https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2023 Call for Speakers
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

VIPRE


Sponsor Content

Calendar

The End of the Year as We Know It

  • November 12, 2018
It's time to ask: What can we do to earn greater trust, commitment and advocacy?

The holiday season is here once again and along with it comes the dreaded end-of-year business slump that all B2B business hate to face. As we mentioned in last month’s article, the holidays are an excellent time for B2C brands to drive revenue, but those of us on the B2B and service-oriented side aren’t as fortunate.

One of the points we at VIPRE Security explored in that same post was thanking customers and building long-term loyalty during the holidays. We want customers loyal to our businesses. They buy more, pay more and refer more often. However,  recent research has shown that brand loyalty is in decline. So, as a company you must be asking yourself, “What can we do to earn greater trust, commitment and advocacy?” The answer isn’t more promotions or emails. It takes a rethinking of what loyalty means in a digital age.

Loyalty is About Emotion

Most brands measure brand loyalty by repeat purchase behavior. This metric is often like the old adage of putting the cart before the horse. At its most basic level, loyalty is powered by emotion; repeat purchases are just the result.

The increased popularity of promotions shows this flawed thinking in action. Promotional pricing may be a way to drive more transactions, but it doesn’t necessarily earn long-term loyalty. Ivan Wicksteed, the former CMO of Old Navy, has said, “It’s the emotional connections that a brand makes … that last the longest and go the deepest.”

Things are getting worse, though, as brands have begun to penalize disloyal behavior with more severity. Many businesses are looking to lock customers into longer contracts against their own preferences or they will punish customers heavily for trying to leave their contracts early. These behaviors will ruin loyalty in the long run, but they also will trickle down to social circles, leading to bad word-of-mouth and ruining possible new business. We always must seek to create authentic and emotionally charged experiences for our customers.

Loyalty Goes Both Ways

Customers today expect loyalty to be reciprocal. There often is a disconnect in how brands discuss loyalty. So much so that phrases like “brand loyalty” and “customer loyalty” often mean the same thing to many when they mean two different things. The world would be much different if brands were loyal to their customers.

Show Gratitude for Massive Loyalty Returns

How can a brand in today’s business environment create an experience that is reciprocal, authentic and emotional? It can be achieved by placing a focus on fostering the emotional response that is most likely to drive loyal behavior: gratitude.

Gratitude is a readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. It is inherently reciprocal, combing both emotion and behavior. There is a feeling and expression of appreciation through action. Gratitude can then serve as the foundation of a relationship beyond the transaction. It’s tempting to think that gratitude can be generated by doing nice things for your customers. It is a good start, but your customers can become conditioned or easily wooed by someone else with nicer gifts.

Truly the only way to generate sustained gratitude is to discover and foster a shared purpose with your customers, then enable them to share that purpose with others. Shared purpose is not something you do for your customer, but rather with your customer.

A great example of a company pursuing a gratitude strategy is GE. They launched the “Healthymagination” program with a shared purpose of “creating better health for more people.” To deliver on this, in 2012 the company created an outreach program designed to “create an emotional connection” around health. They monitored social media outlets and engaged people talking about health. They didn’t try to sell; they simply expressed appreciation and support. In some cases, they went further, sending personalized gifts as a tangible expression of appreciation aligned to the shared purpose.

The key to success for GE and other companies employing gratitude strategies was the authenticity of the appreciation they showed to their customers. These interactions weren’t transparent and shallow attempts to drive transactions. They were inspired by this well-articulated shared purpose, motivated by a heartful desire to “show appreciation for and to return kindness,” and organized with a well-planned program combining social media, personalization and customer support. And there wasn’t a coupon or loyalty program point anywhere in sight.

If this article has spoken to you and you are wondering how to generate more brand loyalty, consider implementing a gratitude program. Identify the shared purpose that you can work on together with your customer. See where you can express appreciation for their accomplishments toward that shared purpose.

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

Tags: Agents Cloud Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs From the Industry Sales & Marketing VIPRE Sponsor Content

Most Recent


  • the software patching problem - solved
    The Software Patching Problem - Solved
    Organizations are struggling to keep up with the pace of software security patches and updates, making automation essential.
  • Collin Ellis at Zero Trust World 2023
    Zero Trust World 2023: A Deep Dive Into the Dark Web, ThreatLocker Gold Partner Awards
    Cybercriminals will steal data just to prove someone has bad security.
  • Statistics
    Post-TBI Acquisition, Partners Weigh the Future of AppDirect, TSDs
    "I work with the assumption that no company will be what they are today three years from now," a partner said.
  • Juniper Networks Madrid event 2023 Day 2
    Juniper Networks Shows ‘Swagger’ with Ambitious Growth Strategy
    Are we up for the challenge? You’re damn right we are," said Juniper CEO Rami Rahim.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Welcome Mat
    Ex-Telarus Exec Scott Forbush Leaves Upstack for PPT Solutions After 5 Months
  • lone Arctic wolf
    Arctic Wolf Enhances Partner Program with 2 New Tiers
  • cybersecurity lock
    Telos Partners Get New CyberProtect Partner Program
  • Unified communications
    Microsoft Now No. 2 in UCaaS, Only Chasing RingCentral

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

May 1, 2023 - May 4, 2023

Channel Partners Europe

June 13, 2023 - June 14, 2023

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

October 30, 2023 - November 2, 2023

Galleries

View all

7 Channel People Making Waves This Week at Pax8, Canalys, Microsoft, Splunk, More

February 3, 2023

Post-TBI Acquisition, Partners Weigh the Future of AppDirect, TSDs

February 3, 2023

Juniper Networks Shows ‘Swagger’ with Ambitious Growth Strategy

February 3, 2023

Industry Perspectives

View all

The Software Patching Problem – Solved

February 3, 2023

How to Break Through the Growth Ceiling

February 1, 2023

5 Things to Look for in a UC Partner

January 31, 2023

Webinars

View all

Next-Generation MSP Platform: The Building Blocks for Your Business

February 15, 2023

How To Boost Your Business With White-Label UCaaS

February 28, 2023

Security Secrets of the MSP 501: How to Be a Cyber Leader in 2023

December 15, 2022
  • 1

White Papers

View all

6 UCaaS Reseller Challenges and How Real World Businesses Solved Them

February 1, 2023

Frost Radar: North American UCaaS Market, 2022

February 1, 2023

The Complete Guide to White-Label UCaaS for Reseller Success

February 1, 2023

Channel Futures TV

View all

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 117: Cato Networks, Video Killed the Podcast Stars

Retired Astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly Previews His CP Expo Keynote

December 21, 2022

Fusion Connect Eyes Future with Intrado UC, Managed Network Customers

September 23, 2022

RingCentral Focused on Hybrid Work, Microsoft Teams, Other Integrations

September 23, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Channel people making waves include: @RobTRae, @vasujakkal, @ReneeIMCloud, @garylsteele dlvr.it/ShvjQ3 https://t.co/yz09flzXvV

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

The slowdown in #publiccloud spending is real and it’s arrived at #AWSCloud and #GoogleCloud.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

#ZTW23: @ThreatLocker Gold Partners announced, deep dive into the dark web. dlvr.it/ShvFGF https://t.co/k68BfzLToq

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

Channel Partner Success Story: Forerunner Technologies - Learn how @NEC UNIVERGE BLUE Cloud Solutions enabled… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

Partners and suppliers weighed in on the AppDirect-TBI acquisition and its implications for the channel.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

Read about @coxbusiness' acquisition of @Logicworks. dlvr.it/Shty4t https://t.co/3MaKai6SVr

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

Where in the world are the top MSPs?? Take a look at the infographic breakdown of 2022 #MSP501 winners by region >>… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

February 3, 2023
ChannelFutures

.@SovosCompliance offers tips for how and when to revamp #partnerplans. dlvr.it/ShtDgv https://t.co/vPzajXnjee

February 3, 2023

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X