Emotional Engagement Transitions to Loyalty

Staying at the top of a consumer’s mind can be a daunting task for brands, especially when they don’t have the budget that the Barbie movie’s marketing team did this year.

But not everyone has to build a Malibu Dream House to stay relevant. One major way to ensure a customer always thinks of a company the minute they need something is to build their loyalty.

The more businesses invest in making customers loyal, the more business they’ll get.

Cap Gemini reported that 86% of consumers with high emotional engagement say that when they need something, they always think of the brands they’re loyal to – and 82% always buy from the brand.

On the other hand, brands only have a 13% chance of persuading prospective customers to make a purchase, according to Constant Contact.

So how do companies keep their customers coming back? One key driver: personal connections and memories.

Take live events and experiences as an example.

“When I try to use my lens from Build-A-Bear, live events are sitting somewhere in feeling the emotion,” said Ed Poppe, VP of CRM, Loyalty and Performance Marketing at Build-A-Bear. “If you’re someone who is into music, it’s an incredible thing that you can actually see and feel a band play.”

Poppe implies that Build-A-Bear has the same kind of feeling when you go into the store and interact with its product as customers are “part of that production.”

When that connection is felt or that memory is made, brands will be easily remembered by the consumer and stay top of mind when that emotional connection is sought after again.

“Experiencing something in person – whether it’s a concert, sports game or family activity like Build-A-Bear – can be instrumental when it comes to loyalty as it can keep consumers coming back for more,” said Nathan Williford, SVP of Product Growth at TFL.

Loyalty is earned, and emotional engagement and connection is just one way brands can earn it.