Loyalty, Of Course

Seriously, would any marketer actually state that loyalty isn’t important? Seems like a pretty stupid comment, but oddly enough I’ve run into clients that just feel that filling the funnel is enough to keep their business afloat. Our great Analyst Relations leader, Tom Francoeur, touches on a few points from Forrester Research Inc.’s Customer Loyalty Solutions for Large Organizations. The report states, “data shows improving customer loyalty is likely to be a top marketing priority for 80% of decision-makers at large organizations in the next 12 months. “ Really, there’s 20% of decision-makers, when asked about loyalty had a response of, “Meh, Loyalty? Big Deal.” Who are these people? How did they become a decision-maker if they don’t feel that keeping customers is probably pretty important to their brand? You know who gets my time and money, brands and people with whom I have a connection. Great experiences at those points of connections make me loyal to them. I listen to their podcasts. I buy their protein bars. I root for their team. I go to their concerts. I have a credit card from them. I stay in their hotels. They make an effort to make my experience better and they reward me through more content, more points, more discounts, more access, etc. If you’re in that 20% that doesn’t believe loyalty should be a top marketing priority don’t worry, I already know who you are. Keep filling the funnel, because I probably won’t be back.