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“We have very loyal customers; we don’t need a customer advocacy campaign.” I’ve been in a senior sales and/or marketing position for more than 20 years and the one constant mistake I still see and hear is a lack of understanding in the difference between customer loyalty and customer advocacy. Making the distinction is notRead more

My last post here on Sensei blogs shared some statistics that demonstrate the disruptive effect of smart phones on the photography habits of consumers.  Mobile technology and devices have had a disruptive influence on many aspects of our lives beyond digital photography, which, in turn, has disrupted how businesses must engage consumers. Mobile is DisruptingRead more

Influence and advocate marketing, a popular and often contentious topic today, have been around since we first coined word-of-mouth marketing. When social media began to capture significant market share of the consumers’ voice, these strategies became more critical. As a result, new social media software evolved to identify, engage, and encourage those with a largeRead more

Those readers who follow this blog will know that I have very clear opinions on airlines, loyalty, and customer experience. They also know that I travel a fair amount for both business and pleasure, and that I’ve experienced incredible and unexpected acts of customer service as well as unbelievable ineptitude by both airline staff andRead more

I have attended a few conferences lately where I’ve heard both presenters and attendees use the terms “customer loyalty” and “customer advocacy” interchangeably, which frustrates me to no end – especially when it’s done by so-called “marketing experts.” In my experience, customer loyalty and advocacy are not interchangeable concepts.  There’s a significant difference between the two.Read more

So you’ve been a loyal Delta Airlines customer for 10 years, travelling almost 300,000 miles.  You’ve chosen it over other airlines even when Delta’s flight options require one- or two-stop layovers. When a competitive airline’s price was lower, you remained loyal to Delta and paid the extra fees. You’re a loyal customer. Your loyalty earned you Silver, GoldRead more

In the B2C world, “Customer Loyalty” has become synonymous with points or rewards membership programs which are used to aid in the acquisition of new customers rather than building value in existing customers. Such loyalty programs are rarer in the B2B landscape yet the tactical importance of loyalty is equally misunderstood and underutilized. 91% ofRead more

Got points? Perks? Discounts? Of course you do. We all do. Is your 11th coffee free?  Do you get a 15% discount on a $7.99 shirt cleaning bill after you’ve invested $100 in the dry-cleaner’s business?  Yes? Yes, we all have. And we’re all “loyal” to these businesses who have trained us to be soRead more