Leveraging Social Media to Build Brand Loyalty
MYO: How a frozen yogurt is creating loyal customers using Facebook.
Perhaps you've noticed that frozen yogurt is back; many small stores are opening, this time with a bent towards low fat, living culture yogurts and with another twist: self service. RadiantBrands worked with startup MYO, providing naming, branding and retail environment to introduce this new yogurt retailer.
The first MYO store opened in 2009 on Cannery Row in Monterey, a busy tourist area that could easily draw in customers from foot traffic. They wanted to keep customers and bring them back and have them promote the brand.
When MYO launched its Facebook and Twitter pages not long after the store opened, an interesting phenomenon occurred — as they promoted the store and "friending" the store on Facebook it became a place to be seen on your vacation or visit to Monterey. In addition, MYO had contests and promotional events asking visitors to post pictures, show their favorite yogurt mix and toppings, or post birthdays. The results showed that local high school students had included MYO as part of their social world.
All of this gave ownership of the brand to the loyalists. Facebook friends have rapidly expanded and now number over 3,000. In addition this enthusiasm gave MYO the market insight it needed to open a second store in Monterey within blocks of the high school.
What to Learn from Social Media and Retail
Building a relationship with customers using social networking tools opens the dialog between the brand's value, customer loyalty and personal connections of customers to build the value of a great brand.
The stories, the pictures and the environment of active involvement creates ownership which drives customers to the brand building connections, bringing the brand attributes to life through the customer's experience.
The key to social media for retailers is creating a community of brand connection outside the stores in an always-on world that they can share, participate in and be part of.
Some Simple Tips for Retail and SM
 Build it, they will come.
Create a Facebook page and Twitter site almost immediately. Use it to announce what you are about, what you will be offering. Create a presence and they will be there.
 Invite customers in.
Customers see a "coming soon" sign with "find us on Facebook and Twitter". This opens the doors to questions, inquires, sign ups for grand opening specials. As customers sign up you are already creating a connection, loyalty and delivering an experience of the brand.
 Engage with customers.
Monitor, post and view customer comments that will guide everyone to a sense of the brand. Don't hesitate to encourage input and listen and respond. This gives customers ownership of your brand.
 Provide incentives to come.
Post incentives on your Facebook page, giving customers a reason to come back to the page and to go back to the store, building the customer's experience of your brand.
 Grow your Brand.
As you listen to customers you'll find out where they live, why they come to you, what are the most valuable aspects of your brand and your products. They might even give you hints where to open the next store or other competitive changes. Realize that customer involvement in your brand, your company and products is an integral part of the brand, bringing loyalty that's based on a real brand connection — which retailers need to manage and listen to.
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