by Bill Hanifin | Dec 8, 2014 | Consumer 2.0, Contextual Loyalty
Having context for something implies we have experienced something like it before. It is impossible to have context for a subject or person without prior experience. And, it is that prior experience which frames our perception of an ensuing interaction, even a transaction. The moment you are living now will have a more satisfactory result if you have context for the situation or the relationship. It is context that fills us with rightful expectation or warns us to remain on guard. Making your Customer Strategy contextual means that, as an organization, you’re well served to establish awareness of your brand, communicate values and a brand promise to breed trust with people who may one day become customers. The evolution of Social Loyalty into Contextual Loyalty highlighted where the real value of using social networks as marketing channels could be found. It wasn’t about channel penetration and coverage, it was about the value created through the content served up that mattered. As brands raced to establish a presence in as many online social venues as possible, they found that it was hard to keep pace. Like chasing a runner who’s got more gas than you do, the ability of brands to take stock of every new social network introduced to the market left them wanting. Without time, understanding, and often human resource to create an optimal impression in every channel, brands settled for something regrettably superficial, eroding trust among their current and potential customers in the process. Moving from social loyalty to contextual loyalty shifts focus from channels to value. Online, that value translates to trust when communications are transparent...
