“Coach’s” Game Winning Strategy
It never ceases to amaze me how much brand loyalty influences our daily purchases. When we go to the store to buy a product, we stroll down the aisle and pull the items right off the shelf. Before reaching the aisle and even perhaps the store, we usually already know what product and brand we will be picking up without putting much thought into it. How did we get to this point? Think about it. I inherited several of my mother’s brand loyalty habits. My mom purchased only certain brands and once I was old enough to buy my own products, I followed in the same pattern without ever thinking about it. Growing up, my family always used Crest toothpaste. And now, it’s the only brand I buy. I am sure I am not the only one impacted by a family member’s purchases.
But maybe it isn’t parental influences that are determining everyone’s buying patterns? There’s always more than just one factor that contributes to a person’s brand loyalty. Everything from word-of-mouth marketing to personal experience adds to it. Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most influential marketing techniques, yet impossible to control. Good news travels fast but bad experiences travel faster.
Personal experience with a product can make or break the association a person has with a brand. These personal experiences help to develop word-of-mouth marketing. And, if the product you purchase doesn’t work or it breaks, the next underlying factor that contributes to the brand is the company’s customer service. I’m a huge fan of Coach and its products. Two years ago, I purchased a Coach wallet and after only a year, the suede patch started to show wear. Since I paid a lot of money for my wallet, I expected it to be of high quality and endure everyday use. I called Coach’s customer service and the representatives informed me that Coach gives each of its product lines a certain “lifetime” and therefore, will repair anything, if possible, during that time. I dropped off the wallet at the store (Coach took care of all the shipping charges) and sent it to the warehouse. Coach then determined whether or not the product could be fixed and if they had the materials to do so. If an item can’t be fixed, Coach provides two options: they keep the defected product and provide a full price credit to the Coach store; or they send back the defected product and give a coupon for 40% off any Coach item. I opted for the second option and even though Coach determined the product as “defected,” I still use it.
I was happy with this process and plan on purchasing more products from Coach in the future. It only strengthened my relationship with them because I know I’ll be compensated in one way or another. It’s companies like Coach that are successful because they make sure their customers are satisfied with what they are receiving. Establishing trust between a client and a brand is key to its future.
