‘Generosity marketing’ on social media platforms

 We are all running a race — the race to grab more eyeballs and push sales. Hence, marketing strategies are getting sharper and creative than ever before. Companies are aggressively getting active and innovative to capture the imagination of the new-age consumer. And thanks to the immense rise of social media, there has been a significant paradigm shift in the power between customers and brands.

 The customer still remains the ‘King’ and in a sea of brands, he flows with one brand that easily influences him. In today’s cut-throat environment, it is not about ‘what you give’ but ‘how much you give and how connected you are with your customer.’  There is a declining brand loyalty which can very much be attributed to the rise of social media, which has blurred geographical barriers and has also acted as a catalyst for fierce brand wars being played across different platforms. In such a volatile situation, only brands that can make a deep and instant emotional connect with their customers can expect to be winners.

 For most brands, the endeavour is to develop a strong bond with the customers by offering value and a little extra. Recent evolution in technology has empowered marketers to create the emotional connect with customers through ‘generosity marketing’. To think of it, social media and the increase in the number of smartphones have also reduced the time brands need to reach out to their customers instantly, and lastly, a huge amount of data on consumer behaviour has helped brands personalise communication.

Social commitment  But mindless generosity doesn’t work and brands have to be smart enough in scenting the trend. We live in a transparent world and customers are well aware of the global challenges. A social commitment from their favourite brand will certainly be one of the keys to retaining the customer for a longer time. Besides identifying with a social cause, brands are also rewarding their customers for social engagement, introducing loyalty programmes and a host of innovative ideas to create a 360-degree relationship with their customers to not just improve business but also drive social programmes.

 In the recent past, we have seen a shoe brand in the US driving sales on the promise of donating a pair of shoes in one of the underprivileged parts of the world, and an eyewear retailer donating a pair of glasses to the needy for every sale of eyewear costing a certain amount, airlines gifting frequent travellers with lucrative air miles and instant gratification by electronic goods manufacturers for buying certain products. Such ‘generosity marketing’ certainly works both ways.

Some smart ways to do it  Here are some innovative ‘generosity marketing’ campaigns brands may undertake.

Identifying with a social cause: You must identify an authentic cause that blends with the brand philosophy and business model. The cause must be consistent with your business model and should be sustainable. In an environment of changing priorities, brands must ensure that they share the customers’ goals. Though the brands may look generous the onus is on them to ensure that the whole exercise benefits the people in need.

Rewarding customers for social engagement: Customers are now awarded not just for buying but also sharing the brand’s products on different social media platforms. There was a time when popular celebrities were all that was needed to influence a buyer — today it is a changed scenario. Brands have realised the importance of peer group recommendations and feel that the regular customer is the best brand ambassador. Experience is very important, especially on social media: Customers have varied choice in brands; hence it becomes essential for a brand to offer a great ‘customer experience.’ Besides pushing products and services on social media, the brands’ success depends on the affinity and efficiency it is able to deliver on the platform through experience.

Elevating customers as influencers: Social media has become a democratised way of communication. It has empowered everybody and anybody to be an influencer. And brands are invigorating their consumers to act as influencers on social media in return for healthy reward points.

No wonder, with the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, brands are constantly leaning on these ‘social influencers’ to market their products and services.

Instant gratification: Luring customers with gifts has been an age-old tactic that is still relevant in modern times. It has a lasting impact. Gone are the days when you would get an extra gift for buying a certain product. Brands are now taking the digital gift card route that instantly delight the customer.

Brands have realised ‘doing good’ can seriously translate into ‘doing well’ for their balance sheet. Social media platforms are constantly helping brands to push their ‘generosity marketing’ agenda and develop an emotional connect with the customers.

Anupam Vasudev is Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel