You never get a second chance to disappoint a customer

The strength of every brand is the connection you make with shoppers. You want customers to like, know, and trust your brand. First impressions matter – make every impression memorable. 

Have you ever played the game where you share a story with someone and they share it with someone else and so on? Your story is unrecognizable by the time it comes back around to you. All brands struggle with this dilemma.

Every impression your brand makes on a retailer’s shelf, online, on social media, in the press, by brand ambassadors, and with every customer needs to include the same consistent authenticity, passion, and enthusiasm as originally shared by the founder. 

Your selling story also needs to be compelling and inspiring. Genuine shopper loyalty is earned and not embossed on a plastic card. The true value of your brand to any retailer is the customer you attract. This is the single most powerful point of leverage you have when negotiating with retailers. The customer your brand drives into their store is worth far more than the slotting and other fees they charge. 

Most of the bad press, problems, or missed opportunities that cause brands to falter or fail are due to a lack of clean and consistent communication. This begins with your selling story. Your selling story needs to be an extension of your brand! 

Your selling story unites shoppers around a common cause or community. Brands that build a strong and vibrant connected community have the ability to drive sustainable sales in both traditional and online retail. This is how you build real loyalty. The side benefit is that your community can help guide you to create products they will want and will support. Every brand needs to own their customers – beyond a retailer’s shelf. This is the best way to do that.