Love thy customer: 4 tips to get more intimate with your customers

 Is the “Force Awakened” in your customer relationships?

December 17th. On this date, a new chapter of Star Wars will begin. Once again, the magic of Star Wars will capture the hearts and imagination of both real kids and big kids all around the world as the next movie is released.

For me though, there is an even more important date… November 17th.

On this date, I will be taking my first ever flight in an X-Wing fighter. I’ll be flying into battle with thousands of others who grew up wishing they could be a part of the rebel alliance. Who knows, maybe I will be one who takes down Darth Vader once and for all?

Before you think I’ve lost the plot, November 17 marks the release of Star Wars Battlefront - a game that has grabbed and shook me silly via a wonderfully engaging ad targeted to people who grew up with Star Wars. So strongly did this ad resonate with me that I went straight to JB Hi Fi to put a pre-order deposit on the game so that I can be transported into the Star Wars Universe imminently!

Why connect emotionally with your customers?

As Roger Dooley said in his Neuromarketing blog, "Campaigns with purely emotional content performed about twice as well" when compared with those with only rational content (summing up a finding of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising in Hamish Pringle and Peter Field's Brand Immortality).

The evidence certainly suggests connecting with your customer’s hearts will help your brand’s case. Not only will it create a short-term feel-good a-ha moment it will also build brand loyalty. How? When we ‘feel’ we are more likely to remember because we are more engaged and present in the moment… particularly when a message inspires us. Sounds simple huh? Yes, if you get it right. Here are a few tips to help you give and get more heart in your customer relationships.

4 tips to get more intimate with your customers

1. Be clear – Identify where your brand’s heart beats

If your brand was a human what would make it’s heart tick (in the good way)? What does it value most, what inspires it to beat another day? Ask employees or current customers that you know are passionate about your brand to help identify these. It’s much easier to create content when you have a solid understanding of the heart of you brand. 

“Perpetually ask and answer: “What business are we really in?”  Virgin America isn’t in the business of selling flights.  Its business is making good friends during relaxing, luxurious, and affordable experiences.  With this level of commitment to making an emotional connection, Virgin, like other great brands, continuously redefines consumer expectations and challenges the norms of its industry categories.”

Denise Lee Yohn, Forbes

2. Be real - Act like a small business owner

Make every interaction (be that an advert, social media post, email) you have with your customer meaningful. Treat them like they are regulars in your local restaurant – be enthusiastic when they engage and treat them with care. Remember they are not a credit card – they are a human being and know the difference between being nurtured and being sold to.

3. Be heart-felt - Share you stories

Share your employee’s stories, share your brand’s achievements, share others achievements, share your customers’ stories. There’s nothing like getting to the heart of someone than by presenting an authentic and honest account of an experience with your brand. Keep the message fun and light-hearted at it’s core – even if it has a sad twist – you can get intimate and serious without getting intense about it.

4. Be accessible – Help customers get to know you

Make it easy for customers to get to know you – especially when it comes to getting in touch. And make every step of that process easy for them. From finding your contact details to the easy manner of the customer service person. Think of an Apple shop – you feel welcomed and respected because there’s no hard sell, they’re friendly and easy going and they always have loads of staff at hand.

May the force be with all your customer relationships!

If you ever wished you were Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or, Princess Leia playing with your action figures or just want to re-live some of those magical Star Wars moment you can check the ‘ad-that-grabbed-the-ad-man’ out below. (Be warned: high levels of nostalgia and excitement may cause heads to rotate and fall off!)

What ads have made a strong emotional connection with you? Drop us a line (and a link if you have one) in the comments box below – we’d love to share!

By: Alistair Malloy, Account Director, ContactAbility

ContactAbility specialises in customer acquisition and can reach more than 12 million prospects. To find out how we can help you reach new segments, why not drop me line at alistair.malloy@contactability.com.au today.