Building brand loyalty previously relied on price. Discounts, offers, and offers for referrals and reviews were typical promotional tactics. However, in today's competitive market, the key to sustainable growth and success lies in building brand loyalty through emotional connection, a connection between brand and customer that goes beyond promotional tactics. Omnichannel consistency is the best way to achieve this.

A holistic approach to building brand loyalty creates a consistent narrative across channels as best as possible. Brands that focus on versatile consistency Throughout their implementation they benefit from a cohesive, emotionally engaging story across the various channels their audiences frequent. The result, often, is a deeper and more lasting brand connection.

For example, Sephora understands the power of investing in a seamless one-stop experience by integrating online and in-store shopping, allowing customers to seamlessly transition between channels. His collaboration with Kohl's to build stores in stores led to a significant portion of Sephora's record profits in 2023 — showing the power of endurance. These small Sephora stores located inside brick-and-mortar Kohl's locations look and feel exactly like freestanding Sephora stores.

Connected: Why consistency is vital to your branding efforts

Why omnichannel consistency is important for strong brand and customer relationships

Today's consumers are inundated with brands competing for their attention. With thousands of brands offering similar products or services at the same price point with the same discounts, which voice will they listen to?

The voice that stands out will be the one that feels most authentic and comes across the same no matter where and when a customer encounters it. Consistency is what makes one strong brand identity.

When customer relationships grow from understanding and deep emotional connection, loyalty comes naturally and price becomes less important to the customer. Consistency across the channel helps build that emotional connection by connecting one brand moment to another, giving consumers a sense of a continuous, immersive journey rather than isolated flashes of interest.

Some brands excel at building community across channels. Take The Body Shop, for example, a brand that weaves a powerful narrative cruelty free practices throughout its marketing, connecting with customers on a deep emotional level and fostering brand loyalty. Or Harley-Davidson, which cultivates a strong sense of community organization of events both online and offline that strengthen affinity and make customers feel part of a collective identity. Others create emotional brand connections by providing exceptional and consistent service. The Ritz-Carlton trains staff to anticipate guest needs and provide personalized service across its locations, creating memorable experiences that keep customers coming back.

Building brand loyalty through omni-channel consistency is a huge undertaking. However, for brands willing to evolve and invest in their customer relationships, the benefits of increased loyalty can materialize quickly. Here are three strategies to support your all-around efforts.

Connected: How to finally get some consistency behind your brand

1. Prepare to go deeper

Before creating an omnichannel strategy, you need to know more about the people you want to serve—beyond simple demographics to a deep understanding the needs of individual customers. You can do this by sending out surveys, creating feedback mechanisms, and engaging directly with customers. Track sentiment and trends and use social media listening to stay ahead of changing preferences and expectations.

Then, go deeper to customize each touchpoint. How can you use information about your customers to create more engaging personal experiences across channels? Can you customize communications? Product offers? Loyalty programs? Once you start to consistently personalize your brand for people, you can co-create a brand story that resonates with them, reflecting their values ​​and sense of purpose.

To improve digital customer experiences, my company, i2c, builds its platform around the customer to create segments of one, allowing our customers to hyper-personalize their communications and products. Through the platform, customers can let their customers choose loyalty rewards they want, whether they choose cash or product previews. We focus on deepening customer relationships by helping them create these personalized experiences for their customers. Through ongoing actions, we empower our loyal customers to become brand ambassadors, sharing their positive experiences and building trust with others. Through our Visionary Program, for example, we elevate our most loyal customers with PR, speaking opportunities and social media promotions.

2. Match perception and reality

Building brand loyalty often means making promises. However, if you want consumers to form a emotional connection for your brand, that vision must become a reality. A mismatch between perception and reality can erode trust and, therefore, loyalty. After all, 32% of consumers have said they will stop doing business with a brand they love after a bad experience.

Brands can bridge the gap by setting realistic expectations. Avoid exaggerations in marketing; instead, focus on highlighting your true strengths and benefits. Be transparent about potential limitations or delays. Close the feedback loop by actively and regularly seeking data, responding with thought and action to that data, and using it to implement changes that meet customer needs and expectations.

It requires a strong brand identity narrow stretch between the promise of a brand and the world it offers to its customers across multiple channels.

Connected: How to turn your expensive mistakes into huge growth opportunities

3. Don't filter the lesson

Building a seamless experience across channels doesn't mean your brand has to be “perfect”. Branding missteps will be easier to avoid if you practice these steps, but the occasional mistake is inevitable. The important thing for a strong brand and customer relationship is to recognize when you've made a mistake and take responsibility.

Taking responsibility means moving on. Avoid the temptation to defend or deflect blame, and certainly don't place blame where it doesn't belong. Statements should lead to action in a timely and certain manner. And once you start, don't stop. Continue to work towards fixing the problem until it is resolved on all channels.

Good error handling it can actually increase brand loyalty. Use setbacks as a chance to have honest conversations about your values ​​and how they translate to customers. Remind people of your brand identity by showing sincerity and quality. The good news is that if your brand has been consistent, your loyal customers are five times more likely to forgive.

In most scenarios, the question of how to build brand loyalty can be reframed as how to create an emotional connection with customers. The answer to this deeper question will only come from understanding your customers and will constantly change. Agility will be key, as will listening critically to customers and adapting your strategies to their evolving needs and the changing marketplace. A commitment to creating seamless brand experiences will ultimately transform casual shoppers into loyal advocates, driving sustainable growth and success in an increasingly competitive environment.