LaMalfa (2008)

Improving Brand Loyalty

LaMalfa (2008) suggested nine methods for improving brand loyalty. According to the author, developing a brand begins with the basic principles of putting the consumer first. This suggests that all marketing efforts should be centered on the client. Following that, the corporation must adhere to nine principles, which serve as the foundation of this thesis.

Customers’ specific wants are met.

Marketing research should always focus on understanding the target customer’s expectations. Markers can analyze customer demands using information acquired from consumption patterns and behavior, as well as consumer feedback. This data is utilized to create goods that are personalized to the needs of the clients. Accordingly, the information can suggest improvement in product or service offering leading to increased experiential benefits. A Higher degree of experiential benefits implies that the firm is delivering more than expected to its client thus leading to improved customer experience and satisfactions (Malik, Ghafoor, & Iqbal, 2013). Satisfied customers will make repeated purchase, positively communicate about the brand, and recommend it to friends and families. As a result, the brand loyalty will be fostered.

Extending the brand offering beyond simple rewards

Businesses need to focus on what consumers expect regarding convenience, quality, and functionality. Other motivating factors such as loyalty schemes, discounts, coupons, and free samples need to be secondary (Nawaz & Usman, 2011). Thus ensures that consumers purchase the product due to its quality rather than based on physical bribes. This leads to long lasting loyalty compared to short term one motivated by seasonal goodies and enticements.

Utilizing opportunities created in consumer complaints

Every business always has a section dealing with customer feedback regarding concerns, comments, questions, compliments, and complaints. The information contained in this department should not be disregarded but utilized as opportunities. For instance, when customers are upset about a service or product, and the business deals with the issue certainly and swiftly, the consumer be will be highly loyal (Maheshwari, Lodorfos, & Jacobsen, 2014). This because their grievances are heard and addressed effectively by the business. Moreover, the management and analysis of the unstructured information from clients form a strong business idea or market gap to attain competitive advantage. Therefore, LaMalfa (2008) proposed a number of strategies to be utilized by businesses in managing customer feedback. Such initiatives include creating electronic channels like social media to facilitate and foster customer engagement; encouraging the consumers to offer their feedbacks; designing metrics of evaluating customer loyalty during and after a claim; using big data analytic technology to centralize the unstructured feedback, establish reports, and design exploitive approaches.

Design compliant products

Offering a broad selection of products that compliment each other creates loyalty due to repeat business. To achieve this, the enterprise needs to monitor the product requisitions from clients to know what pair of products consumers does purchase mostly. This is fostered by developing new products that create increased value to the clients and thus lead to exceeded expectations. The co-creation of value can be achieved at lower costs to charge reasonable prices for the compliment products (Latif, Islam, & Noor, 2014).

Fostering two-way dialogue to engage consumers

Information sharing through face to face interaction and engagement with consumers plays a critical role in improving customer satisfaction. In fact, customers like being listened to, engaged and given priority to propose what they demand (Malik, Ghafoor, & Iqbal, 2013). Adhering to this practices creates a strong perception of superiority brand in the mind of consumers. According to LaMalfa (2008), engagement transforms passive loyalty to active loyalty since costumers become active participants in product development and offering.

Extending consumer surveys with the aim of soliciting information

Business is faced with marketing problems which call for extended population surveys. In this surveys, LaMalfa (2008) argued that using open-ended questions with follow-ups offers a business with rich insights essential in solving search market problems. The information gathered is utilized in offering products that fulfill the existing gap or solve the identified cause of the problem.

Centralizing management of feedback in the business

Advanced technologies such as enterprise resource management, virtual reality, social media networks offer best platforms to centralize feedback from consumers and information gathered from surveys. Besides, these sites facilitate virtual dialogs with customers who indicate customer engagement and involvement leading to increased loyalty (Nawaz & Usman, 2011).

Creating a strong tie between customer loyalty and desired business outcomes

The business needs to focus on its key performance indicators. Being consistent and emphasizing on the improvement of quality, engagement, customer loyalty, and satisfaction (Latif, Islam, & Noor, 2014). This approaches shows that the business ’walks the talk’ and does not derail in fulfilling the expected and desired outcomes. Such enterprises create a long lasting loyalty that creates a substantial competitive advantage.

Integrating analytical tools to predict future customer loyalty

These approaches need to be focussed on ascertaining the extent at feedback provided by consumers relates to the performance attributes. Various statistical methods can be utilized in revealing key areas to focus on according to the information analyzed. This will avoid resource wastage while improving product offering and customer loyalty (Maheshwari, Lodorfos, & Jacobsen, 2014).

References

LaMalfa, K. (2008). Putting Customers First: Nine Surefire Ways to Increase Brand Loyalty. Sales and Marketing Management, Article, 12-13.

Latif, W., Islam, A., & Noor, B. (2014). A Conceptual Framework to Build Brand Loyalty in the Modern Marketing Environment. Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 4(10), 547-557.

Maheshwari, V., Lodorfos, G., & Jacobsen, S. (2014). Determinants of Brand Loyalty: A Study of the Experience-Commitment-Loyalty Constructs. International Journal of Business Administration, 5(6), 13-24.

Malik, P. E., Ghafoor, M. M., & Iqbal, H. K. (2013). Importance of Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty in assessing Purchase Intentions of Consumer. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 4(5), 167-172.

Nawaz, N.-U.-A., & Usman, A. (2011). What Makes Customers Brand Loyal: A Study on Telecommunication Sector of Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(14), 213-222.