Pre-crisis, 80 percent of organizations expected to compete mainly based on CX. The customer focus remains crucial, but the crisis has changed how companies approach satisfying customers to drive overarching brand relevancy. Leaders are staying relevant through the crisis by thinking short- and long-term, solving with purpose, disrupting loyalty programs, designing digitally while creating safety in-person, and communicating along the way.

SUSTAIN BEYOND AVAILABILITY BUYING

65 percent of US consumers said they have tried new brands after sheltering in place was put into effect. The majority (79 percent) said they did so because their usual product was out of stock.

 A customer may buy an alternative when they need to, but you should consider how to retain long-term brand loyalty to bring them back.

How have you sustained customer loyalty when consumers are buying from competitors out of necessity and availability? Read on for details to consider.

SOLUTION IN PURPOSE AND COMMUNICATE HOW

33 percent of consumers have convinced other people to stop using a brand that they felt was not acting appropriately in response to the pandemic.  37 percent have recently started using a new brand because of the innovative or compassionate way they have responded to the virus outbreak.

Communicate how you are aligning current solutions to your brand purpose. Keep the public informed regarding how you are supporting and protecting employees and customers. Show your empathy for employees and support for the community in a way that aligns to your brand. This might look like campaigns to thank front line workers for supporting the needs of customers. It could also include donation programs, repurposing products and services to support the healthcare community, or reduced/free offerings for front-line workers. Continue to be transparent about supply chain hurdles and communicate adjusted products and services.

How are you aligning service offerings to your brand purpose in a way that solves with empathy for needs now? How are you communicating throughout your organization and to the consumer to be transparent and foster brand relevancy?

DISRUPT YOUR LOYALTY PROGRAM

89 percent of consumers are looking to brands for products that help meet today’s challenges.

Companies are rethinking policies and getting creative with a holistic ecosystem of programming. Examples of this are extending the window for loyalty points for all tiers, offering credit card points for alternative purchases available now with multipliers, creating ways to donate points to help others, and rethinking partnership programs to offer exclusive virtual experiences that can be redeemed now.

How are you adjusting your loyalty programs during and after COVID-19? Have you been thoughtful regarding the perception of expired benefits? Have you offered members new ways to engage?

DESIGN FOR DIGITAL, CREATE SAFETY IN PERSON

71 percent of consumers agree that if they perceive a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever. 32 percent plan to spend more on online shopping in the next three months.

Companies are creating a worry-free experience that allows customers to feel safe and confident about their choices and interactions. Digital experiences are complimenting a focus on keeping customers and employees protected with sanitary safety measures. Examples of this are free food delivery services, curb-side pickup, contactless delivery, and alternative payment options. These services compliment experiences that mix channels and include a physical interaction. Creating a streamlined digital presence provides customers the ability to interact and feel connected with your brand: virtual appointments, social media collaboration, and real time delivery tracking. Consider additional personally relevant digital experience alternatives you can offer to engage customers.

Now that your customers’ lifestyles and schedules have changed, how are you making the customer experience easier, more convenient, and more efficient? How have you enhanced or maintained the digital experience to support changed consumer behavior? What procedures will be implemented to ensure safety being a top priority in reopening brick and mortar locations? Or partial in-person touchpoints?

KEEP LISTENING

77 percent of consumers have a more favorable view of brands that ask for and accept customer feedback. 52 percent across the globe believe brands act on feedback provided by their customers.

Continue to listen to your customers, adjust how you are solving for their current needs, and communicate how you have evolved your explicit loyalty offerings but also general experiences across your brand based on their feedback. Anticipating and aligning to feedback on customer needs and intents creates a competitive advantage in fostering loyalty.

How are you creating a continuous feedback loop in support of your evolved offerings?

JABIAN’S LOYALTY REALIGNMENT FRAMEWORK

1)   Know Your Customer

Gather consumer sentiment, motivations, and needs within the current and post-pandemic environments.

2)   Design Desired Experience

Assess customer insight findings against your offerings. Use design thinking to solution with purpose against brand values. Consider meeting needs digitally, ensuring safety, acting with social responsibility, and disrupting formalized customer loyalty programs.

3)   Develop Roadmap Implement

Align your business operations to quickly pivot and implement decisions. Prioritize short term wins. Test, listen, and iterate.

In relation with COVID-19, Jabian understands that customer loyalty is fluid based on necessity, availability, brand evangelism, and many other factors. If you need help tackling changes, Jabian can assist and collaborate on design thinking solutioning to develop your approach for optimizing brand relevance. Our goal is to help you assess customer sentiment and needs, gather consumer motivations for current and post-pandemic environments, and align your business operations to quickly pivot and implement decisions.