Out of the Box

Communications is the Key to a Good Marketing Marriage

By Menachem Lubinsky on November 22 2010

Did you ever notice that some of the nation’s leading brands don’t stop talking to you. They are forever telling you how special you are and how much more they’d like to do for you. The more you are perceived to be a good customer, the more you’ll hear from the brand. Some brands will “special” you almost everyday in the hope of retaining your business. You are invited to participate in specials, are told that you are special, and urged to enjoy your special status.

Some of the messages are not designed to sell any product or services; just to convince you that they are compassionate and concerned, something you are happy to identify with. The recent enclosure with bills from National Grid, for example, asked the question: “Do you need help paying your energy bills?” While there no doubt are people that are not paying their utility bills due to hardship in this ongoing recession, it is also designed to impress those that do that National Grid cares about the less fortunate.

More and more marketers are calling this “a new age of communications” between brands and consumers. One even compared the staying in touch phenomenon as similar to a marriage where good communications is essential to maintaining a healthy relationship. There is increasing evidence that the more the marketers talk to you, the more you are likely to be brand loyal. Said one marketer: “You simply cannot talk too much in marketing; it’s simple and effective in your face marketing.”

Good communication programs are essential for any business or service. I have often written how businesses somehow take their existing customer base for granted and do not stay in touch often enough. An even more fundamental “sin” is not being in-your-face with customers who may have, for one reason or another, left the company. “Everyone likes being courted,” suggested a marketer, “even past customers.”

There is nothing like making a customer feel like an insider. Of late, many communications indeed begin with, “Dear Insider.” Who does not enjoy being an insider, especially if here and there it is accompanied with an offer reserved for insiders? An insider’s message is particularly effective if there is something new like a product or even a change in the company. United Airlines went out of its way to make their insiders feel that they are privy to some important information about their acquisition of Continental. Some say it was a brilliant stroke of genius to still keep the Continental logo as a sign of stability and keeping Continental customers engaged.

Department stores have long since adopted special sales for insiders. Bloomingdale’s opens its door an hour earlier for insiders and it is truly amazing how many people actually come to the store before the doors open to the general public.

Barnes & Nobles, the icon book chain, is undergoing a great deal of change. An increasing number of its customers are switching to reading books electronically through such devices as the Kindel. The book chain is hoping that many of its loyal customers will not give up the special environment they offer. But they are also introducing educational toys to attract younger consumers with children. The chain has stepped up its communications with its customers .

There are some that argue that the new wave of communications is actually counter-productive. They say that the constant bombardment of messages by companies is actually making customers resent the invasion of their space. There is some truth to it, but the evidence is that the brands that are “guilty” of this “bombardment” are precisely those that are showing the best results. So long as the message is clear and well-written, there is no down side.

So here goes my personal message to my readers:

Dear Insider:

If you feel that this is a message you have seen before, you may be right. It was probably covered in the article on branding, customer retention, and returning old clients. If you’ve actually read my suggested message, you’re right again. During some of my earlier articles, I actually gave examples of the type of letters to write. I most likely stressed the importance of drafting letters that use proper grammar and deliver an effective message. I also most probably cautioned against messages that are confusing, offer little, and speak down to the customer. If all this sounds familiar, I’ve just succeeded in communicating the importance of communications in marketing.

There is a lot to be gained from effective communications as you attempt to build brand loyalty. If you are a seasonal business, make sure that you are communicating well before the season. Air conditioner service companies should begin communicating in February and perhaps earlier to be successful in the Spring and Summer. Successful marketing is all about effective communications. If its sounds like marriage, it is!

Out of the Box is a collection of strategic marketing articles that Lubicom has published on various topics, trends and ideas in the marketing world. The articles have been published in the Hamodia weekly newspaper circulated on three continents to a readership of well over 100,000.

The name, "Out of the Box" is a term used frequently in business nowadays to describe creative thinking that is not the norm. It is meant to help a business pull away from the pack or separate oneself from the competition. It is to some extent fraught with risk, simply because it is not the run of the mill thinking, but it is at the same time the key to reaching the next opportunity.