Care to learn "loyalty"?

“Loyalty” is one of those popular sticky words in every marketing department in the world right now. With the growing belief that it is cheaper and better to retain current customers than to get new ones, marketers have praised the power loyalty has for a brand and overall for the financial stability and growth of a company.

Although maaaaaany studies have been conducted researching the benefits, the causes, the effects, the factors involved in loyalty, etc., I believe none of them have gotten close enough as to what loyalty can add to a brands value.

After my recent trip to Austin, Texas, I think the best way to study loyalty is through football. Researching an issue through collateral industries or businesses is as well a hot topic in today’s business environment; and it definitely should stay that way, since very interesting insights come from collateral industries.

Cut to Austin. Whether you’re at the mall (any of them), driving through the I-35 highway, strolling through downtown streets, or partying on 6th Ave., the University of Texas’ team spirit is alive and kicking. Not only will you see tens of people (in one same shop) wearing every clothing article imagined with the Longhorns logo/colors on it, but you if you care to look, you will see they wear it proudly and cheerfully; as if saying “I’m a Longhorn, I’m better than you…”

So where do these people get these merchandise? Well, at approximately any store imaginable. From Walmart to Sears you can get Longhorn stuff; that is, if you don’t want to find (which isn’t hard, at all) a dedicated Longhorn store; they’re basically at every mall.

It’s getting late and you need some hearty dinner to re-fuel? Go ahead and munch away at Longhorn Steakhouse! A restaurant 100% dedicated at promoting the Longhorn spirit through steak and other kinds of delicious meals.

In reality there isn’t a squared foot in Austin where the Longhorn spirit does not abound. That, my friends, is loyalty. Of a greater kind than the loyalty many believe McDonald’s has, or probably the one that CocaCola ever will. Sure, the Longhorn’s aren’t selling any tangible items per se, rather they’re creating moods, spirits, ideas, emotions, etc., all through a game.

So come think of it…what can us marketers offer our consumers to make them want to be like this with our brand? There are brands that have done it already, so it can be done; it’s just a matter of strategy and dedication.

Technorati : austin, brand, branding, longhorns, loyalty