For any brand to survive in today’s dynamic business landscape, they need to provide personalised experiences to the customers and keep in touch with them through consistent and relevant information
With the rise of social media, customers are more powerful than ever before. Thanks to Internet penetration and abundant information available online, customers are now able to find information about anything and everything in a matter of a few seconds.
Not only are they better connected socially, they are also more aware and have the power to spread positive or negative word of mouth about a brand in no time. This trend has led companies to rethink their marketing strategies and give more weightage to customer engagement as a means to build a better connect with their customers.
Customer engagement will assume even greater importance in the coming times, since customers want much more from a brand than to simply buy a product in order with feel connected with it. For any brand to survive in today’s dynamic business landscape, they need to provide personalised experiences to the customers and keep in touch with them through consistent and relevant information.A
Given below are some cases of innovative customer engagement programmes launched by different brands:
Maggi
Talking of customer engagement, Maggi is a classic example of how the brand has managed to rule people’s hearts (and minds) ever since it was launched in India in 1982. It’s “2 minute noodles” positioning became an instant hit, given today’s working generation that has little time to spend in the kitchen. They even did a campaign where customers could share their personal ‘Maggi stories’, thus forcing customers to look back at the important memories in their lives that Maggi was a part of!
It just helped reinforce the fact that Maggi was an important element in their daily lives and was a common link that helped bring family/friends together. What is even more remarkable is that despite the fiasco last year, when Maggi was banned across the country owing to supposedly higher than permitted lead levels in its spice mix (masala), Maggi made a successful re-entry and Maggi fans were ready to welcome it back to their kitchens with open arms.
Uber
In July last year, Uber teamed up with DogSpot.in, an e-commerce portal that offers pet supplies, to promote a puppy adoption drive and offer dog lovers in Delhi a one-of-a-kind experience to cherish. As part of the campaign, customers could order puppies on-demand using the Uber app and enjoy 15 minutes of cuddle-time with the lovable canines by paying a mere INR 10 (US$0.15).
The campaign, as expected, was a big hit with customers. Also, the campaign helped the brand regain some lost goodwill, considering it came as a time when Uber had hit a rough patch in India after a series of run-ins with the law.
Then recently on Valentine’s Day this year, they delivered chocolate pudding as a surprise to all their customers who were to receive their delivery on 14th February, as a gesture to thank them. The customers were more than happy to get the ‘sweet surprise’ and retweeted, saying thanks to the laundry service company.
Mahindra Gusto
This was an innovative campaign that involved food lovers in the city. The company arranged a food ride called #GoGustoRides for food enthusiasts and took a group of foodies along with popular food bloggers, riding their Gusto, to explore their city’s most famous food joints. This campaign was held in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Harley Davidson Bootcamp
It is a classic marketing campaign where the premium motorcycle maker has been able to successfully create a close-knit group of customers and engage them through motorcycle rallies they keep organising from time to time and in different cities. The Harley Davidson bootcamp engages more than one million of customers across the world, making the brand an aspiration for many motorcycle riders.
Conclusion
Customers are no longer happy just buying a product. It takes much more for a brand to actually connect with them and keep them coming back for more. Customer engagement provides that key and can help forge unbreakable bonds with customers, which is imperative in today’s highly competitive environment.