When things get uncontrollable, company executives think of which strategies and tactics to develop to minimise costs and liabilities. James Vella Clark asks what makes a human quality such as trust occupy a central place in a brand’s relationships with its customers.
Trust is so important for every brand to succeed. Consumers are constantly being told what products to buy that will make them stand out and feel unique, hoping to establish a connection. Yet, consumers do not want to be told what they should want, or what suits them best, or what would make them feel special.
Consumers want honesty from the brands they invest in. When brands are honest, they start nurturing trust that otherwise would be so difficult to earn.
Honesty drives sincere connections with customers. Customers are tired of hearing how good you are, how strong your reputation is and how rewarding your products can be. Constantly painting a perfect picture in an environment where imperfections make most noise only leads to further detachment from your customers.
Customers are all unique. They all come with their expectations and personal way of looking at your brand. The way they view your brand depends on how they view themselves. No one and nothing is perfect. Brands therefore need to find their place in the context of their customers’ imperfections.
Sometimes, brands need to get in touch with their wabi-sabi – a Japanese expression referring to the quality of being attractive because of being imperfect in some way. Wabi-sabi suggests that sometimes, it is the imperfections that make something attractive.
When in the 1950s, VW came out with its Think Small campaign to promote its Beetle model in the US, people were shocked. They saw a brand that was not only saying it wasn’t the best brand to choose but it was almost flaunting its imperfections.
VW was saying: “Take me as I am... I do have my weaknesses but then, I also have my strengths.” Isn’t this how we all want to be seen? VW’s honesty was breeding ground for a connection with so many people who recognised that no one and nothing is perfect. Perfection lies in being imperfect – in being human. This is what made that campaign iconic.
Sometimes, brands need to step down from their pedestal and let consumers relate to them. When companies and brands manage to create a connection with their respective audiences, a powerful thing happens. A new dimension is created that facilitates the creation of a more trusting relationship. Beyond that one-off impact, this connection becomes the basis for long-term advocacy and loyalty.
Many companies mistake the notion of ‘knowing your customer’ with ‘knowing who your customer is’. The latter can be easily learned with proper market research techniques. However, knowing your customer involves a more insightful and personal approach. An emotional connection comes from being authentic. This can be done by engaging through a shared interest with your customers. This is why knowing your customers is very important.
People also connect with each other through shared interests. This same principle can be applied to a brand-consumer relationship. The consumer will always be on the receiving end, expecting the brand to take the first step forward. The brand has to be the one to start off the engagement process.
After that comes the listening. As in successful relationships, brands should listen more to what their customers are saying or not saying. Showing that you are listening to them will lead to stronger and more lasting relationships with your customers. They will love your brand and what you stand for and will talk about you with their friends and peers too.
The ‘treat your customers the way you want them to treat your brand’ principle sounds simple. But simple does not mean easy. Building trust based on authentic relationships and on a humanised brand takes a long time. Attractive and witty advertising will help a brand stand out from time to time but for that brand to achieve customer loyalty, it has to engage the way humans engage with each other.
Start by asking some very important questions: What is your audience sensitive to? What are your customers’ expectations? What are they passionate about? What causes do they champion? Where do their loyalties stand? What triggers their curiosity or their compassion?
When a brand knows the answers to these questions and communicates with its customers on this level, it has already started to craft that very important emotional connection with its followers. And when there is connection, there is loyalty and when there is loyalty, no matter the imperfections, there is trust.