• by Michael McLaren , Op-Ed Contributor, February 25, 2021

Last month, I wrote on the importance of strategic brand building and management, not only because brand-related topics have consistently remained in the top 10 highest-intent terms for marketers week-after-week, but also because a strong brand can be one of the most effective ways to generate demand.

The global pandemic and its ensuing occupational disruptions have forced many businesses to shift their focus from long-term brand health to short-term sales activation. As we have come to understand, it’s shortsighted to look for quick wins when attempting to stabilize or even grow your business. 

The effects of brand building, on the other hand, can be far more enduring, because they are intended to produce long-term changes in human behavior by creating lasting memories that accumulate over time. Twenty-twenty underscored the need for brands to build upon the relationships they already had, as budgets took a hit and buyers became more cautious with their purchases.

Since last fall, “relationship marketing,” a facet of customer relationship management that focuses on customer loyalty and long-term customer engagement rather than shorter-term goals like customer acquisition and individual sales, has held the interest of marketers, as measured by Bombora Company Surge. 

Brands in the B2C space have long favored loyalty programs to retain customers’ businesses. 

Having a loyalty program or solution in place as part of your overall consumer strategy can help brands anticipate customer needs and deliver more frequent and relevant customer interactions across all channels, building emotional bonds that increase the impact of cross-sell and upsell efforts.