Lately I’ve been considering the power of loyalty programs and how, when done correctly, then can be a considerable influence in advocacy. More than fueling repeat purchases among loyals, I think marketing strategies that focus heavily on rewarding loyal purchasers - or just any purchasers in general - have arguably the most influence in generating WOM and overall affinity for a brand.
There are obviously a lot of loyalty programs out there, but I wonder what brands lean heaviest into this approach in their marketing and advertising endeavors.
Starbucks, for one, might be a brand who does this well. Consider their recent roll-out of exclusive online content that can only be accessed in-store. Just by purchasing anything from Starbucks, the brand already rewards you with free wifi, punch cards and rewards offers for more coffee/food. These are things of value that make you happy you chose the brand and make you more likely to convince others to do the same.
Google is another brand that rewards you for using its service by providing you an insane amount of useful tools to get the most out of the internet - all for free. Maps and directions the world over, unlimited email storage, content curration, data and analytics (if that’s your thing), the list goes on. We all know how domineering Google is, and it didn’t even start advertising until this last year’s superbowl.
These aren’t great examples, but I’m determined to find more. If there are more successful brands who can attribute much of it to this approach of driving advocacy, it might be an interesting case to consider for how advertising can work better to providing value in the specific way of fostering loyalty and building brand relationships with those who’ve already raised their hands - rather than focusing on always casting a broader net. An interesting post from Edward Boches reminded me of how we should think of consumers as media and empower them with the tools to spread the message. And arguably, the biggest tool they need from us is a reason to want to support you - and that’s ultimately driven by surprising them by giving them things they want and otherwise delivering value in ways they might not have expected.
