Why Field Marketing Is Key To Gaining Loyal Customers And Brand Awareness During The Festive Period

By Peter Gullick, Marketing Director at Retail Marketing Group

The time has arrived for retailers to prepare for the next holiday season, as Black Friday and Christmas shoppers start to increase foot traffic on the high street. In this new era of commerce, many marketing strategies place a significant emphasis on digital channels. The benefit of face-to-face marketing cannot be underestimated, especially during the holiday season when daylight-deprived consumers seek out experiences beyond usual shopping trips. Field marketing is ideal for brand building since it provides the possibility to instill the brand’s values in consumers’ thoughts and increases the likelihood that consumers will become customers and then loyal ones.

Experts predict that this year’s festive season may be turned on its head following last year’s lockdown, the current cost of living crisis, and the World Cup taking place over November and December. As the season of mega sales approaches, many retailers attempt to lure customers to their shops and websites earlier each year. For example, to stay ahead of the curve, Tesco started its bold Christmas social media campaign in July. Although Christmas advertisements are now a significant part of the holidays, businesses should reconsider how they can use field marketing to add a personal touch and connect with their customers. Retailers who provide personalized customer service and assist in fostering enduring memories that generate loyalty will have a competitive edge when customers inevitably start to tune out repetitive commercials.

People Buy From People

Face-to-face interaction seems to be waning in relevance in today’s digital world. Consumers heavily rely on email, social media and eCommerce for convenience. It is crucial to balance these online connections with in-person encounters even if it is impossible to ignore the significance of these platforms and how they have altered professional communication abilities.

Real trust is difficult to be established online. It’s unlikely that a customer who never sees your face will have the same connection to you as one whose hand you shake frequently. They read and hear what you say, but seeing you creates a connection that is impossible to achieve through another approach. In the long run, face-to-face connections foster a feeling of community and camaraderie that strengthens client relationships and improves the customer experience. It is not all about verbal communication: body language is a crucial aspect as well.

You may learn a lot about a person through their non-verbal indicators, information that is harder to get from live chat services or phone calls. Using non-verbal cues, you may vary your approach, modify your vocabulary or tone, and determine whether or not someone is paying attention. Online communications are especially time-consuming and unsuccessful when it comes to someone who disagrees with you. Being able to advise or sell others on your viewpoint is a vital leadership and entrepreneurial trait. Instantaneous responses reinforce one another, and face-to-face interactions foster greater engagement. This appears to be particularly true for millennials, the generation most renowned for their dependence on technology.

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Products are made in a factory but brands are created in the mind

One of the greatest methods to encourage customer engagement with your business is by building a strong brand. This will ultimately result in the creation of passionate, devoted customers. A brand is more than just your logo and business cards; it encompasses everything your company stands for and how you interact with people, from your mission statement and corporate culture to your customer service and social media messages to your final product or service offering. The perception that prospects and customers have of your business is ultimately what makes up your brand image. Incorporating your fundamental beliefs into your brand is the first step in developing a positive one. If done properly, those values ought to coincide with that of your intended audience. By laying the groundwork for a relationship with your brand, you can assist your clients in deciding whether they are a suitable fit for your company. Your brand communication strategy should also be transparent and benefit-focused.

Asking your potential consumers directly is the most effective method to truly grasp what they want. Recognition for your brand will grow once it is established, visible to all parties, and continuously reinforced. A strong brand will contribute to the public’s perception of your company as dependable, knowledgeable, and customer-centric. Brand loyalty will emerge as a result of a favourable brand image in the minds of your ideal market. Consumers frequently prefer one service or product over another because of brand loyalty, and maintaining existing customers always costs less than gaining new ones.  While social media is a fantastic platform for spreading your company’s message and maintaining relationships with customers, there is value in physically sharing your story with a prospective client to foster a sense of inclusion and connection as well as increase brand confidence, especially vital during the festive period.

The development of brand advocates and word-of-mouth referrals is one of the benefits of building a strong brand image. Brand advocates are crucial for spreading the word about your company’s name and products and eventually generating new revenue. In picking a brand, 92% of customers said they rely on recommendations from individuals they know, per the Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey.

Festive retail starts now

As it is never too early to start planning a marketing campaign, it is important to consider the impact of field marketing for this year’s festive season now. Brands may engage with their target market directly with field marketing, providing customers with the opportunity to personally interact with the brand. When done properly, field marketing shatters that stereotype by enabling businesses to gather and evaluate campaign data much faster, resulting in more flexible and effective marketing.

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