At GY&K, we believe it’s important to consider the entire ‘consumer lifecycle’ when developing a marketing strategy and plan. While awareness advertising can have a positive impact on the sales of product or service, it’s also important to remember the opportunity to drive sales through loyalty, retention and advocacy tactics.
One notable example of our work in this area is the Lottery Replay! program. This was the first program in the country that allowed existing players to ‘Replay’ their non-winning tickets online for additional chances to win. But many other companies are realizing the value of taking care of their current consumers, and fostering relationships that often result in future sales.
My colleague Brady Sadler was at Loudon this past weekend for one of the NASCAR events and noticed a special hospitality tent for Toyota owners only. According to a NASCAR release, this program began two years ago as an attempt at offering Toyota owners free parking at races. In 2011, the Toyota Owners Hospitality program is a full customer loyalty program at 15 NASCAR races and at NHRA races across the country. Toyota Racing and local dealers created an opportunity to reward their customers, and one dealership in Tennessee reported sales as a direct result of this promotion. For the NH races, a local dealership created a Facebook event page to publicize the Hospitality tent and Toyota Racing promoted it through their social media outlets, to maximize the program’s reach. For a Toyota owner, this tent was probably an unexpected perk, and a nice gesture on a hot summer day at the races. For Toyota and the local dealers, it was another chance to cement the relationship with Toyota owners, and to perhaps plant a seed of envy in the minds of other car owners.
What are some of the best examples you have seen of companies investing in consumer relationships, beyond simple awareness?
Nathaniel Grimes is the Business Development Coordinator at Griffin York & Krause
