Wednesday, January 16, 2019

The Trials and Tribulations of Brand Loyalty



No one talks about the downside of brand loyalty. It’s the ultimate dream to sell a rider their first bike and then keep them in the family throughout the rest of their riding years - right? Everyone wants that loyal following of advocates who go out into the world, promote the brand, and help it to grow it organically. And we’re lucky in the motorcycle industry because riders are already brand loyal - they know what they want and are willing to wait or search for it.

But while having a loyal following is always the goal - operating in an industry where many of the buyers are already set on a brand can be a double-edged sword. If you can capture the buyers attention - then you may be able to keep them for life - but on the flip side, it can be difficult to coax them away from another manufacturer once they’ve joined their following.

So - do you want brand loyalty or not? For manufacturers - it’s obvious - they want to grow and keep loyal buyers. But for dealers - it’s a tough balance - particularly if you are a multi-line dealer. While you also want buyers who come to you and stay for their entire lifecycle - you may want to sway a buyer’s loyalty from one manufacturer to another because that’s the only way you can make them a customer at all.

It’s odd to think of brand loyalty as something that could be a negative - and it’s really not, particularly if you have it. If you don’t - or are trying to convince a buyer to change their tune - focus on understanding why they’re loyal - pinpoint what drives it - and then build trust with them in other ways. Maybe leverage your dealership and the service you can provide or the resources you offer - build brand loyalty for yourself, rather than the manufacturer, specifically. Or help them understand why the brands you sell are worthy of their loyalty - pointing out similarities and differences, carefully, between the brand you’re interested in selling them and the brand they’ve been loyal to.

Loyalty isn’t set in stone - thankfully - so it’s yours to encourage or take away. If you have it - for your dealership or a manufacturer you sell - nurture it. If you are looking to bring someone from one team to another - keep in mind buyers can be defensive when they are loyal to a brand - so make sure to tread lightly.
Trader Online Web Developer

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