Why Big Brands Must Never Lose Touch With Their Customers, By TishTash Communications’ Natasha Hatherall
Recently, we’ve seen the global sportswear giant, Adidas score a blinder in localised engagement with their Ravi restaurant collaboration in the UAE. Brands collaborate constantly, and certainly for Adidas, this is nothing new. The same week, the Adidas X Gucci drop happened, but all local eyes were on a Pakistani restaurant in Dubai. If winning hearts and minds is what we are all in the business of, this campaign certainly hit the spot.
I think that the art of ‘winning hearts and minds’ is currently lost in a sea of ‘mission and vision’, – what do we want most out of Starbucks for example? Your coffee was served correctly, with a smile and timely, I should think. 360-degree, integrated campaigns are vital in the modern consumer landscape, but that circle of touchpoints can go ‘round both ways.
Amongst a trend for MNCs to focus on company values, creating personal brands out of leaders and more, this is to be celebrated, but it must also circle back to the average citizen’s cup of joe on his or her way to work, amongst their busy schedules and an experience they not only welcome, but look forward to.
A blind focus on digital touchpoints only works for the bottom line if product, service and delivery works from the bottom up. The modern consumer is not only looking for the whole experience – the focus must firstly be on that experience.
Attracting or retaining customers via campaigns, spokespersons, influencing and celebrity endorsements, but for most, the decision to purchase only comes via an in person connection, either first hand or by somebody they trust. Recommendations become irrelevant if a consumer has a negative experience at service level – and they are not afraid to share it.
Whether it is via the beauty of ‘surprise and delight’ for loyal customers, or by ‘try and test’ in first person activations, cross collaborations, samples or events – putting your brand into the hands and minds of your target audience is as important as any digital visibility or giant OOH advertisements.
Adidas chose wisely with Ravi with a full understanding of what the outlet means to the people of the UAE – at ease with the brand notion of ‘superstar’ corroboration. This is a brand who understands not only its audience, but the value of grassroots marketing.
Reverting back to your customers for feedback, or offering benefits and exclusivity in return for loyalty is nothing new in marketing terms, but many brands lose the focus of this in order to light up the Burj Khalifa, or pay no attention to their databases or commercial data. There is no excuse anymore for not gathering the information that can help you really connect with those consumers, and in 2022 that is the full 360 circle that people are buying into. Never forget the human element, and as long as that is who has to walk through the door, hand over their card details or even ‘add to cart’ that cannot be ignored.
Many small businesses and brands understand the benefit of holistic marketing tactics and regularly put themselves (literally) in full view of potential consumers by utilising events and localised community visibility. Admittedly, this is more down to budget constraints, but it’s amazing how quickly it is forgotten by larger brands when print, broadcast and OOH for example, become affordable.
The adage of ‘7 touchpoints before a purchasing decision is made’ may or may not be true for a brand, but I can guarantee that at least one of them will be via an in person experience or a direct human interaction that leads to not just buying, but an ongoing loyalty to the brand itself. That ongoing loyalty is cemented by the ongoing care a business takes over its existing client base. In financial services, globally, many companies come under fire for offering new customers better offers or packages than their existing ones. Churn and retention are vital statistics for all of us, so the idea that businesses do not look after the ones they already have feels absurd.
In the example of the micro business, in its start-up phase, we have the opposite impression with mega brands ignoring the localisation or organic reach of meeting their customers where they are. This can be done as nuanced or cleverly as Adidas with Ravi, or simply by understanding that the ground level is where brands are built. Nobody is interested in a ‘brand experience’ that they cannot engage with, touch, feel or benefit from – this could be as simple as ensuring the service proposition is second to none, communication and logistics are timely and that any issues or complaints are resolved deftly. Your company mission and vision is meaningless to the family who cannot get their hands on what they want and when they need it.