Channel loyalty versus channel partnering

This current short term focus and attitude has been the recent driving force in many market places of the world today, redefining the traditional working relationships of clients and companies alike. Today's instant gratification society results in companies missing the value in the relationship and causes them to focus and strive only for the bottom line.

True loyalty?

Yet the question must be asked, is this low cut, best price demand from the market that represents the current ethos of Channel business the result of true loyalty campaigns or merely a reaction to consumer purchasing power behaviour?

It is true that Partner programs and other loyalty building initiatives that one may intend to provide do need to offer specific revenue-generating incentives that will help grow the client's business because, ultimately, bottom line margins do speak louder than words.

As a result, the offer of an increase in improved target services, better prices and greater assistance with promotional material, as well as faster turn around times, is widely considered primary positioning to reinforce the base for trade.

Leverage

It is thus up to operators within the Channel to compete wherever possible and position their service offerings to leverage off the fact that loyalty is really down to margin and best pricing.

Yet is an increase in loyalty campaigns and low cut pricing then the answer to the loyalty challenge? Or should loyalty not be the result of a tangible partnership with sustainable positive results for both parties involved?

Whilst necessary for general best practices in business, loyalty programs built only on price or margin and service could be viewed as only building more grey areas than creating loyalty; if they fall behind price and margin on the list of key business requirements, then loyalty is lost and client churn rife.

Vast opportunity

There is a vast opportunity for business development and growth, particularly within rural areas and the SME space through loyalty programs. But what is required to take hold of this in the industry is perhaps not so much an increase in loyalty campaigns, but rather further more earnest efforts to build long-term integrated partnerships with clients that make us of loyalty programs as one of many relationship building tools.

Relationships established on the grounds of comparative, if not best pricing, as well as premier service support that reinforces the customer's experience, is what is required. This means long term listening and tailor making of loyalty programs in a partnering manner that can result in true value addition to the channel relationship and thus client loyalty.

True partnerships constructed with mutual objectives for creating mutual benefit for parties involved will be what lead the way to long term relational stability, sustainability and success which will then translate into true loyalty.

Integrated

Indeed, such partnerships with integrated relationship benefits and loyalty strategies are much more difficult to establish, yet they are far more rewarding to everyone involved if successfully achieved and followed. What we need in our markets today is the skill and determination to build such integrated partnerships that make use of true loyalty strategies.

This will build a future for the parties involved, and for South Africa, and not merely repeat the 'mock loyalty' achieved in programs offered by companies bent on success or profit at the expense of true value.