The Final Installment
Throughout the course of the last five blogs, every facet of customer engagement and advocacy has been discussed. In the first two, the general foundations of the practice were laid out. Then, the next three were dedicated to showcasing the approach of three businesses at different levels to this philosophy—Chapter One, Johnny Cupcakes, and Trader Joe’s. Each case had a great deal of information and applied examples within, and the hope was that each reader could identify with one of these instances and apply the methods utilized. However, it would be amiss to not create some form of comprehensive summary of the cases. This blog’s purpose will be to fulfill this need, to leave the reader with the best takeaway in each case to then transition into their business.
Case #1: Chapter One
As the smallest of the three businesses, one would think that Chapter One would not be able to foster a comparative amount of advocates in relation to other businesses. However, this could not be farther from the truth. Chapter One understood its positioning in the market, and utilized the community around it to adapt and overcome. By collaborating and endorsing other local businesses/organizations, the company was able to achieve a multitude of feats. First, Chapter One was able to place its brand and experience in front of many people in different demographics, and those people would reciprocate the effort that the business went through to reach them by advocating for the company. In addition to that, these collaborative efforts—likethe one with mail-a-hug—showcased what the business stood for and how it was willing to support the causes they were involved in, and that created an unparalleled degree of engagement and advocacy.
Case #2: Johnny Cupcakes
In all honesty, Johnny Cupcakes is perhaps one of the most notable examples of customer advocacy and customer engagement in the digital marketing space. The founder, Johnny “Cupcakes” Earle, truly honed his craft and it shows. Among all of the strategies that are praised, one of the most influential to his success would be how he commits to the customer buying experience. The website itself is very easy-to-use and fun to navigate, and he regularly posts videos of the in-person buying experience in his “fakeries”. Johnny Cupcakes found a way to make retail an unforgettable experience in every facet, and his business has been rewarded as a result.
Case #3: Trader Joe’s
Being such a large company, many believe that it is natural for Trader Joe’s to have such a large degree of customer advocacy and engagement. Much like the other cases, there is more than meets the eye. Specifically, the company has learned how to best bring together a community from their products. They did this by posting recipes using their products, and showing examples of what can be done with everything they sell. Not only did this attract customers into the store, but it also caused a multitude of community-created groups to form. This engagement and accompanying advocacy was the result of effort and strategy, not sheer size.
In Summary
As it has been made clear, there is much to take from these companies. Use the fundamental knowledge and strategies listed above to achieve the most success in this arena. Good luck!
Jeremy LaValley 