In today’s digital landscape, your mobile presence is a critical arm of your brand identity. Marketing and PR professionals for big brands carefully construct every interaction with consumers – ad campaigns, logos, spokespersons and influencers, customer service scripts, e-mails and in-person interactions -- because every exposure to a brand affects public perception. A great mobile app that provides a pleasant, useful and simple customer experience can go a long way in solidifying and growing your brand relevance. How do you want to be perceived?
Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is based on a person’s emotional or personal perceptions of their interaction with a brand. A loyalist (like me) will cite some of these reasons they stick with a particular brand:
The quality of the product or services is good (I use Blue Apron because I have tested many meal delivery kits and they consistently deliver the best quality.)
The prices are fair (Aldi has quality products significantly cheaper than competitors.)
The rewards/incentives are worth it (I shop through Amazon Prime to get free two-day shipping, free movie streaming, and great exclusive sales.)
The reputation/values are solid (It’s cool that Toms shoes donates one pair for every one purchased.)
The interactions are pleasant (USAA thanks my family for our service to the country during every call.)
The convenience is key (I order an Uber from wherever by pressing one button, hardly wait at all, don’t reach for my wallet, don’t give directions, don’t stress about parking.)
A recent survey on brand loyalty in the digital age conducted by Wikibuy found that 43% of customers are loyal to brands. Forty percent said the most important factor in being loyal to a brand is the quality of the product or service and 32% said they will switch brands because of poor quality.
Mobile is Personal
Building brand loyalty is key to retaining and expanding your base as well as increasing revenue, and your app is the channel to achieve this: 89% of people are likely to recommend a brand after a positive brand experience on mobile (Google, 2017). And, according to Nielsen, 83% of people value word-of-mouth recommendations over any other type of advertising. Having a well-designed native mobile app can provide a positive brand experience and, subsequently, to an enhanced reputation and increased membership numbers.
Building brand credibility and clout means listening to your consumers and giving them what they need and want to succeed. Today’s mobile-first generation will find the easiest most convenient ways to get what they need with their loyalty aligned with the one that makes them feel best about the transaction. Your strategy needs to distinguish your brand from others and hammer home why those differences are advantageous to your target. There’s an app for that.
Give Your Members the Experience They Want
Membership loyalty is similar to consumer loyalty, and associations can glean the same conclusion: Your members need you to respond to shifts in the consumption and digestion of information by providing them with a channel to engage with you and your community for a better member experience. Your mobile app can engender loyalty by offering quality content, pleasant and personalized interactions with association professionals, relevant information and products, and a convenient and intuitive interface. Today’s landscape demands it.
