eBusiness Weekly
Clemence Mutembo
I did Brand Management as part of my marketing studies. I found it to be a subject which is quite fascinating and enjoyable.
You see, brand attributes are important because they help to create a unique identity for a brand. By defining the brand’s attributes, a company can create a clear and consistent message that resonates with customers.
In addition, brand attributes can help a company to stand out from the competition and create a point of differentiation.
By emphasising certain attributes, a company can communicate its unique selling proposition and build customer loyalty.
Finally, brand attributes can also be used to inspire employee engagement and foster a strong company culture.
When employees understand and embody the brand’s attributes, they can more effectively represent the brand to customers.
When a company does not have clear brand attributes, it can lead to confusion among customers and employees.
Without a clear sense of what the brand stands for, customers may have difficulty understanding what the brand is about and what it offers.
Similarly, employees may not be able to represent the brand consistently leading to inconsistent customer experiences.
Additionally, without clear brand attributes, it can be difficult to develop effective marketing and communication strategies.
Without a clear sense of the brand’s values and personality, marketing campaigns can feel disjointed and unfocused.
Branding and sales are closely connected. In fact, effective branding can be a powerful driver of sales.
A strong brand can create an emotional connection with customers which can lead to repeat business and loyalty.
Additionally, a well-branded product can command a higher price than a similar product that is not well-branded.
Finally, a strong brand can also attract new customers as it can make a company stand out from the competition.
When customers are making purchasing decisions, they are more likely to choose a brand that they know and trust.
Therefore, investing in branding can ultimately lead to increased sales.
When a brand is weak, it can have a number of negative consequences. First, customers may not be able to clearly understand what the brand stands for which can lead to confusion and lack of loyalty.
Additionally, a weak brand can be more vulnerable to competition as it may not stand out from other brands in the same category.
A weak brand can also make it difficult to attract and retain top talent as people may not be drawn to a company that has a weak or unclear brand.
Finally, a weak brand can lead to lower sales as customers may not see the value in purchasing from a company with a weak brand.
There are many factors that can cause customer dissatisfaction. One common cause is poor customer service.
This can include things like long wait times, rude or unhelpful staff and a lack of communication.
Another common cause is product or service quality issues. For example, if a product is faulty or not up to the customer’s standards, this can lead to dissatisfaction.
Other causes of customer dissatisfaction can include lack of features or options and negative experiences with the company’s website.
These are just some of the most common causes but there can be many other factors that can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
There are several ways to solve customer dissatisfaction.
The first step is to identify the specific cause of the dissatisfaction.
Once the cause has been identified, the next step is to develop a plan to address it. This may involve improving customer service, fixing product or service quality issues or making other changes to improve the customer experience.
It’s also important to communicate with the customer to let them know that their concerns are being addressed.
Finally, it’s important to follow up with the customer to ensure that their satisfaction has been restored.
This may involve asking for feedback and making further changes based on the feedback received.
In simple terms, brand equity is essentially the value of a brand. It’s a measure of how much a brand is worth in terms of both financial and non-financial factors.
Financially, brand equity can be measured by the price premium that a brand can command over its competitors. Non-financially, brand equity is measured by factors such as customer loyalty, brand awareness and perceived quality.
Brand equity is important because it can be used to create competitive advantages, increase revenue and protect against market fluctuations.
In short, brand equity is what makes a brand valuable.
You see, customer experience is directly related to brand equity. As customer experience improves so does brand equity.
This is because a positive customer experience increases customer satisfaction which in turn leads to increased brand loyalty and a higher willingness to pay a price premium for the brand.
In other words, when customers have a good experience with a brand, they are more likely to become repeat customers and recommend the brand to others.
This builds the brand’s equity and makes it more valuable. So, customer experience and brand equity are closely linked and have a symbiotic relationship.
Never forget that brand loyalty refers to the tendency for consumers to repeatedly purchase a particular brand or product even when there are other options available.
Customers may be loyal to a brand because they believe it offers better quality, value or other benefits. Brand loyalty is valuable to businesses because it allows them to build long-term relationships with their customers and reduce the costs associated with acquiring new customers.
Additionally, loyal customers are more likely to refer the brand to others which can increase sales and brand recognition.
Ultimately, brand loyalty is an important factor in a business’ long-term success.
A determinant of customer experience is any factor that influences how a customer feels about their interaction with a brand.
These factors can either be positive or negative. The impact of these determinants can vary depending on the individual customer but they all play a role in shaping the overall experience.
By understanding the determinants of customer experience, businesses can better design experiences that meet and exceed customer expectations.
Store layout is a very important factor in shaping a customer’s experience. The layout of a store can impact everything from how easy it is to find what the customer is looking for to how long they spend in the store.
A well – designed store layout can make the shopping experience easier and more enjoyable leading to more satisfied customers.
Some of the ways that store layout can impact customer experience include:
Traffic flow: How easy it is for customers to move through the store.
Focal points: The areas of the store that draw customers’ attention.
Product displays: How products are arranged and displayed in the store.
The product itself is also a critical determinant of customer experience as it is the main reason why the customer is interacting with the brand in the first place.
If the product does not meet the customer’s expectations, it can lead to a negative experience even if all other aspects of the interaction are positive. On the other hand, if the product exceeds the customer’s expectations, it can create a very positive experience.
The key is to ensure that the product is of high-quality, functional and easy to use.
Additionally, the product should be priced fairly and aligned with the customer’s expectations.
The people that a customer interacts with during their experience with a brand can also have a major impact on their overall satisfaction. This includes not only the employees of the brand but also other customers. Employees who are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful can create a positive experience while employees who are rude, unhelpful or incompetent can create a negative experience.
Similarly, customers who are polite, respectful and well-behaved can create a positive experience, while customers who are disruptive, impatient or disrespectful can create a negative experience.
Processes are the steps that a customer goes through to complete their interaction with a brand.
These processes can include things like placing an order, making a return or getting help from a customer service representative.
If the processes are smooth, efficient and easy to navigate, they can create a positive experience.
However, if the processes are confusing, time-consuming or difficult to complete, they can lead to a negative experience.
By streamlining and improving processes, businesses can create a more positive customer experience.
Customer experience is a very exciting field in marketing.
You see, customer pain- points are any areas of friction or frustration that customers experience when interacting with a company.
They can be caused by a variety of factors such as long wait times, complicated procedures or a lack of information from staff.
Identifying and addressing customer pain-points is crucial for improving the customer experience and driving satisfaction.
Addressing pain-points not only makes customers happier but it can also increase efficiency and drive down costs.
As a result, it’s in a company’s best interest to find and fix any pain- points their customers may be experiencing.
Customer pleasure- points on the customer journey are areas where a company’s products or services bring joy or satisfaction to customers. They are the opposite of customer pain-points and can include things like personalised experiences, quick and friendly customer service.
Identifying and enhancing customer pleasure-points is an important part of creating a positive customer experience.
By focusing on the things that make customers happy, companies can build loyalty and increase revenue. Creating moments of pleasure for customers also helps to build a positive brand image which can lead to more word-of-mouth marketing and more business.
In simple terms, brand associations are the thoughts, feelings and images that a customer associates with a particular brand.
These associations can be positive or negative and they can be based on the brand’s logo, advertisements, customer experience or other aspects of the brand.
For example, a customer may associate a brand with a positive emotion such as happiness or excitement.
On the other hand, they may associate a brand with a negative emotion such as disappointment or frustration.
Brand associations can be influenced by a number of factors such as the customer’s personal experiences, their culture and the media.
You see, brand associations are a key driver of brand equity. The more positive and relevant the associations that a customer has with a brand, the stronger the brand equity will be.
This is because brand associations affect how the customer perceives the brand and whether they feel a connection to it.
Strong brand associations can lead to increased customer loyalty, willingness to pay a premium price and higher perceived quality.
Conversely, negative or irrelevant brand associations can erode brand equity. Therefore, companies must focus on building positive and relevant brand associations in order to strengthen their brand equity.
Marketing excites me as there are many new things coming up all the time.
Everyday, I am always learning something new around this very broad and dynamic subject.
You see, brand loyalty is closely linked to brand equity.
Brand loyalty refers to the degree to which customers are likely to continue to purchase a particular brand over time even if there are other options available.
Brand equity on the other hand refers to the value of a brand in terms of customer perception and market share.
In other words, a brand with high equity will have more loyal customers who are willing to pay more for its products and services.
Brand loyalty can also be seen as an outcome of brand equity as loyal customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and recommend the brand to others.
It’s also true that brand loyalty does feed into brand equity. The more loyal customers a brand has, the more valuable the brand will be overall. This is because loyal customers tend to be more profitable for the company and their word-of-mouth recommendations can lead to increased market share.
In addition, brand loyalty can also help to increase the price premium that customers are willing to pay for a brand’s products and services. Therefore, brand loyalty can be seen as a key driver of brand equity.
It’s important to note, however, that brand loyalty can also be influenced by other factors such as price, quality and convenience.
There are several ways in which brand loyalty can drive brand equity. Firstly, brand loyalty can increase customer lifetime value which is the total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on a brand over the course of their lifetime.
This is because loyal customers are more likely to continue buying from the brand rather than switching to a competitor.
Secondly, brand loyalty can increase brand awareness and recognition.
This happens as loyal customers are more likely to talk about the brand with friends and family which can lead to more people being aware of the brand and its products.
Finally, brand loyalty can lead to increased market share as loyal customers are less likely to buy other brands.
I had a great time this week at the events I was part of.In all these events,there was a component of brand equity involved in my talks.
We have all experienced a variety of emotions when we dealt with different businesses in the past.
You see, customer experience is really all about how the customer feels. It’s not just about the technical aspects of the product or service itself but rather the emotions that the customer feels throughout their journey with the company.
This includes things like satisfaction, frustration, happiness, anger and everything in between.
A company’s ability to create a positive emotional experience for their customers is a key part of their overall customer experience strategy.
The goal is to create an experience that leaves the customer feeling good about their decision to purchase from the company and makes them want to come back for more.
Everyone in business needs to understand that customer feelings can have a big impact on brand equity as they can influence the customer’s overall perception of the brand.
A positive emotional experience can lead to increased brand loyalty as the customer will feel more connected to the brand and want to continue doing business with it.
On the other hand, a negative emotional experience can damage the brand’s reputation and cause customers to look elsewhere for their needs.
In addition, customer feelings can also be a factor in how customers talk about the brand to others which can impact the brand’s equity through word-of-mouth marketing.
You see, brand loyalty is a key driver of brand equity. When customers are loyal to a brand, they are more likely to continue purchasing from that brand, recommend it to others and also defend it from criticism.
All of these factors increase the value of the brand both in terms of financial value and customer loyalty.
In addition, brand loyalty helps to create a virtuous cycle where a strong brand leads to more loyal customers which in turn increases the brand’s value and leads to even more loyal customers.This cycle can help a brand to become entrenched in its market and gain a competitive advantage.
On the other hand, there are many reasons why customers may not be loyal to a particular brand. One common reason is a lack of trust.
If customers feel that a brand is not honest or transparent, they are less likely to be loyal to it. Another reason is a lack of perceived value.
If customers feel that a brand is not worth the price, they are more likely to switch to a competitor.
Finally, a negative experience with a brand can also turn customers away. For example, if a customer has a bad experience with customer service, they may be less likely to return to that brand in the future.
Clemence Mutembo
Clemence Mutembo is a High-Impact Customer Experience,Sales & Brand-Building Coach.He has delivered over 500 dynamic and life-changing presentations to small, medium and large organizations.He is in great demand as a speaker,presenter and facilitator.He is the Author of 100 Customer Service Books.You may reach him on:0778 994 994
