I live pretty far from the place I grew up, the South Jersey coast or "down the shore" as we say. So whenever I come home for a visit, there are a few things I really like to do and most of them have to do with eating foods I cannot get where I live now. First among those is the cheesesteak sub followed closely by Tastykake lemon pies and Manco & Manco's pizza from the Ocean City boardwalk.
I don't want just any cheesesteak sub, either. I want one from Vic's Subs in Absecon, NJ. Just a few houses down from the house where I lived as a child there is a small sub shop known for its tasty subs. I always go there first.
So this got me to thinking this morning as I am sipping coffee in the early morning Jersey sun, why is it that more brands don't inspire that same kind of loyalty? I literally drive past dozens of sub shops to get to Vic's. I don't even consider going anywhere else. Why? Because I am loyal to their brand. And why is that? Because I have an emotional connection to Vic's that I don't have with those other sub shops.
For me, Vic's brings back fond memories of big pickle barrels where you could reach in with long metal tongs and pluck out a huge dill pickle, then slip it into a wax paper bag to carry home. It is the place my little brother and I used to walk to when I was just 5, holding hands and gripping our dimes so we could buy popsicles. Or the smell of frying onions when you drive by with the windows open. The place connects with me through memories and smells and, of course, a great product fairly priced.
The lemon pies are the same. I can buy lemon pies made by other companies where I live in Florida, but I don't. They might taste good, but they won't taste the same as the Tastykake pies because I have lifetime of memories and emotional connections with that brand.
So how do you command the same kind of loyalty with your customers? It isn't easy to create an emotional connection that lasts for years, but it can be done. The thing to remember is that it doesn't and can't, by definition, happen suddenly. You must consistently deliver excellent product with excellent service. Then do something memorable. Make it special for your customers, a place or a product that they will want to return to over and over again.
A few months ago, I was here in Jersey and shocked to learn that my favorite pizza place had changed its name from Mack & Manco's to Manco & Manco's. I am not sure what happened to Mack, but I worried if the product would be the same. Would the cheese and the sauce and the big, steaming pies still taste like "home" to me? Well, thankfully, the recipe is secure and my experience there this week was nothing short of memorable. We waited in line to get in and I wouldn't even think of eating at any of the other pizza places that line the boardwalk. And that is brand loyalty we can all hope for from our own customers.
I don't want just any cheesesteak sub, either. I want one from Vic's Subs in Absecon, NJ. Just a few houses down from the house where I lived as a child there is a small sub shop known for its tasty subs. I always go there first.
So this got me to thinking this morning as I am sipping coffee in the early morning Jersey sun, why is it that more brands don't inspire that same kind of loyalty? I literally drive past dozens of sub shops to get to Vic's. I don't even consider going anywhere else. Why? Because I am loyal to their brand. And why is that? Because I have an emotional connection to Vic's that I don't have with those other sub shops.
For me, Vic's brings back fond memories of big pickle barrels where you could reach in with long metal tongs and pluck out a huge dill pickle, then slip it into a wax paper bag to carry home. It is the place my little brother and I used to walk to when I was just 5, holding hands and gripping our dimes so we could buy popsicles. Or the smell of frying onions when you drive by with the windows open. The place connects with me through memories and smells and, of course, a great product fairly priced.
The lemon pies are the same. I can buy lemon pies made by other companies where I live in Florida, but I don't. They might taste good, but they won't taste the same as the Tastykake pies because I have lifetime of memories and emotional connections with that brand.
So how do you command the same kind of loyalty with your customers? It isn't easy to create an emotional connection that lasts for years, but it can be done. The thing to remember is that it doesn't and can't, by definition, happen suddenly. You must consistently deliver excellent product with excellent service. Then do something memorable. Make it special for your customers, a place or a product that they will want to return to over and over again.
A few months ago, I was here in Jersey and shocked to learn that my favorite pizza place had changed its name from Mack & Manco's to Manco & Manco's. I am not sure what happened to Mack, but I worried if the product would be the same. Would the cheese and the sauce and the big, steaming pies still taste like "home" to me? Well, thankfully, the recipe is secure and my experience there this week was nothing short of memorable. We waited in line to get in and I wouldn't even think of eating at any of the other pizza places that line the boardwalk. And that is brand loyalty we can all hope for from our own customers.
