Top Tips to Drive Lifelong Customer Relationships and Greater Returns

Marigold
July 16, 2024

As customer behaviours shift and brands are tasked with achieving more with fewer resources, the need for innovative and effective loyalty strategies has never been greater.

Michele Fitzpatrick from Marigold, with over 30 years of experience in marketing, shares her Top Ten Tips to Drive Lifelong Relationships and Greater Returns in a recent video podcast in collaboration with Let’s Talk Loyalty

Here is a short content digest with top tips for loyalty marketers to navigate today’s complexities.


For an in depth exploration of these insights and more, watch the full video podcast episode Top Ten Tips to Drive Lifelong Relationships and Greater Returns with Michele Fitzpatrick and Let’s Talk Loyalty.

Watch Video Podcast Now

Tip #1 – Embrace Human-Centric Marketing

Personalisation is more than a buzzword—it’s an expectation. To truly resonate with your audience, Michele emphasises the importance of adopting a human-centric approach in your marketing efforts. It’s not just about recognising your customers as numbers or data points; it’s about understanding their unique needs, preferences, and behaviours. By putting humanity back into marketing, brands can forge deeper connections and cultivate genuine loyalty.

Tip #2 – Adapt Your Loyalty Program to a Shifting Consumer Landscape  

The pandemic has catalysed significant changes in consumer behaviour, with an increased reliance on digital platforms for shopping, entertainment, and social interaction. In response, loyalty marketers must reassess and adapt their programs to align with these new behaviours. Michele suggests reimagining loyalty programs to offer more flexible, value-driven benefits that cater to the digital-first consumer. Whether it’s through enhanced mobile experiences, personalised rewards, or seamless omnichannel integration, adapting your program is key to staying relevant in this new landscape.

Tip #3 – Harness Digital and Physical Interactions for Enhanced Customer Engagement

While the digital revolution has transformed the way we connect with brands, the importance of physical interactions cannot be understated. According to Michele, 75% to 80% of consumer purchases still happen in a physical environment. This underscores the need to create a holistic loyalty experience that bridges the gap between online and offline worlds. From exclusive in-store events to personalised offers that can be redeemed in person, integrating digital and physical touchpoints is essential for a comprehensive loyalty strategy.

Tip #4 – Make the Maths Work: Balancing Brand Love and Financial Returns

At the end of the day, loyalty programs are not just about fostering brand love; they also need to drive tangible business outcomes. Michele advises marketers to ensure their loyalty initiatives are financially viable and aligned with broader business objectives. This means carefully analysing the ROI of loyalty efforts and making data-driven decisions to optimise program performance. Michele stresses “If the math doesn’t work in kind of simple back-of-the-napkin calculations, all the time and effort that you might put into changing and evolving your program might not be time well spent”. By balancing emotional connections with financial returns, brands can create sustainable loyalty programs that contribute to long-term growth.

Tip #5 – Integrate Big L and Little L Loyalty for Emotional and Transactional Connections

Michele introduces the concept of Big L and Little L loyalty, emphasising the need for a dual approach that nurtures both emotional (Big L) and transactional (Little L) connections. Big L loyalty focuses on building brand love and advocacy through meaningful interactions and experiences, while Little L loyalty centres around rewarding specific behaviours and transactions. By integrating these two dimensions, brands can create a more dynamic and engaging loyalty program that appeals to consumers on multiple levels.

Tip #6 – Leverage Technology and Analytics for Personalised Customer Experiences

In the age of big data, leveraging marketing technology such as Marigold is crucial for delivering personalised experiences that resonate with individual consumers. Michele underscores the importance of using data intelligently to gain insights into customer preferences and behaviours. By harnessing the power of analytics, loyalty marketers can create targeted, relevant offers and communications that truly speak to their audience. Whether it’s through AI-driven recommendations, personalised rewards, or tailored messaging, technology is a key enabler for customisation at scale.

In conclusion, navigating the complexities of today’s consumer landscape requires a strategic, adaptive approach to loyalty marketing. By embracing human-centric marketing, adapting loyalty programs to digital behaviours, integrating digital and physical interactions, balancing financial returns with brand love, and leveraging technology for personalisation, marketers can create loyalty strategies that not only survive but thrive in 2024 and beyond. 

For a deeper exploration of these insights and more, dive into the full video podcast episode Top Ten Tips to Drive Lifelong Relationships and Greater Returns with Michele Fitzpatrick on Let’s Talk Loyalty – and take the first step towards revolutionising your loyalty marketing efforts.

Watch the video podcast now for access to all loyalty tips.

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