What does it take to become loyal to a particular brand? For me it’s a very deep relationship forged through listening to me when I’m happy or upset about the product or service, going beyond the expected and generally acting like a small-town company even if it’s a multi-million, multi-national business.
Yes, it’s true that sexy branding will get me through the door, but keeping me there is more about the relationship.
So how is the branding of a company linked to continued customer service efforts to maintain customers? Apple is a great example here. I was lulled into the shiny, elite …read more

I’ve written before on my marketing blog about the importance of online influencers in terms of generating an online buzz about your brand which leads to word-of-mouth marketing, new customers and increased brand loyalty. 
Today, I came across a post on The Brand Elastic that discusses brand training, direct to consumers, which discusses how companies like BMW and Sephora are creating customer training programs such as the BMW Performance Driving School and Sephora University to teach customers how to get the most from the brand and products.
The post led me to think about the incredible possibilities training brand influencers could open.  …read more