Formation of a client base as a condition for the successful functioning of a travel agency. Increasing customer loyalty Early signals of decreased loyalty

There are several approaches to defining a loyalty program. Among them we would like to highlight the following.

A loyalty program is a set of activities within the framework of a customer-oriented approach aimed at increasing customer loyalty to the brand, primarily existing ones. Dymshits M.N. Consumer loyalty: repeat purchase mechanisms. - Vershina, 2007. - P. 54.

Characteristic features of such programs are non-material incentives for program members, namely the provision of special privileges, as well as material incentives, for example, a cumulative system for accruing bonuses or points. And the marketing task becomes maintaining and stimulating the purchasing activity of the company’s client base.

Nowadays, in almost every industry sector, companies strive to have loyalty programs for all or some of their customers.

The reasons for this are quite simple:

1. Intense competition;

2. Insufficient number of potential clients.

That's why there are countless loyalty programs in industries such as travel, retail, telecommunications, credit cards and others. They are joined by car manufacturers, restaurant chains, sports clubs and even tennis courts, which are developing or adapting loyalty programs.

If the management of an enterprise decides to form a loyalty system at the enterprise, then it will be necessary, first of all, to introduce some new elements of analysis of the organization’s activities, such as:

Client balance;

Report on changes in the number of clients;

Analysis of the reasons for customer departure.

Sooner or later, companies face the question: “How to turn a casual buyer into a regular customer?” It is unlikely that it will be possible to bind a client with discounts for a long time; offering a discount will not make him truly loyal to the company. Special treatment, benefits and privileges that will be difficult to refuse are the most effective expression of your gratitude to the client and the guarantee of a long relationship. And this problem is best solved by loyalty programs.

The objectives of the loyalty program are:

1. Strengthening the brand. The brand offer, as the marketing classics bequeathed, should be built on the basis of an understanding of customer needs. We can say that brand values ​​should coincide with a certain part of customer values. If the main value is the walkability of the store, then this should be the main offer. If competitors have dotted the entire area with their stores, then, obviously, prices and quality can become the main value. After the price war is over, it will be possible to think about the range, service, etc. The priority of the buyer's values ​​will best tell about the stage of market development and determine the basis of the brand's proposition at each stage.

That is why strengthening the brand and improving the ability to manage it are included in the goals of the loyalty program, which allows the brand to both speak convincingly and listen carefully.

The skill of two-way communication of a brand turns its mythical value into a tangible asset, measurable in quantity and quality - the customer base.

2. Business development. In many ways, this goal is similar to the first, but its functional achievement is usually supported by other resources, and a large scale of change is assumed here. For example, launching fundamentally new categories, such as financial services or delivery services, launching new formats, opening retail outlets or deciding to enter a new region, etc.

3. Stability of the operational success of consumer programs within the loyalty program. From the very beginning, you need to provide convenient tools for carrying out promotions, promoting brands, managing prices within targeted offers, etc. The loyalty program should coordinate all consumer programs and provide the basis for their planning, execution, reporting and analysis.

A consumer program is a set of measures aimed at changing the characteristics of consumer behavior, such as: frequency of visits, average bill, composition of purchases, etc. Naturally, consumer programs can live without a loyalty program.

What is commonly called loyalty marketing, relationship marketing, retention marketing, repeat marketing, face to face marketing are pretty much the same thing. The main goal here is to retain the buyer for as long as possible and increase the share of your customers in the market.

It can be said that all loyalty programs grew out of airline travel with its incentive programs based on saving passengers money if they fly that particular airline multiple times. This refers to air miles, points, bonuses, cards, etc. The history of the development of airline loyalty programs is quite simple: airline brands tried their best to meet the actual needs of passengers. They were looking for some kind of connecting thread to understand how their passengers choose. The programs developed at that time did not yet make it possible to track certain requests of passengers, but they already made it possible to sense their choice and, as a result, helped carriers increase the number of their customers.

Today, these incentive programs (or reward programs) based on saving money are common in the travel industry and are becoming quite common in the credit card and telecommunications businesses.

When creating a loyalty program, first of all, it is necessary to assess the degree of economic feasibility of these programs specifically for a given business.

There are many approaches to creating loyalty programs. Some programs are modeled after traditional incentive programs based on saving money because they are so popular and obvious.

Before deciding to create a loyalty program, you need to analyze the situation and find out whether it is worth developing such a program.

According to experts, the creation of such programs does not make sense in the following cases:

1. The company's target audience is low-income segments of the population. Loyalty marketing tools will not give the desired effect, since such a consumer focuses solely on the price of the product.

2. The company works with fly-by-night brands (a bright entry into the market, skimming the cream and a quick decline). It is not advisable to invest in increasing loyalty, since they will not provide returns comparable to the costs (after all, the product will soon be replaced). Investments in loyalty are investments that generate income in the long term.

3. There is no competition in the industry or its level is quite low. Examples include enterprises that are monopolists in a certain area of ​​business or companies that have unique resources. A key factor in the success of such businesses will be the availability of a product and the ability to sell it. The consumer has no choice, and he himself establishes a relationship with the company in order to buy a unique product.

It makes sense to think about implementing a customer loyalty program when:

1. The product or service is purchased regularly - at least several times a year.

2. The price of the product or service includes sufficient margin to support such a program.

3. Sales can be easily accounted for.

4. Competitors have already implemented a similar program.

In addition, it is necessary to find out whether customers are satisfied with the quality of the product or service. If their quality is poor or outdated, any investment in this case will be a waste of time and money. When the client is satisfied with the quality of the product and service, only then does he begin to accept rewards and incentives and become a buyer of the company.

The entire company should be involved in creating a loyalty program. By assembling a team of employees from different departments, the company will be able to take into account all the nuances regarding the future program.

Many companies, before starting the actual development of the program, create a control questionnaire to develop the concept of the loyalty program.

Principles for building a loyalty program:

1. Defining the goals of loyalty programs

At the initial stage of creating loyalty programs, it is necessary to conduct a SWOT analysis and correctly formulate the goals of the program.

Correctly set goals guarantee that the company will be able to evaluate its success in the future.

The hierarchy of company goals might look like this. The key goal of any marketing program is to increase revenue, profits and market share. Loyalty programs most often have five main goals. First, companies through programs should strive to build relationships with customers, winning their long-term loyalty by meeting their needs for life. The second goal is to attract new customers. This can be achieved by offering customers truly attractive benefits or through referrals from existing customers. Thirdly, such programs create an opportunity for the company to communicate with clients, both indirectly (for example, through direct mail) and personally. The fourth goal of the program is to create a customer database, which includes data about the customers themselves and their purchasing behavior (preferences and frequency of purchases). Such databases are a storehouse of invaluable information, indispensable for solving a number of marketing problems. Finally, the programs provide an opportunity for other parts of the company involved in product research and development to obtain first-hand information.

In addition to the above goals, some companies may pursue other (secondary) goals:

Improving the image of the brand and the company as a whole,

Increasing the frequency of visits to retail outlets,

Increasing the frequency of using products and making purchases,

Solving company problems

Public relations support,

Additional customer support option,

Dealer network support, etc.

It is worth noting that goals may vary from company to company, depending on the characteristics of the companies themselves and their specialization.

2. The next step towards creating a loyalty program is to identify the target groups of this program. According to the well-known Pareto law, based on statistical research, 20% of customers provide 80% of the profit. It is these 20% of most profitable consumers that loyalty programs should be designed to retain. When analyzing the importance of a particular client, Western companies take into account the following indicators:

Volume of customer orders;

Profitability of ordered items;

Profitability from cooperation with the client;

Consistency and regularity of orders;

Low level of product returns.

In addition, it is important to know your worst clients, who “eat up” the profit brought by other clients and interfere with their quality service. But even here you need to remember that perhaps such clients can become the best in the future. For example, recently banks have increasingly begun to pay attention to students and encourage their cooperation with the bank in order to retain them as clients in the future, when their income increases significantly. In addition, some clients can be profitable even when they do not bring profit to the company. Such clients include prestigious clients, people who are opinion leaders.

3. Having decided on the main target audience, it is necessary to conduct a study of the motives of consumers for turning to the company, including motives for satisfaction from using a product or service and communicating with the company. And also what exactly motivated his repeated appeal.

whether it is a discount program, a loyalty program or a Frequent Customer Club. Will it be open or closed? In addition, based on the characteristics of the business and the availability of financial capabilities, it is necessary to choose the method of implementing the program (individual or coalition).

5. At the next stage of development, the company needs to determine the list of privileges that the program will offer to its clients. Only by offering clients privileges that truly have high value in their eyes can the program be effective. In order not to make a mistake in choosing privileges, it is necessary to use an approach focused on customer values.

There is a three-step approach to creating a program concept that will determine the optimal balance of tangible and intangible benefits.

The first step is to creatively develop a list of possible benefits based on the needs of the target groups. The cost and practicality of program benefits are not taken into account at this stage.

The second stage involves conducting a small preliminary study of the resulting list, the purpose of which is to highlight more and less interesting benefits from the proposed ones.

The third stage is a large-scale customer survey to identify the privileges that motivate customers more than others, determine their value and evaluate the expected result of their use. At this stage, the survey sample includes at least 250 people for programs aimed at end consumers and slightly less for entrepreneurs and distributors.

As a result of the work done, the company receives a list of program privileges focused on the client’s values.

The main privileges should be intangible and expressed in the level of service, special treatment and treatment. However, you shouldn’t forget about discounts. When offering discounts to customers, you must adhere to

such a targeted strategy in which both the company and clients will benefit. To do this, you need to carefully develop a pricing strategy for the discount system.

6. Once the program's concept and benefits are defined, the financial concept must be considered. It is necessary to determine what investments this program will require and calculate all the costs that will arise in the process of creating the program. In some cases, part of the costs may be covered by entrance or membership fees.

7. In addition, it is necessary to decide on the technology necessary to create the database. The database structure is as follows:

Client database - personal and “purchased” data.

Transaction database - data on purchases, bonuses and discounts.

Database of analytical calculations - analytical models and reporting forms.

So, we looked at the process of creating a loyalty program. Summarizing all of the above, I would like to note that such programs are a marketing tool aimed at optimizing relationships between companies and clients. The emergence of such programs was due to new marketing concepts. There are three types of programs: discount programs, loyalty programs and Frequent Customer Clubs. These programs can be of different types - individual or coalition, open or closed, using material or non-material privileges, etc. Loyalty programs are built according to certain principles, which include analyzing the situation, assessing the feasibility of its use, setting goals, identifying target groups, choosing the type and type of program, defining a financial concept, choosing technology for creating a database, etc.

Thus, let's summarize the first chapter.

IN modern world The growth in the number of offers in the service and trade sectors places special demands on doing business. Any business that provides services or sells products to the end consumer faces fierce competition. In such an environment, competitive advantages are necessary not only to enter the market and increase the presence of a company in it, but also to maintain its position. It is for this reason that, over the decades, many companies have spent significant amounts of money trying to understand the sentiments and preferences of their customers and influence their propensity to consume their products.

These days, it is widely accepted that retaining existing customers is less costly and much more profitable than seeking new ones, and therefore customer retention has become one of the main goals of most companies. For the enterprise we are studying, in modern market conditions, solving these problems becomes especially relevant.

One of the key concepts of the concept of marketing aimed at achieving customer loyalty is the consumer life cycle. There are several approaches to its formalization.

Figure 2.

For example, K. Grönroos proposed the following categorization of the buyer’s life cycle in relation to the company (see Figure 2). Reichheld F.F. The loyalty effect: the driving forces of economic growth, profit and lasting value / Trans. from English - M.; "Williams" 2005.

Following this model, the process of building relationships with the consumer begins at the stage of his interest in the organization’s products and services. From the point of view of the concept of relationship marketing, all actions taken by the organization at this stage should be to provide the consumer with the information he needs and create a positive impression on him from interacting with the company.

After the buyer familiarizes himself with the company's offer, the second stage of the life cycle begins according to the Grönroos model - the purchasing process. This stage is characterized by the fact that the buyer compares his impressions of the acquired experience of interacting with the organization with his expectations of this experience. It is at this stage of consumer development that it is important to lay the foundation for his further loyalty, which is ensured, first of all, by achieving satisfaction of all the client’s functional needs. This stage is characterized by the client gaining experience interacting with the organization at all points of contact and experience related to the quality of satisfaction of his needs. Thus, the quality of products and services provided to the consumer and how convenient it is for the client to interact with the company should be recognized as important factors at this stage that influence the emergence of prerequisites for customer loyalty.

If the experience received by the consumer was positive, and the company managed to achieve his favor, the third stage begins - the process of consumption by the client of the purchased goods. From the point of view of the concept of relationship marketing, this stage of development of the consumer life cycle is characterized by the fact that it is here that the emergence and growth of customer loyalty occurs. It should be noted that at this stage of the discussed model, the full range of tangible and intangible opportunities should be used to build customer loyalty. Pankratov F. Advertising activities. - M.: New knowledge, 2000- 184 p.

Loyalty pyramid

It seems that it is most appropriate to consider the process of forming customer loyalty through the prism of the development of their life cycle. In this case, it becomes possible not only to determine a list of factors influencing the emergence and strengthening of loyalty, but also to appropriately formulate a range of marketing activities that need to be carried out depending on what stage of development the relationship between the consumer and the organization is at. A description of loyalty factors is proposed based on a tool called the “Loyalty Pyramid”, in which perceived loyalty includes:

Having a high value in the relationship with the company;

Satisfaction of all functional needs and expectations (including open ones) of the client;

Perception of the company (brand, popularity in the market). Client awareness of the company’s activities/products.

Behavioral loyalty includes:

Stability and active use of the company's products and services.

According to this method, loyal customers are those who have a positive attitude towards the company’s activities and are well aware of the opportunities that the organization provides them. Knowledge of its products and services leads to their active consumption, which is a factor in consumer behavioral loyalty. This behavior is characterized by the stability of the client’s transactions over a long period of time or the growth of consumption of the company’s products and services. This demonstrates the customer's satisfaction with what the company offers him. Based on satisfaction, prerequisites arise for creating a positive emotional background of interaction with the organization, which, in turn, leads to customer loyalty. Lopatinskaya I.V. Loyalty as the main indicator of retention of consumers of banking services // Marketing in Russia abroad. 2002.No. 3.

It seems that determining loyalty using this method includes all the most significant factors that must be taken into account by an organization seeking to orient its marketing activities to build long-term mutually beneficial relationships with our clients. Thus, when considering the formation of loyalty from the point of view of this tool, one of the stages that the client must go through in the process of forming his positive attitude towards the organization is achieving a high level of satisfaction from the consumption of the company’s products and services. In addition, this tool examines the phases of building consumer loyalty according to the stages of its life cycle in relation to the organization. As their relationship develops, the phases of the “Pyramid of Loyalty” do not replace, but complement each other.

The first stage of the described tool involves the formation of a positive image of the organization in the client. This stage of developing customer loyalty is the first in terms of both the beginning of the client’s interaction with the company and the emergence of the buyer’s perception of the supplier. It seems that the greatest significance at this stage is the organization’s efforts aimed at a general positive perception of its activities by the target audience of consumers and at informing customers about the products and services that they can use in the company, what needs they can satisfy through the consumption of its products. This implies such areas of the company's activities as branding and effective communication with clients. Butcher S. Loyalty programs and clubs of regular customers / Trans. from English - M.: “Williams”, 2004 -272 p.

The main objective of branding within the concept of relationship marketing is to differentiate an organization from its competitors. With the help of a brand, a company has the opportunity to convey to its target audience the necessary emotional values, thanks to which a positive customer perception of the organization as a whole arises. As S. Davis notes, a brand is a way of demonstrating the values ​​that a consumer can receive when interacting with a company. The author emphasizes that "a brand is a set of sustainable promises. It implies trust, stability and a certain combination of expectations." Branding is the main tool for creating a positive image of an organization in the eyes of its consumers. Vasin Yu.V., Lavrentiev L.G., Samsonov A.V. Effective loyalty programs. How to attract and retain customers. M.: Alpina Business Books, 2005

Under effective communication with target segment consumers at this stage of building customer loyalty is understood, first of all, to inform customers about the products and services that the organization can provide them with, and about what needs it can satisfy. From an operational point of view, this includes the entire range of company activities related to its information interaction with the external environment - from advertising, which conveys primary information about the company to consumers, to individual messages sent to specific clients. Volkov D. Unique loyalty program of the “Red Cube” // Modern trade. 2008. No. 4. It should be noted that as the relationship between supplier and consumer develops, the degree of individualization of information exchange increases. Vasin Yu.V., Lavrentiev L.G., Samsonov A.V. Effective loyalty programs. How to attract and retain customers. M.: Alpina Business Books, 2005 In addition, this process is characterized by a change in information transfer channels: if in the case of advertising traditional tools are used to convey information to large segments, such as television, billboards and press advertising, then within individualized communication (person-to-person) uses channels such as telephone calls and electronic correspondence. It should be noted that in general, the availability of information about the company is an important component of the concept of relationship marketing not only at the stages of initial attraction of customers and the development of relations between him and the organization in the early stages of cooperation, but also in the process of further interaction. Only if the client knows what needs he can satisfy by interacting with the company, is it possible to develop his cooperation with the supplier. Ivanyuk I. Branding as part of the loyalty system://http://www.ereklama.ru/useful/brand/0/html.

The next stage of the “Loyalty Pyramid” is associated with ensuring a high level of intensity of customer consumption of the organization’s products and services. At this stage, the most in demand are tools to influence the behavioral loyalty of users, implying the use of the entire range of the company’s capabilities to provide clients with financial privileges. This implies the participation of consumers in various bonus promotions, receiving discounts for using the company’s services, gifts for purchases, as well as various loyalty programs based on discount-bonus schemes, and offers to join the club. This stage is characterized by the client receiving an empirical sensory experience of consuming the organization's products and services. The level of customer satisfaction will depend on how well this experience meets his expectations. Therefore, in order to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, it is important to ensure consistently high quality of the company's products. Karasev Ya. Coalition loyalty programs / Based on materials from LM-Consult, http://www.loyltymarketing.ru

As you know, the main task of any sale of goods or provision of services is to provide the client with certain benefits, to solve any problems and problems of the client. At the same time, it is enough to interest the client by providing him with some material benefits, for example, a price reduction, an increase in discount. It is much more difficult to provide emotional and psychological benefits.

This is exactly the problem that loyalty programs solve. Their main task is to do something pleasant, perhaps even unusual, for the client, because if the client is satisfied with this surprise, then the brand will become associated with the positive emotions received.

Loyalty programs are a form of marketing that aims to build customer or customer loyalty.

Thus, the rule must always be followed: regardless of the scope of the company or brand, the client must always be provided not only with material benefits, but also with emotional ones. These can include anything: beautiful product design that evokes pleasant aesthetic feelings, excellent customer service, various types of after-sales service, ranging from informing the client of brand news to constant contact with the client.

Today, loyalty programs are becoming widespread. Many large companies develop such programs on their own, spending a lot of money and time to ensure that the program they create is unique and most fully reflects the needs of clients.

But loyalty programs should not be aimed at all customers, otherwise the funds will be used ineffectively. Loyalty programs should aim to retain the 20% of customers who account for 80% of the profits. This rule is commonly known as Pareto's Law, or the 80/20 rule: 20% of customers should account for 80% of profits.

It is very important to correctly determine why you need to use loyalty programs, what goals can be achieved with the help of these programs, what customer groups they will be aimed at, what the expected result is and how it relates to costs.

To create a successful loyalty program, you must follow several basic rules:

1. Determining the purpose of the loyalty program.

Problems that are usually solved with the help of loyalty programs:

Attraction of new clients;

retention of existing clients;

countering the efforts of competitors to lure customers.

Achieving two or more at once is attractive, but futile in most cases. The most effective goal of a loyalty program is to “increase the value of a company or product in the eyes of the customer,” i.e. The right loyalty program should add value to your existing relationship with the company over time. Thus, for a successful loyalty program, you need to choose the one that best suits your marketing strategy.

2. Selecting a key factor for the loyalty program.

Depending on the business and the current market situation, the company must choose a key factor on which to build a loyalty program. To make the right choice, the company must know exactly the value system of its key customers.

Thus, it is necessary to decide on what the client’s attachment will be based (what convincing arguments the client will use to explain to himself and other people why he buys this product and uses this service again and again). The following options are possible (there may be more):

special attitude towards loyal customers;

special services available only to loyal clients;

special prices that are intended for loyal customers;

Companies often take the simple route: they copy a key factor from someone else’s loyalty program. But you must remember that copying someone else’s target audience, someone else's competitive environment, someone else's position in the market is impossible.

3. Economic feasibility.

There is not a single loyalty program that has existed for a long time without bringing tangible or intangible dividends. At the same time, there are many examples where poorly calculated economic parameters ruined a company that offered fatal discounts and bonuses. There are examples where companies have suffered great reputational damage by refusing to fulfill their promises.

There are several methods for calculating economic feasibility, unfortunately, they are all probabilistic in nature, and much depends on the experience and intuition of the initiators and developers of the loyalty program.

4. Selecting a loyalty program tool.

The most popular tools at the moment:

fixed discount, bearer card;

fixed discount, personalized card;

fixed discount. Identification of customer categories.

This version of the map largely repeats those listed above. This card can be personalized or not, have time limits or not.

Cards of several categories are issued, for example: silver, gold, platinum.

Typically, the higher the category, the greater the discount. In addition to different levels of discounts, cards of different categories may provide access to certain resources;

progressive discount scale;

a group of cards that give the client the right to a discount. The larger the purchase amount, the greater the discount. This type of card encourages the customer to make a larger purchase and receive a larger discount.

A necessary condition is the specificity of the product. The client may buy more goods than he originally expected if:

The main idea of ​​these loyalty programs is that it is not every purchase that is rewarded, but the purchasing history. When purchasing a product or service, a client receives established bonuses, which can be recorded on a card, in a computer database or in another way. After the bonus size reaches the established values, the client has the right to receive certain benefits (discounts).

All the most famous loyalty programs for frequent flyers are built on this principle. A client, when flying with a certain airline, receives bonuses for each mile of flight - free miles (the specific ratio depends on a number of parameters). Then, when a lot of free miles have accumulated, the client can exchange them for a real ticket;

special conditions of service. This version of the loyalty program is great for VIP clients. It is applicable wherever the client is such that he is interested in something else besides the price: service time, delivery cost, the possibility of purchasing on credit, etc.

This version of the program is usually used for verified clients, when their loyalty is no longer in doubt. It can also be used to lure a client away from another supplier;

prizes, awards, lotteries, gifts, etc. One of the options for loyalty programs is events related to prize drawings. Typically, these programs encourage customers to buy a certain number of units of goods, send labels (labels, corners) to the company;

access to resources closed to other clients. If there are particularly significant resources, they can be used as bait for clients. Become our regular customer, and you will receive a coveted pass to a world closed to others. There is a category of people who would like to protect themselves from the “majority”: from society, from the public, from observers.

This version of the loyalty program must be formalized in an agreement and impose certain obligations on the recipient of the profit;

clubs and associations. In 1983, Vaughan Beales, the head of Harley-Davidson, created the first club with a very specific goal - to increase the loyalty of its customers to the brand, to the now legendary motorcycle. Now this club unites more than 850 regional branches and more than 270,000 members.

5. The loyalty program should appeal to customers.

Many companies are guided by the statement: “Work with the client the way you want to be worked with you.” But this statement is true only if the employee belongs to the target audience of this company.

To understand how well the loyalty program is liked by customers, there must be a mechanism for collecting customer opinions. The range of options for collecting opinions is wide: from a box at the exit to “mystery shoppers” and personal meetings with clients. .

At the moment, all consumer incentive programs existing in Russia can be divided into two types: coalition and individual.

Custom programs are designed and created specifically for one specific company. The consumer makes purchases at a store or chain of stores and receives rewards in the form of services or goods from the same company. The program itself consists of several parts, including the acceptance of new members, a system for tracking customer purchases, constant communication with them and rewards for participants. But, unfortunately, implementing such a program on your own will require large financial costs for the purchase of special equipment, issuing cards, and attracting and training personnel. In addition, such programs have low attractiveness for participants.

The main advantages of individual loyalty programs:

taking into account the individual characteristics of the company;

closer and more detailed study of clients than in coalition programs.

individual approach to the client.

The main disadvantages of individual loyalty programs:

high monetary costs for the development, implementation and implementation of an individual loyalty program;

relatively low attractiveness of individual programs for the client (compared to coalition ones).

Individual loyalty programs have positive and negative features different meaning for various companies. For example, high cost is a deciding factor for smaller firms in choosing not to pursue customized programs, but for larger firms it becomes a secondary consideration and decisions are made based on an analysis of the impact on customers.

Coalition loyalty programs mean programs in which several companies participate that do not compete with each other. Coalition programs appeared relatively recently as a result of the simultaneous development of loyalty programs and interaction between different companies from different fields. Coalition programs are much more complex in their organization than individual ones; their creation is associated with significant difficulties that may seem insurmountable, but at the same time they can produce significantly better results in working with clients.

Coalition loyalty programs work as follows: in each company participating in the program, the client purchases bonuses or points, and these points are indistinguishable from each other. They do not have priority depending on which company they were received from.

The main advantages of coalition loyalty programs:

high attractiveness of coalition programs for clients;

relatively low costs compared to an individual program;

the ability to create programs that are more diverse in content than for one company.

In addition to the advantages of working with a coalition loyalty program, there are disadvantages that can significantly influence a company's decision to participate in the program in favor of individual programs.

The main disadvantages of coalition loyalty programs:

difficulties in relations between companies participating in the coalition program;

inadequacy in the creation and implementation of coalition programs due to little experience in their functioning;

the need to coordinate the work of many participants.

At the same time, for each partner it is necessary to either integrate its existing loyalty program, or develop a new one for the goals of a particular partner and in accordance with the specific problems in its industry. Therefore, in the process of developing a coalition program, it is actually necessary to develop several concepts and scenarios: both for the organizer and for several anchor partners.

Both individual and coalition programs have their strengths and weaknesses, and it is impossible to say unequivocally which program should be taken as a basis: it all depends on the characteristics of the company, its activities, and its clients.

Modern brand management practice knows many ways to attract and retain consumer loyalty. Loyalty is based on the consumer's commitment to the brand, which implies the latter's willingness to purchase the brand again and again.

The concept of “brand loyalty” comes from the English word loyal- true and characterizes the buyer in terms of his attitude towards the brand. It is traditionally considered that a consumer is loyal if he has made two or more purchases. Loyalty is achieved, as a rule, either through high-quality satisfaction of needs, or through the emotional involvement of the buyer in the life of the brand, through the latter’s willingness to provide the consumer with the opportunity not only to satisfy their immediate needs, but also to feel their involvement in something big and important, significant for themselves. consumer.

Russian scientist S.A. Starov characterizes loyal consumer 1 as follows:

• he is satisfied with the purchase (product);
• ready to make repeat purchases more than once;
• maintains a strong preference for the brand regardless of the actions of competitors and is insensitive to the tricks of the latter;
• has an emotional attachment to the brand

S.A. Starov points out that in modern practice there are two types of loyalty: behavioral and affective. Behavioral loyalty manifests itself when purchasing a specific brand, but may not evoke any emotions in the consumer. A purchase is made because for some reason it is convenient to make it. This may simply be the availability of the product at a given moment in a given location, price preference, or other rational reasons. The danger is that with behavioral loyalty, the consumer will switch to a competitor at any convenient moment. Affective loyalty implies an emotional attachment that is longer-term and more persistent than behavioral, because in the presence of a stable favorable emotion it is very difficult to switch to a competitor. And even if this happens, the likelihood of returning to your favorite brand is higher than in the first case.

Having a circle of loyal consumers is beneficial to both parties: the consumer and the manufacturer. And here, first of all, the purely economic benefit is obvious: both of them significantly save effort when making a repeat purchase. Time is saved on delivery and searching for goods, money on finding your supplier and buyer, etc.

For a manufacturer, having a large number of loyal consumers also allows them to gain the following competitive advantages 2:

• reduction in marketing costs. A large base of loyal customers allows the company to save promotion budgets;
• maintaining stability in crisis situations. In a crisis, when a manufacturer strives to reduce costs and most consumers cut costs, a brand with

Starov S.A. Brand loyalty: classification, assessment methods and programs

formation of brand loyalty // Vestnik of St. Petersburg

university. 2007. Vol. 2. (Ser. 8).

Right there. P. 117.

a high proportion of loyal customers has the ability to stay afloat due to those who remain loyal in any situation;

• ability to maintain premium prices. The higher the loyalty from the target audience, the higher the premium price of the brand can be;
• gaining time to prepare a response to competitors’ actions. Due to the formed extensive base of loyal customers, the company always has time to improve the product, its individual characteristics or individual species services and to retain its consumers.

In the most general form, two broad groups of loyalty programs can be distinguished: price and non-price. Price - easier to organize, more accessible and understandable to the consumer. They are unpretentious and work well in those segments that are, as they say, price sensitive. As a rule, stimulating this kind of loyalty is manifested through the creation of a system of discounts, distribution of bonus and discount cards, etc.

If the consumer is insensitive to price and for him price is not a priority motivator for purchase, then it will be more difficult to win the loyalty of such a consumer. But here they can come to the rescue non-price methods of stimulating loyalty. They involve the emotional sphere of the consumer’s consciousness, through which attachment and good attitude are formed, an image is created, and an understanding of the benefits and promises of the brand comes.

In our opinion, consumer loyalty can be achieved in the following ways:

• through consumer involvement in the life of the brand;
• demonstration of social activity (social significance) of the brand through /^-communication;
• building feedback between the brand and the consumer;
• high-quality and attentive satisfaction of current consumer needs;
• creation of consumer clubs (regular buyers).

Involvement in the life of the brand involves the formation of consumer involvement in the life of the brand. This involvement can be developed by the most different ways: involvement in competitions and sweepstakes, creation of unique service conditions for specific categories of clients. In the book “No discounts! Non-material stimulation of customers” I. Imshi-Neidkaya 1 gives the following examples of consumer involvement in the life of the brand:

• providing the client with attention and a place in the media (in the mailing list, corporate magazine, on packaging, advertising posters, etc.);
• attracting clients to participate in competitions and sweepstakes;
• organizing exhibitions of clients’ work, for example, exhibitions of handicrafts, where hand-made models of the brand are presented;
• the opportunity to satisfy curiosity, experience new sensations (for example, from organizing a display with exotic shoes in a shoe store to the opportunity to take a photo with a celebrity in a restaurant or store, or take an excursion into history and tell your clients about how Christmas trees were decorated in Russia in the old days, or organize a master class in which clients can learn how to cook exotic dishes);
• creating conditions for client self-expression. For example, allowing him to make recommendations to other customers; post information about his experience and achievements in a prominent place in the store or website; make a movie based on the client’s script or with his participation, etc.;
• The client values ​​attention. Therefore, any methods of providing attention to the client are recommended: personal service, exclusive attention, sincere conversation during the purchase. Many customers are reliably affected by the situation when, in a store where they are regular customers, they are asked one question: “Are you as usual?”

In addition, other methods of stimulating loyalty can be cited:

• placement of information useful for the client on the product packaging: recipes; historical, scientific or other facts; all kinds of pleasant greetings; philosophical or other statements. Anticipation of new recipes will encourage customers to make subsequent purchases;
• creating interesting riddles and puzzles with the opportunity to win a prize or posting information from the “Did you know?” series;
• demonstration of the social activity of the brand and company, participation in charitable or other socially significant

Imshinetskaya I. No discounts! Non-material incentives for clients.

Rostov n/d.: Phoenix, 2015.

promotions, supporting projects of local or federal significance, developing sustainable associations on this basis, creating an image of a socially responsible brand, which creates additional bonuses in relation to the target audience’s brand. The brand ceases to be perceived as an exclusively selfish agent striving to obtain its own high profits, and begins to be perceived as an active subject of the social life of society, ready and able to take care of its consumers;

Establishing /^-communications between the brand and the consumer, informing the consumer about the life of the brand, new changes in production technologies, new design, improvement of any other details.

You can find many such examples. Almost all well-known brands today, to one degree or another, support charitable social projects, participate in the life of cities and towns, and use the opportunities created by the field of public relations. This allows them not only to broadcast one-way information about themselves, but also to receive feedback from their fans and admirers.

Establishing feedback with your consumer is an extremely important point in the development of modern brands. The modern consumer is extremely spoiled by the abundance of offers, but at the same time experiences a lack of communication with the seller. Therefore, establishing feedback, the opportunity to express your opinion about the brand, both positive and negative, the speed of response to statements - today this is an extremely important point in the development of brands. Working in this direction and promptly responding to customer dissatisfaction are an important principle for building their loyalty as a factor in the brand’s good relationship with its consumer. The opportunity to express your opinion is often more psychologically important than the opportunity to receive a discount.

High-quality and attentive satisfaction of the needs and requirements of the buyer as a way of nurturing consumer loyalty is manifested in the following:

• 1) provision of quality goods (or services) corresponding to the declared level. Violation of this principle can turn the client away from the brand forever;
• 2) providing clients additional services, which confirm the importance of the customer to the brand. These services may be provided free of charge or for an additional fee depending on the importance of the client to the brand, but in any case they should be available to the client as an indicator that he is dealing with a reliable and trusted brand;
• 3) the opportunity to get all the service in one place: in the field retail(shop), or the beauty industry (beauty salon), or in any segment of the service industry. In the modern world, there is a shortage of two relevant consumer values: time and attention. By finding an opportunity to provide both to its customers in one place, the brand will never lose its customers;
• 4) creation of consumer clubs. Many brands today use this principle. This gives brands a number of advantages, and the most important of them is a reduction in promotion costs, because the club approach involves growing your own customers and promoting the brand with their help. It is at this level that word of mouth turns on as a business tool, and promotion proceeds on the principle of disseminating information from person to person. The creation of clubs can be very different: from issuing club cards that provide special conditions for membership, to preparing special offers and special tariffs for servicing club members. A striking example of this is the creation of special tariffs in the telecommunications industry, when, for example, the whole family or your friends can use one tariff plan, or for beauty salons, where you can get a discount on services for family members, etc.

Another important aspect of club loyalty, in our opinion, is the so-called cultivation of your consumer. In other words, brands cultivate consumers from an early age, developing their own special offers and special service programs for them, as if preparing for themselves a promising customer base for several years to come. One of the striking examples of creating such a unique consumer club was the company Coca-Cola, when she attracted to her brand, perhaps, the favorite hero of all children - Santa Claus: a child will inevitably use the thing that the most important wizard on the planet approves of. The brand wins, the consumer wins.

Forming consumer loyalty is a long-term process, usually built over years. In this case, all possible branding and marketing tools are used. The main task of this process is to form the correct perception of the brand by the target consumer.

Test questions and assignments

• 1. What is the semantic differential method?
• 2. Create a semantic core of your brand using the semantic differential method.
• 3. Describe the main attributes of your brand using copywriting tools.
• 4. Reveal the essence of the phenomenon of consumer loyalty. What are the basic principles of building loyalty?

From this article you will learn:

• Why does a company need loyal customers?
• What are the types of loyalty?
• How a loyalty program is created
• What tools ensure customer loyalty is maintained?
• What mistakes are often made when developing customer loyalty programs?

The sales volume of any company is determined by the number of consumers. For this reason, each company develops different ways to attract target audiences and customers. One of the most effective methods is a customer loyalty program. In order for it to bring maximum profit, it must be properly developed and implemented.

Why is it necessary to build customer loyalty?

Customer loyalty is a trusting and warm attitude towards the organization. In this definition, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of a positive customer experience. If, as a result of purchasing a product and interacting with the seller (specialist), the client received positive emotions, then there is a high probability that he will return again.
Research in this area has shown that if a consumer is satisfied with the quality of a product or service, then, most likely, he will respond favorably to another offer from this company. And the introduction of special, “privileged” loyalty programs, which allow you to use the organization’s services on the most favorable terms, additionally motivates regular customers to cooperate with you.

How to MAXIMIZE your company’s competitive advantages over competitors” at the training

But stimulating clients with material benefits is far from the only method to promote your company well. It is important to understand that there are many competing businesses on the market offering a similar product or service, the cost of which may be lower than yours. But the client is focused not only on price. If the consumer is satisfied with the brand image, the main mission of the company, its social activities and attitude towards its responsibilities, a certain emotional loyalty of buyers is formed. They will even be willing to pay a little more to feel part of the company and support it.
Suffice it to remember the long lines in front of the store on the day the sales of the latest iPhone model started. Are these customers getting any benefit? No.

Why you need loyal customers:

• They spend more(average bill increases).

A loyal consumer readily enters into an additional support agreement and willingly goes for improvements.

• They ensure your positive reputation.

Quite often we come across complaints from clients about their partners who violate agreements. Such disloyal consumers are the main source of negative reviews of your work.

• They ensure the effective operation of word of mouth.

An analysis of customer loyalty shows that a satisfied consumer will recommend you to four of his friends, each of whom, being a buyer of your company, will recommend you to four friends. Thus, the target audience increases exponentially.

• They are more willing to try your new services.

Imagine a situation where you have developed a new product or service, and you need a target audience that will be interested in this product. In this situation, the easiest way to sell it is to a loyal client who trusts you unconditionally.

Thus, we can conclude that consumer loyalty is the most important factor success of your business.

What are the different types of customer loyalty?

Rational

This type of loyalty is built on mutually beneficial terms of cooperation between the company and customers. In other words, they are making a deal of sorts. The more goods the buyer purchases, the higher the discount, etc. The vast majority of loyalty programs adhere to this principle, where the main condition is a high degree of customer satisfaction with the quality of the product and the company’s service. If the consumer is dissatisfied with the product or service, the bonus and discounts will no longer apply to him.

Nowadays, a special place is given to financial incentives for clients. In this bonus loyalty program, the emphasis is on individual favorable conditions that are formed depending on the buyer’s consumption model. Typically, these algorithms are based on the following fundamental principles:

1. The loyalty program is designed to stimulate regular consumers. Most of the budget is aimed at their material incentives. The main goal of the loyalty program is to increase the number of regular customers and their level of product consumption with minimal investment.
2. The loyalty program is designed in such a way that its participant should generate more income than a client who is not involved in it. If this does not happen, it means that the wrong strategy has been chosen, which does not give the desired effect. It is important that the comparison takes place among customers from similar consumer segments.
3. Buyers should not get used to bonuses. A loyalty program should be designed to highlight its value and respond to changes in consumer behavior.

Rational loyalty has favorable conditions for both customers and the company itself. Incentives are not only in the material aspect in the form of discounts and various bonuses. This program also uses a system of exclusive offers, additional features, special conditions, which perfectly motivate purchasing activity.

Emotional

This type of loyalty is understood as the client’s partiality and attachment to a particular brand. Apple, Starbucks, IKEA are prime examples that demonstrate active consumer engagement and create armies of fans of their products around the world.
Of course, not every company is capable of creating such a stir around its product as Apple, but this is not required. Emotional customer loyalty involves the formation of sensations, feelings and subconscious reactions of the buyer. Now the market is oversaturated with offers. The client will prefer the company that will give him positive emotions and pleasantly surprise him. Therefore, in order to attract as many consumers as possible, an organization must know the answers to the following questions:

Level of customer loyalty and stages of loyalty formation

As a rule, customer loyalty is divided into 3 levels:

1. Satisfaction from purchase.

At this stage, the consumer experiences positive emotions after purchasing a particular product, however, he still compares the products with similar offers from competitors and can give them preference at any time. At this stage, the client usually continues to monitor the market, he reacts to both positive and negative experiences. It is impossible to manipulate the mood of such a consumer and predict his preferences. This initial level of loyalty is not permanent. It is determined by the client’s age, social status, psychotype, market fluctuations and other factors.
In order to increase consumer loyalty, it is necessary to adhere to a clear algorithm of actions. In order to consolidate the client’s first positive experience of purchasing a product, it is recommended to build personal communication with him within the “seller-buyer” framework.

1. Brand loyalty.

At this stage, as a rule, the client is offered various interesting promotions. Also carry out comparative analysis with competing companies, the manufacturer helps the consumer in solving any individual problem. Thus, the organization actively works proactively when the product of a particular company is presented in a more advantageous light than a similar product of competitors. In other words, the consumer is deprived of choice and gives preference to what the manufacturer offers him. This is how customer loyalty is managed.
The consumer moves to the second level of loyalty – brand loyalty. At this stage, the client has already clearly made his choice, is loyal to a specific brand and does not think about changing it to a similar product from competitors. This stage does not imply an abundance of offers and various promotions. However, it is always necessary to monitor the dynamics of consumer loyalty development. Even a loyal customer can be swayed by clever strategies from competitors. This stage of loyalty involves an in-depth analysis of consumer sentiment. The company's professional marketers carry out strategic planning and carefully study the reasons for customer loyalty to the brand, and also reinforce these characteristic features of the products.
It is worth remembering that at this stage the buyer's loyalty is passive. The company is just beginning to win consumer respect. Right now it is important to switch to personal relationships characterized by mutual benefit, which are aimed at creating the highest degree of customer loyalty - partnership.

1. Partnership.

At this stage, the client is a like-minded person and ally who helps promote the product on the market and its development. This stage of the relationship between the company and the consumer is the most active, when the buyer begins to give recommendations regarding the organization’s strategy, and also helps to improve its structure, monitoring the actions of competitors, and is a kind of “partner” for the brand.

Formation of customer loyalty, which consists of 6 stages

Each buyer is at a certain stage of trust in your company:

• Random client– purchases goods from you only because your organization is geographically located closest to everyone else. You cannot manipulate the behavior of such a buyer. He may remember you, but it’s not a fact that he will come back again.

Example for b2c: a person is thirsty and buys water at the first store he comes across. For b2b: the entrepreneur has run out Business Cards, he went to the Google search engine and called any printing company.

• Just a consumer– buys from you because he knows that in your company he can purchase the product or service he needs. In this case, you should provide the client with the most complete information about the available products and remind about yourself as often as possible.

Example for b2c:“I want to buy Coca-Cola. I’ll go to the store next door because it’s always in stock there.” For b2b: “We purchased hosting from this organization, we will buy a domain from them.”

• Regular customer(client who has motivation). He purchases a product from you only because it is profitable for him at the moment. This is the worst option for the company. As soon as such a consumer receives a more interesting and profitable offer, he will go to competitors.

Example for b2c:“I only buy groceries from this store because they have the lowest prices.” For b2b: “We conducted a thorough monitoring of the market and found that this offer is the most profitable.”

• Loyal consumer– purchases a product because he likes it. Such clients are very beneficial for any company. They are oblivious to the organization's mistakes, but they expect you to be loyal to them in return.

Example for b2c:“I just love purchasing this brand.” For b2b: “We are pleased with the cooperation with this organization.”

• Follower– purchases a product because he believes that the product is worthy of it. Such customers are even more profitable than loyal ones. They don't need to be taken care of. All you need to do is maintain the image that is attractive to this type of consumer.

Example for b2c:“I buy products from this company because they emphasize my status.” For b2b: “Their buyers are companies with an impeccable reputation.”

• Fanatic– for such a consumer, the brand is a life goal. This type of client is necessary, because it is thanks to him that the image of the company is created, which so attracts Adherents.

An example for b2c is fans of sports clubs and players.

It is also important to be able to distinguish false loyalty, when a consumer simply works with a company out of habit. If he receives a more tempting offer, he will no longer cooperate with you.

What should be an effective customer loyalty system?

In order to competently organize and maintain long-term relationships with customers based on mutually beneficial cooperation, it is necessary to develop a customer loyalty system. The main principle of this system is to provide an individual approach to each client.
Now, when there is a fierce struggle between competitors in the market, the decisive moment in business development is its own consumer base and its periodic replenishment. And a customer loyalty system allows you to ensure an additional influx of customers.
It is a set of various marketing mechanisms aimed at attracting new consumers and retaining existing ones. In order for a casual customer to become a regular one, it is necessary to correctly use the loyalty system, which, in turn, provides additional advantages in the fight against competitors, and also helps to increase sales.
Developing a loyalty program involves choosing a way to reward consumers. As a rule, the desired effect is achieved through various drawings and gifts, a system of bonus cards, special offers and promotions, personal coupons and additional privileges for regular customers.
Nowadays, the most popular system is complex discount programs that unite several organizations. As a rule, it operates in a specific industry segment (for example, a single card for several unrelated shoe stores) or applies to companies differing in their field of activity.
It is important to understand that the effectiveness of a customer loyalty program is determined by its compliance with consumer expectations, which, in turn, requires feedback from them. Buyers must feel important to the company.
For this purpose, as a rule, they carry out marketing research. Analysis of the results of regular customer surveys allows you to make timely adjustments to the loyalty system, as well as optimize the activities of the enterprise as a whole.
The company's production should be based on the current needs of the population. It is by identifying customer needs and maximizing their satisfaction that the organization gains the trust of customers, and at the same time achieves the main goal of any company - increasing profits.

How to evaluate and find out the customer loyalty index

In order to measure the level of consumer loyalty, you need to understand how willing he is to recommend your company's products or services to his friends and relatives.
It is those clients who advise their friends to contact you who give you the highest score, thereby even exposing their reputation to some risk, and are loyal consumers. They act as a kind of brand advocate. How to evaluate customer loyalty indicators?
For this purpose, they use the net support index technique (abbreviated NPS), according to which all the company’s consumers are conditionally divided into three categories:

1. Promoter clients. This is the most loyal type of customers who are willing to risk their reputation and recommend the company to friends and family.
2. Passive consumers. This group is usually satisfied with the organization's products and services, but, as a rule, is not inclined to make recommendations to their loved ones.
3. Detractor buyers. These customers, for whatever reason, experienced negative emotions when interacting with the company and share negative reviews about its work.

The NPS pure support index methodology is assessed on a 10-point scale, where 0 means that the consumer will never recommend the organization to his friends and family, and 10 means the client is highly satisfied with the company’s products and will readily give positive feedback:

• if clients rate the possibility of positive recommendations from 9 to 10 points, then they belong to the category of promoters;
• from 7 to 8 points – passive consumers;
• from 0 to 6 – detractors.

Typically, customer loyalty is calculated using the following formula: the number of promoters - the number of detractors.
Accordingly, the more loyal customers a company has, the more positive reviews the market receives about it, the more often potential buyers turn to this organization on the recommendations of their relatives and friends.
According to statistics, in order for a future consumer to make a choice in favor of a particular company, he needs to receive 5-6 positive recommendations. One promoter gives from 3 to 4 good reviews. In turn, the detractor can make from 4 to 6 anti-recommendations. It is worth remembering that one negative review can be stronger than five positive ones. Thus:

• 6 positive recommendations = +1 new consumer;
• 1 negative review = - 5 positive statements;
• 1 negative recommendation = - 0.83 new customers;
• 1 detractor = from 4 to 6 negative ratings;
• 1 detractor = - 4.15 new consumers.

Thus, to attract one new client, an organization must have at least two consumer promoters. Moreover, just one detractor can deprive a company of 4-5 potential buyers.
Consequently, the more promoters in the ranks of the organization, the higher the chances of attracting the interest of new consumers, which, in turn, indicates an increase in profits.
But the benefit of client promoters is not only that they readily recommend the company to their friends. They represent the main profitable group of the firm's client base.

How to increase customer loyalty

You can increase the level of consumer loyalty by:

• material incentives for buyers (discount and bonus programs, special offers and promotions);
• customer feedback - a kind of “hot lines”, meetings, sending various notifications with useful information by email or sms;
• non-material motivation - exclusive offers for regular customers in the form of VIP service, gifts, free samples.

The principle of stimulating consumer loyalty is quite simple: your company issues cumulative discount cards, and the buyer, in turn, purchases products from your company in order to achieve a high level of discount.
Moreover, the card owner can lend it to his relative or friend, thereby helping to attract additional customers. Thus, the number of sales increases many times over, and the percentage of the discount provided quickly pays off.
Various companies prefer to develop special customer loyalty programs. They offer their consumers the provision of services on especially favorable terms for them.
Perfume stores and cosmetics boutiques reward regular customers with free samples and gifts for holidays and birthdays.
An example of increasing the loyalty of bank customers is an increase in interest rates on deposits available to a limited number of service users. Supermarkets usually use a club card system.
Timely informing customers about promotions and various seasonal sales, as well as conducting surveys on the level of satisfaction with the organization’s products and services actively contributes to the formation of consumer loyalty.
The client understands that his personal opinion is of great importance for the manufacturer; he is an integral part of the company, taking part in its activities. Thus, we can conclude that consumer loyalty requires the creation of mutually beneficial conditions, as well as focusing the attention of a particular buyer on his importance for the company.

How to create a loyalty program for regular customers

Stage 1. Setting goals for the loyalty program.
The following series of tasks of this system can be distinguished:

• Attract new clients.
• Retain loyal customers.
• Counteract the efforts of competing companies to lure away the target audience.

You should settle on one goal. Achieving two or more at once is quite problematic and, as a rule, even futile. The best goal is to increase the value of an organization or product in the eyes of consumers. In other words, a well-designed customer loyalty program after a certain amount of time confirms the importance of an established relationship with the company.
Stage 2. Determining the key factor of the loyalty program.
This moment is determined by the characteristics of the business and the market situation. The key factor should be one and only one, and it will serve as the basis for the formation of a customer loyalty program. In order to make the right choice, you need to clearly understand the value system of your regular consumers.
Thus, at this stage, you determine how you will create customer loyalty (the reason why your customers will purchase products or services again and again). What could it be:

• Special treatment for loyal customers?
• Unique services that are available exclusively to regular customers?
• Special prices reserved only for loyal customers?

Often, organizations make their life easier: they simply take a ready-made key factor from the loyalty program of competing companies as a basis. However, keep in mind that you cannot copy their target audience and market position.
Stage 3. Assessment of the level of economic feasibility.
Each loyalty program necessarily implies material and other dividends. There are many examples when this or that company incorrectly calculated economic parameters, and as a result went bankrupt due to fatal discounts and bonuses. Also, many organizations suffer significant losses when they refuse to fulfill their obligations.
It is possible to identify some methods that allow one to calculate economic feasibility, but, alas, they all differ in their probabilistic nature. Much is determined by the experience and intuition of manufacturers and organizers of the loyalty system.
Stage 4. Choosing the main tool for a customer loyalty program.
Can be used:

1. Fixed discount– a personalized card or certificate to highlight a certain category of consumers (silver, gold and platinum).
2. Progressive discount scale.

As a rule, the size of the discount directly depends on the amount of goods purchased. Such a card motivates the client to buy a more expensive product in order to get a good discount.
It is also necessary to take into account the specifics of a particular product. A consumer may purchase a larger quantity of a product than originally planned if:

1. System of bonuses and cumulative discounts.

As a rule, this version of the loyalty program is personalized.
The main idea of ​​this system is to encourage not each individual transaction, but the purchasing history as a whole. That is, when purchasing a particular product, the consumer receives certain bonuses. Subsequently, they are recorded on a map or entered into a computer database. At some point, the size of the bonus reaches a set value, and then the client is provided with a gift, discount or any other incentive.

1. Creation of special conditions of service.

This type of loyalty program is suitable for especially important clients (VIPs). This system is relevant when the consumer, in addition to the cost of the product, is interested in the cost of delivery, the possibility of obtaining a loan, and how long the service process will take. Such a program is available only to trusted clients whose loyalty is no longer in doubt. It can also be used to attract consumers of competing companies.

1. A system of prizes, awards, lotteries, gifts and other material incentives.

This version of the loyalty program is based on holding certain events. As a rule, they are associated with the organization of a prize draw. Typically, these programs are aimed at motivating customers to purchase a certain number of products and send labels to the organization.

1. Providing access to resources that are closed to other consumers.

Every company has particularly important servers that are used as bait for buyers. The slogan of this program: “Become our regular customer, and you can get an exclusive pass to a world closed to outsiders.” There is a certain group of VIP consumers who want to distance themselves from society. Such people are willing to pay extra for their club to be closed to others.

1. Taking part in income.

This option is used extremely rarely. When you need to bind a consumer to you, you can pay him a portion of the income. The registration methods may vary, but the main idea is to complete as many transactions as possible. Then the profit and, accordingly, the buyer’s remuneration will be higher. Typically, this ensures loyalty from suppliers. If the entire organization, and not a specific person, is involved in the profit, then the risks of loss of loyalty after his departure are reduced. Such a relationship between the client and the company is secured by a formal contract, and the recipient of the income is assigned a number of obligations.

1. Clubs and associations.

Stage 5. Analysis of the results of the loyalty program.
In order to correctly assess the effectiveness of this system, it is necessary to conduct a consumer survey. There are various ways to provide feedback: place a box for collecting questionnaires at the entrance or organize “mystery shoppers” and personal meetings with consumers.

What customer loyalty programs do they have: examples of well-known companies

Savings loyalty program

It is the most common model, characterized by simple mechanics: regular customers try to accumulate as many points as possible, which are then exchanged for various material benefits (discounts, free products, special offers, etc.).
However, it often happens that companies themselves complicate the operation of this method, which ultimately leads to confusion.
Therefore, it is necessary to remember that the accumulation system should be simple and understandable to use. This model is suitable for any b2c business, but it is best to use it where the frequency of purchases is quite high.

Example. Consider the Boloco Card loyalty program. The American restaurant chain Boloco is loved by its customers not only for its signature burritos, but also for its special operating system. Their loyalty program rewards consumers with one free product for every fifty dollars spent. Typically, the prize is a cocktail or a large burrito. Thus, points are converted into dollars, and material assets, in turn, into goods.

Multi-tier loyalty program

The main task of the company in the process of developing a customer loyalty program is to find a harmonious balance between the cost of the gift and its achievability. For this purpose, a multi-tiered model of maintaining interest and encouraging buyers is being introduced. By providing small rewards as your customer builds loyalty and progresses to more meaningful rewards, you can both retain their attention and create motivation to participate in the program.
The main advantage of this model, in contrast to the funded one, is that a number of short-term and long-term benefits are available to the consumer. While the other system causes less interest, since the gap between purchasing the product and achieving the goal is usually too long, and the buyer may simply forget that he is a participant in this program.
The tiered loyalty model is widespread among airlines and insurance organizations.

Example. Let's look at the features of the Flying Club loyalty system. Virgin Atlantics invites its passengers to take part in a widespread multi-tier program that involves accumulating miles. Customers are divided into the following segments: “Red”, “Silver” and “Gold”. Members of the first category, in exchange for accumulated miles, rent a car, pay for parking and hotel accommodation. Members of the Silver club receive 50% more points on their account when flying, and as a bonus they also have priority when registering electronically. “Golden” get double the number of miles and have access to VIP rooms.

Affiliate loyalty program

In order for this system to function effectively, it is necessary to identify the needs of your customers, as well as understand where they carry out their customer activity. Don't limit yourself to just what your company offers. Determine who your strategic partners are, serving the same target audience.
With the help of strategic partnerships in the field of loyalty programs, you can significantly grow your business and increase your customer base. This will let your customers know that you care about meeting their needs.

Example. American Express makes extensive use of the opportunities provided by affiliate marketing. They maintain cooperation with such famous brands as Macy's, AT&T, Rite Aid and others.

Members of the program participate in the accumulation of points in a network of partner organizations, paying with them for purchased goods. For example, by renting a car from Enterprise, customers earn a certain number of points, which they then use to pay for telecommunications services at AT&T.

Natural loyalty programs

Loyalty systems are very widespread today, so coming across an original idea is quite a difficult task. The most creative move in this case is to completely abandon the use of the motivational model.
This option is especially relevant for organizations that produce unique products or services. The cost of the product or its quality in this case are not particularly important; we are talking about reorienting the industry as a whole. Then using a loyalty program is not at all necessary - you can already reward your consumers with quality service and good products.

Example. Apple never rewards even its most loyal customers with discounts and prizes. The organization primarily focuses its efforts on product quality and service that highly meets the requirements of their customers.

Loyalty programs with non-material rewards

A competent long-term motivational model is based on understanding the true needs of customers.
Any organization can use a system of discounts and prizes to attract customers. But it is those companies that can offer their consumers value that cannot be measured in monetary terms that build truly trusting relationships with them.

Example. Let's look at the features of Patagonia's loyalty program. Marketers at this well-known sportswear manufacturer realized that their consumers were not interested in accumulating points and receiving discounts on products. And then they organized the repair of goods purchased in their stores. This program reveals the emotional connection between athletes and a specific item of clothing from a given brand.

Loyalty programs with gamification elements

The game element introduced into the loyalty program can stir up interest in it from the target audience.
A simple example of using this system is holding various competitions. But it is important that they are not trivial to keep consumers motivated. Effectively designed programs can add an element of show to the otherwise leisurely shopping experience.
The benefit must be valuable and at the same time achievable, and the conditions of the game and a number of restrictions must be worked out to the smallest detail, otherwise the drawing will be of interest not only to your regular consumers, but also to ordinary prize hunters. Pay special attention to informing company employees.

Example. Let's look at the features of the customer loyalty program of the food delivery company GrubHub. This organization has been successfully holding competitions for six years. After the order is placed, the company’s client is invited to take part in the game. If the winner wins, the consumer receives a free dessert or drink.

Paid loyalty program

The goal of any loyalty system is to strengthen the relationship between the company and its consumers. Sometimes, instead of a minor bonus or prize, it is better to provide the buyer with more value, but at some additional cost on his part.
If this system helps overcome obstacles to purchasing a product, it will be beneficial to both parties - the company and the client. Paid participation in the program stimulates an increase in the number of sales and diverts the buyer's attention from competing companies. Thus, using this scheme, you can make an exclusive offer to the client on a reimbursable basis.
This model is relevant for businesses characterized by a large number of repeat purchases.

Example. Let's look at the features of Amazon's loyalty program, called Prime. For example, regular customers have the opportunity to purchase a yearly subscription for $99, which provides the benefit of free express delivery. At the same time, the average cost of purchases for Prime members is usually twice that of regular customers.

In what cases can a customer loyalty program harm your business?

Characteristic features of the relationship between the company and the client, in which the loyalty program is not justified and will do more harm than good:

• Owner's wish.

The head of the company simply wants to introduce a popular loyalty program into his business. In this case, there is only an emotional component, not supported objective reasons use of this system. Thus, the loyalty program does not have its purpose, therefore, it will not be effective. In addition, there is a possible risk of dismissal of the employee whose task was to develop and implement this system. It's important to understand that more than 50 percent of loyalty programs fail simply because they weren't relevant.

• Tool replacement.

The next serious reason for the failure of a loyalty program is tasks that are inadequate for the system. For example, the company's management noted a decrease in the flow of consumers. In order to stop customer churn, they develop and implement a loyalty program. But this doesn't help the situation. It should be understood that in this case it is not the lack of such a system that is to blame. You need to look for the reason for losing clients and work directly with it. For example, if there are problems with hygiene in hotel rooms, you should not spend money on discounts - you need to establish a cleaning system.

• Monetization of client motives.

The third common mistake is the assumption that the client is always driven solely by mercantile interests. The consumer loves to receive discounts and prizes, but, nevertheless, this does not give him a feeling of trust in the company. As a rule, providing a discount leads to a drop in business profitability. If bonuses and discounts are accompanied by price competition, then the company will soon begin to make losses. A discount is a kind of gratitude to the client for his loyalty. And the main task of creating a loyalty program is to create such conditions for the buyer so that, having used the organization’s services for the first time, he wants to come back again.