Canadian Retailer - The Marketing Issue - 29

Winning their loyalty
Mahoney: There are many traits about the millennial consumer that are bantered about, including
the fact that they are not going to be loyal to a brand. It might be true that the loyalty of the millennial
consumer is tougher to win than most. However, retailers that have been successful in winning them
over can attest to the fact that they are perhaps more loyal than other generations if you can properly
engage them.
For example, Hallmark's Trends Studio works diligently to keep a pulse on current cultural and
societal trends. This guides our product development leading to cards that look and feel relevant and
authentic to the millennial consumer. Then, we work closely with our retail partners to build a curated
product mix, from card line to price point that resonates with customers at a rooftop level. This ensures that a shopper finds exactly what they need at exactly the right moment when they are in store.
This level of personalization increases loyalty for both Hallmark and our retail partner.
Given the challenge in engaging millennials, how are you and your teams going about capturing
their loyalty?
Zedic: It all starts with providing consistency in the baseWatanabe: Millennials still value price
line customer experience. Quite simply, if you advertise
and quality. Retailers can't forget to deliver
you sell a specific product, it must be on the shelf and it
consistently on price and quality to mainmust be available at a fair price. If these two fundamentals
tain their credibility. But social responsibilare met, the path to purchase is much simpler. When they
ity is also very important to millennials.
are on the right path, earning
We continue to invest in our
their loyalty must become the
social responsibility initiaMILLENNIALS ARE INCLUSIVE
focus of the entire team. Our
tives including the Special
Hallmark is adapting by creating
folks on the front lines need
Olympics, our Superpower
cards to address this-we celebrate
to engage the customer, pay
Your School program and
all couples in love on Valentine's
attention to their interests and
Staples School Supply Drive
Day, create Christmas cards that
needs and provide an excepcampaigns. We promote these
can be shared with two moms or
tional level of service. Our
through our social channels,
two dads, and cards that mark
team in our store will only be
and they continue to allow us
multicultural holidays such as
Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Three Kings
successful if we provide them
to elevate our brand. We also
Day and Chinese New Year.
with the tools and resources
understand that this genthey need to execute, such as
eration isn't static. They are
sample giveaways, demonstraentering into different stages
tions, great promotions, community engagement opporof life, and we want to make sure that we're
tunities and compelling loyalty offers. Providing a consistthere with them through their life journey.
ent and exceptional customer service builds loyalty.
Castonguay: Millennials are much more
Tate: The customer is at the centre of everything that we
in-tune and educated about their health and
do. The expertise that our associates have is the key. They
wellbeing than other generations. We focus
can talk knowledgeably about a product and tailor the conon these things, making sure that we have
versation to the customer's level of information. With our
wellbeing counselors and nutritionists in
assortment we aren't biased toward a particular brand or
our stores because we know that it resonproduct. We have conversations with customers, more like
ates with millennials. And we also know
consultations, where we help address whatever the custom- that when it comes to this consumer group,
er's trying to accomplish with a product. This honest and
trust is critical. They want to understand
genuine approach leads to an appreciation of the brand,
where their food comes from and what the
and even ambassadors. At Henry's, we're photographers,
impact on the environment is. Talking about
too. We're part of the camera community and we support
healthy foods, not necessarily around the
the community. When you can integrate into the communbrand, and listening to them to understand
ity, millennials support you back.
what's important to them is hugely important to gaining their trust and loyalty.

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THE MARKETING ISSUE

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