Let’s Talk Football and Customer Loyalty

Here in Wisconsin, we LOVE our Green Bay Packers. Football fanatic or not, come January when the Packers have clinched the NFC North, beat the Bears, and advanced to the NFC Championship, well, you can be sure we’re all “Go Pack Go!”

What makes the Green and Gold so special, besides cheesehead hats and crazy-fun fans? One major reason is the Packers are the only community-owned franchise in American professional sports. It’s the People’s Team. My husband owns share #039347 and, yes, he proudly displays his stock certificate for all to see. He also watches every game, buys Packer memorabilia, and jumps at the opportune pilgrimage to the Frozen Tundra (yes siree, it’s all outdoors for these gritty diehards). 

Wouldn’t you love to have that same win-or-lose kind of loyalty for your business? Well, you can if you give your customers a bit of ownership.

Emotional ownership, that is. 

Emotional Ownership

Marketing studies show when people feel a sense of ownership in a business or product, they’re more apt to remain loyal customers. Here are three ways to make them part of your team.

1. Physical Interaction
   The more people are able to physically interact with your product, the more ownership they feel. When possible, give customers the advantage of in-person over digital.
2. User-Generated Content
   People feel greater ownership when they talk about and share pictures of the business they patronize. Encourage customers to share on social media how they’re using your product.
3. Product Development
   Give customers a part in developing your product and they’ll feel pride in their ownership. Actively listen to customers’ needs. Ask for names for a new flavor. Credit customers when announcing improvements.
4. Customer Partnership
   People don’t do business with a business. They do business with the people in the business—people who welcome them, connect with them, call them by name.

What I’m Working On This Month

Branding is important at every education level, especially if the school does outreach to the community. With this in mind, Trinity-St. Luke’s new principal called me up for a logo. Together, we’ve developed an icon that well represents the school’s dedication to faith, family and education.

What I’m Tuned In To This Month

1. Cassandra Speaks, by Elizabeth Lesser. When women are the storytellers, the human story changes.
2. Brené Brown: Dehumanization. A little deep, a lot of “reminder to everyone.”
3. De-escalating Tense Situation, Tension during COVID? No way. A Farmers Market podcast, yet applicable to everyone.
4. Serving Dumplings, Winter comfort food, divine, all served in one dish