Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Demosthenes

A new year is starting

Happy New Year to all of my readers !

Let us start 2011 by remembering how important engaged customers are for businesses, specially in these times of economic uncertainty but also of great opportunities.

Proper engagement leads to customer participation, lasting relationships and affect brand affinity and customer loyalty. Unfortunately, these results cannot be obtained only by one-shot special promotions or loyalty programs. Proper engagement is the result of a more global Loyalty Building Strategy that focuses on improving continually the consumer experience at every customer touchpoint, online as well as in the real world.

Will 2011 be the Year of Customer Loyalty ?

The Loyalty Marketers Association predicted recently that 2011 will be the Year of Customer Loyalty.

Considering the increasing concern of managers I got to meet in November and December, the resolution to rebuild customer loyalty is becoming a priority for many businesses. In combination to the fantastic engagement potential of social media, this year could very well be a turning point in Customer Loyalty.

Promising is not enough any more

Engaging the rising mobile social consumer will certainly be one of the major challenges for some big brands in 2011.

As we discovered throughout some of my recent posts, a new generation is rising out of 2010’s social media revolution. Highly influenced by the digital natives, the mobile social consumers get their information via social media,  like to engage conversations with their favourite brands from which they expect reactivity, relevancy and value (service, usability, rewards …)

As Wired quotes in their very interesting article “How your networks are driving what you buy” to engage these consumers, businesses are increasingly turning products into conversation opportunities and launching innovative Social Commerce models as seen on Levi’s ad.

I’d like to thank all of my loyal readers for their comments on my blog and on Twitter. I really look forward to post even more articles on Loyalty and New Media in 2011 to see how social media, storytelling fit to make even more inspiring consumer experiences and engaged customers.

Interested in Loyalty Building & New Media trends & opportunities ? Don’t hesitate to join my group on LinkedIn for more content on these subjects in english & french.