By Tyler Jefford, Web Developer at Xapsis Integrated Marketing
I had an interesting discussion with a friend of mine this
weekend about Facebook and the implications of a disastrous server failure. Imagine
some catastrophic event where a major Facebook server farm is impacted and some
user data is lost forever. How would that make you feel about the Facebook
brand?
It’s common for adults to make decisions about which brands they
like and those they don’t. Maybe you like the way a certain shampoo makes your
hair glisten, or like the sharpness of the screen on a specific TV brand, but
what if the brand you are committed to doesn’t deliver what you expect?
We have all been to a fast food restaurant at one point or
another where our food was poorly prepared and the service was undesirable. But
you have most likely gone back to that brand for another fast burger. Have you
asked yourself why?
As Clay Deal mentioned a few weeks ago in his blog post the answer is Brand Commitment. Consumers
form a mock-marriage with brands, loving every product, forgiving of the
occasional hiccup in service and referring the brand on to others.
Personally, it takes more than a
few times for a business to mess up for me to consider a break up. Take my
favorite sandwich shop, Subway for example. I
have had subs that have been beyond what I was hungry for and I savored every
bit of it. I have also had times where the service hasn’t
been the best, and the sandwich left me with more to be desired.
Here is something to think about, why would a customer want to
leave your business for a competitor? Do they have better prices? Is their
support team better? How about the quality of the product? Apple has a higher
price for their products in the market, but they are seeing a magnificent year
in sales. You don’t buy Heinz for the support you receive, and McDonalds dollar
menu isn’t topping the quality list any time soon, but you still commit, why?
Because your brand is the body of all your business and
having a well perceived brand can give you a well-received business.
