I had a great lunch today with the former CEO of a large, very successful pet food company that focused on nutritional quality as a key brand differentiator. He told me something that I think is invaluable for any product or retail company. They need to actually engage with the customer and train them on the use, benefits and expected outcomes of their product.
Getting customers to understand the benefits and value of a product turns that customer into a fanatical loyalist. This is not about simple in-store sampling. This is about providing the customer with a benefit, not just selling. The key to their brand growth was that they focused on the small to mid-sized retailer. They came to their stores to give samples of the pet food to customers, telling them how the product would affect the customers’ dogs, improve their coat luster, reduce waste and increase their overall health. And, they asked customers to contact them, tell them how the product worked, how their pet’s health is.
A continuous focus on the customer built incredible loyalty and connection. They educated every customer, and they increased their level of awareness. They gave them clear comparisons between their product and the competition. At the same time they heard from their customers about what they wanted; what mattered to them.
Brands that actually focus on what matters to the customer and educate them about the quality of their product ensure loyalty. It takes time and it takes commitment to the product to demonstrate how it meets the customer’s needs. This requires thousands of store visits, working with the retailer, and educating the customers. The time invested is worthwhile because the final result is really about creating brand loyalists. Nowadays you can do this faster with social media as a critical component, but you still need to connect with real people in a real one-on-one way. The result is owning your category in the market.
This is why building brand loyalty is about creating value for the customer, not selling to them.