A friend recently shared with me her love for macaroni and cheese, and not just any mac and cheese – “Kraft, it has to be Kraft,” she said. She spent most of her childhood in Brazil and looks back with very fond memories of the times when friends from the U.S. would send packages of Kraft cheese in the mail so she and her siblings wouldn’t miss out on some of the simple pleasures in life.
Market research shows that children as young as two years of age already begin to form brand awareness, and between the ages of two and six are able to identify brands, packaging and logos. Businesses have the opportunity to influence and foster relationships with children that could potentially lead to life-long customers. It isn’t rocket science, but it takes willingness and thoughtful consideration.
This past Christmas, a seven-year old boy named Luka decided to spend his Christmas money on the Ninjago Ultra Sonic Raider set from LEGO. One day, and against his father’s wishes, Luka took one of the pieces out shopping and lost it. Luka wrote a letter to LEGO and asked if they could send a replacement. The representative not only responded with a very thoughtful letter, but also went above and beyond Luka’s request and sent him several additional pieces to the set.
This is a great example of how a simple gesture on behalf of the company can tremendously impact a customer (and through social media sharing of the story, impact others). But there are other ways to develop life-long relationships.
Deliver on what you’ve promised.
While it is important to focus on the customer relationship, it cannot come at the expense of your product. The product or service needs to be deserving of your customer’s loyalty. Quality matters.
Speak your customer’s language.
Different things matter to different people. If you want to know what makes them tick, you have to ask, listen and respond accordingly. Not only did the customer service representative from LEGO take his seven-year old customer seriously, he spoke his language.
Go the extra mile.
This same friend who loves Kraft, also loves Pizza Hut. After arriving in Brazil in 1986, her family quickly discovered that the pizza was different – quite different. Wanting to help them make a smooth transition, a group of friends got together and decided to have pizza delivered. They placed a call to Pizza Hut and explained the situation. Pizza Hut not only covered the cost of the pizza, but took on the expense for the farthest pizza delivery. The pizza took six weeks to arrive and was delivered on dry ice. Talk about going the extra mile. While the flavor might not have been the same, it’s a gesture they will never forget.
The Pert Group works with some of the world’s largest brands to create differentiation in the market. We challenge current ways of thinking, explore rational and emotional drivers, and create the right messaging for the right targets to build life-long customers. Have a favorite brand story to share? I’d love to hear it! Share in the comments below or send me an email. I love great brand stories.