What have you done for me lately?

A day in the life of a “Manhattanite” can make your head spin when it comes comprehending every brand message. While in grad school, a professor asked the class to track the number of brand messages we encountered in the course of one day. Tracking this one day was an eye opening experience for me. There were an infinite amount of touch points such as billboards, magazine stands, bus advertisements, television, radio, subway advertisements and many more. On a cold Monday morning, I encountered all these touch points before I stepped foot into my office building. As I turned on my computer to begin a normal work day, the frenzy continued. Other touch points I came across were emails, e-newsletters, websites, magazines and word-of-mouth.

The end result of the exercise was obvious. There are a ton of companies and brands sending out messages to consumers in a variety of ways. Although I was aware of my surroundings and the brand messages, there were times when I simply did not care to pay attention because they were irrelevant to me or the timing was inconvenient. So how do the worthy messages stay put in your brain and then encourage you to take action? My findings lead me to believe that brands need to do a better job of reaching consumers and more importantly, inspiring them. Ultimately, the key ingredients that increase the impact and satisfaction of the media messages are timing, placement, personalization and targeting.

There are some companies and brands that do an excellent job of targeting their consumers, as well as communicating the right message at the right time. My favorite company that does a great job of all of the above is Banana Republic. In 2008, the brand celebrated its 30th anniversary and made sure to let consumers know that they are listening to their needs and wants in the fashion industry. From an urban, chic safari feel, to adventurous and classy in the big city, Banana offers fun, flirty, affordable and sophisticated clothes. I find all my work clothes and evening attire in this one store as well as on their website. That being said, when I was asked to sign up for their credit card and receive wonderful benefits and perks, I gladly signed up. Banana welcomed me to their store with a letter and various coupons. Additionally, I got coupons to their sister stores such as Old Navy and the Gap. In fact, they were so excited to get me as a customer that they make sure to send me emails on a weekly basis about all the new trends and styles. Getting a coupon is only part of the excuse for a shopping spree.

For a glimpse of how Banana celebrated the 30th anniversary, check out this video:


Since I’ve become a brand loyalist to a distinct selection of stores and brands, I thought I would take the time to give my opinion on what the basic necessities are for retaining a customer and ultimately, making them a best customer.

My three tips for retaining best customers:
1. Welcome me to the “family.” Since there are plenty of similar stores, companies and brands out there, tell me the benefits of being part of this family.
2. Say ‘thanks’ for spending my hard-earned money at your store. Also keep me informed about new items, sales and store openings.
3. Reward me. Send me coupons via email and mail. The store knows what I bought so other suggestions based on my previous selections would be helpful.

Likewise, there are also brands that do not do a good job of communicating with their customers. First up on the chopping block is Citibank. But that explanation and rant is for a different day. Stay tuned.