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By Invitation Only
"I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER." -- Groucho Marx
Given our obsession with how companies market to customers, it's pretty easy to write about examples of companies doing things poorly. So we're going to try and point to some companies doing just the opposite - doing smart things to connect their brand with their customers.
One strategy that we steadfastly support is exclusivity. In terms of a loyalty program, this can mean members-only offers and it can also mean an entirely unpublished program. Given the preponderance of programs, especially ones with flimsy value propositions (or other weaknesses...wait - we committed to staying positive), we expect to see more and more unpublished programs. It's sort of the loyalty marketing equivalent to "double secret probation."
Unpublished programs and other marketing strategies based on exclusivity allow customers to feel genuinely different and more special than non-customers, or even "other" customers who might not be quite so intimate with the brand or company.
Two brands worth noting here are Jack Daniels and Gilt.
Not long ago, I was invited to be a Tennessee Squire, an unpublished program called the Tennessee Squires Association that was started in 1956 to "honor special friends of Jack Daniels Distillery" according to Wikipedia.
While there are many spirits brands spending large sums of money doing things not so well, Jack Daniels does a positively brilliant job of using this program to build its brand and its brand ambassadors. If you're interested send me an email and who knows, you could end up a fellow Squire.
Another great example is Gilt Groupe, which per the public portion of its website, explains that it "is a private online community, which is dedicated to providing its members with access to coveted fashion and luxury lifestyle brands at sample sale prices." Again, you need to be invited to join and only members can do the inviting. (yes, send an email and I'm glad to refer you!).
There are many other reasons for exclusivity and unpublished programs, not the least of which are the ability to better control costs and program size. Even better, however, is the ability to test, innovate and ultimately create more meaningful, productive and sustainable relationships between your customers and your brand.
