{"id":5089,"date":"2021-02-18T04:47:13","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T04:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/18\/looking-beyond-the-pandemic-5-trends-in-customer-loyalty-and-engagement\/"},"modified":"2021-02-18T04:47:13","modified_gmt":"2021-02-18T04:47:13","slug":"looking-beyond-the-pandemic-5-trends-in-customer-loyalty-and-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/18\/looking-beyond-the-pandemic-5-trends-in-customer-loyalty-and-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Beyond the Pandemic: 5 Trends in Customer Loyalty and Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking Beyond the Pandemic: 5 Trends in Customer Loyalty and Engagement<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Back in the “B.C. era” \u2014 you know, “Before COVID-19” \u2014 no one expected cleaning and safety protocols would have a featured role in 2020 marketing messaging for so many industries unrelated to cleaning products. But that\u2019s what circumstances demanded, so companies recalibrated their approach with little notice.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to strategize and plan for a post-COVID-19 shift. What challenges and opportunities should customer loyalty and engagement specialists consider as they plan for 2021? Here are five key trends to keep in mind:<\/p>\n

Risk Mitigation<\/h2>\n

During the pandemic, consumers are choosing brands and stores that take their safety seriously. Target, for example, has taken numerous steps to make consumers feel safe: additional cleaning, curbside pickup, limiting the number of in-store shoppers, plus additional holiday safety measures \u2014 e.g., checking online to see if there\u2019s a line at the local store and making shopping reservations. Given the continued persistence of COVID-19, safety concerns are likely to continue well into 2021.<\/p>\n

Opportunities:<\/strong> Gain the trust of your customers by understanding their concerns (both rational and emotional) and by being transparent about your safety measures. Consider partnering with other brands or suppliers to craft a custom, safety-based experience for your customers.<\/p>\n

Wellness<\/h2>\n

The perceived importance of wellness has grown during the pandemic, especially among Gen Zers and millennials, who report feeling isolated and struggling with mental health. One company addressing this ongoing need is Microsoft Teams, which partnered with Headspace to offer users meditation opportunities beginning mid\u20102021.<\/p>\n

Opportunities:<\/strong> Consider new partnerships focused on solving a stress point in your customers\u2019 journey map. Connect your customers with each other by creating mini communities centered on common interests, including wellness. Make customer service a priority, particularly focusing on conversation, care, and surprise and delight.<\/p>\n

Social Consciousness<\/h2>\n

Consumers increasingly place more focus on the greater good: e.g., racial equity and sustainability. Take Nike\u2019s latest promotion with Colin Kaepernick \u2014 the all\u2010black Icon Jersey 2.0 \u2014 which sold out in less than a minute when it went on sale in September. Furthermore, call\u2010out culture holds brands accountable, and today\u2019s consumers are willing to walk away from brands that fail to uphold their social commitments.<\/p>\n

Opportunities:<\/strong> Communicate your company\u2019s values. Invite members to participate in social causes that amplify your efforts. Think local \u2014 invest in your community through job opportunities and volunteer hours, and crowdsource local organizations your company could support.<\/p>\n

Reinvention<\/h2>\n

In response to COVID-19, people have changed how they work, shop, access entertainment, and more. During the Great Recession a decade ago, brands such as Uber, Airbnb, and Venmo emerged as disruptors. In 2020, Airbnb, noticing the expansion of local bookings, successfully pivoted its travel messaging with a \u201cGo Near\u201d campaign and new algorithms.<\/p>\n

Opportunities:<\/strong> Use advanced analytics and loyalty data to predict how recent behavioral shifts will affect your brand going forward. Consider leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence and augmented and virtual reality, to personalize and entertain.<\/p>\n

Resurgence<\/h2>\n

Consumer demand will return after the pandemic. Many will be ready to jump back into life in a big way by traveling, eating out, and spending more time with friends and family.<\/p>\n

Opportunities:<\/strong> Stay alert to what\u2019s ahead. Analyze how vaccine distribution will impact your business. Track behavioral triggers to target consumers who are ready to get active again. Prepare for pent\u2010up demand by building in flexibility, anticipate high loyalty reward redemption, and continue desirable new services (such as curbside pickup and delivery).<\/p>\n

With rigorous analysis and strategic preparation, you can help your brand emerge into the post-COVID-19 landscape with deeper insights into your customers\u2019 relationships with your brand and a strengthened consumer experience.<\/p>\n

Data sources: Kantar, U.S. Monitor (2020) and Kantar, American Values (2020)<\/p>\n

Michelle Wildenauer, senior vice president of strategic services, leads loyalty and customer engagement strategy at The Lacek Group<\/a>, a specialist brand company of Ogilvy.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Published at Thu, 18 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking Beyond the Pandemic: 5 Trends in Customer Loyalty and Engagement Back in the “B.C….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2336,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-augmented-virtual-reality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techclot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/4G1jb9.jpg?fit=500%2C325&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3orZX-1k5","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5089"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5089\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techclot.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}