Brand Loyalty

1.    REWARDS Whether physical prizes, recognition elements, or other forms of benefit gained from the programme, rewards must be relevant and appropriate. They do not need to be of high value, as long as they are seen by your audience as desirable. Recognition of having earned a reward is a reward in itself.

2.   BE CLEAR Requirements of the programme’s participants must be communicated simply and clearly, along with the terms of how they achieve what is being asked of them. Get the balance right. Too little communication leaves people confused about the requirements and benefits; too much communication soon becomes irritating.

3.   COMMUNICATION Ensure two-way communication and always respond to feedback.  Forums are an ideal platform for participants to voice their opinions, ask questions and share experiences.

4.   MEDIA Use appropriate media, relevant to the message you are communicating. Depending on the audience, this can be a combination of offline/print, website, email, social media, forums and SMS. Check that your messages and website can be viewed/accessed across all electronic devices.

5.   BE EFFICIENT Don’t waste budget on trivia or gimmicks that don’t have a purpose. Ensure your system is efficient, and that you do what you promise. Don’t waste the participants’ time – it is valuable. Impress them with your efficiency!

6.   RELEVANCE Target the right audience and check that your database is up to date at all times. Collect as much information on your participant as you can, and ensure you target the communications appropriately.  If someone does not want to participate, ensure you act on their request.

7.   CONTENT A good programme has compelling content. Product training should be in bite-sized, digestible pieces, giving the key points in a palatable format. It must also be easy to access and to participate.

8.  MAKE IT WORTHWHILE To successfully encourage loyalty and participation, there must be something in it for the participant, whether this be a reward or access to privileged areas, information or activity. Ensure the reward or benefit to the participant balances with the effort you are asking of them.

9.   KEEP IT ALIVE In this fast-paced electronic world, nothing stands still. Your loyalty programme must keep pace with this, so make regular communication, launch tactical channel marketing campaigns, and constantly update your website. Don’t abandon your programme for periods of time, or participants will fade away.

10. TREAT THE PARTICIPANTS AS PARTNERS They should feel that it is their programme, and that they have a say in how it runs. Ensure that their views count and don’t talk down to them.

Measure and monitor your programme and if it is not achieving the required results, change it.
JACKIEBASS
PROGRAMMES DIRECTOR