that highlight the brand.
- Pre-sales and sales must operate in ways that strengthen the brand.
- Operations and customer service must deliver on the brand’s value.
These elements of seamless customer experience delivery must work in harmony, connecting capabilities with reality. In companies with strong brand loyalty, brand management is inherently customer experience management.
You cannot advertise your way to brand loyalty. The turning point lies in aligning corporate brand promises with corporate capabilities (reality) through a comprehensive customer experience. This is the only path to brand loyalty.
