Developing and nurturing loyalty should be the marketer’s primary, day-to-day concern. Doing so increases the likelihood their brand can withstand economic turmoil, competitive threats, and reasonable price increases.

Everyone knows luring consumers to a brand is difficult, and forging loyalty even more so. With most offerings in a given category relying on similar technologies or platforms, the luring is typically accomplished through pricing activities. Through in-store temporary price reductions or couponing, consumers are told “we’ll reduce your risk if you give us a try.” The problem with these approaches is that, just like the price relief itself, the consumers’ commitment to the brand is temporary.

Another popular strategy among marketers with significant A & P budgets is the development of catchy marketing phrases like “Just Do It” or “Oooops, I could have had a V8″. This approach can be effective, until budgets are cut because another brand in the division is underperforming. As a result, your target forgets you exist until you send them a coupon to generate the immediate consumer pull-through needed to make your numbers.

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