While we’d like to believe that our decisions are ruled by logic, more often than not, our purchases are based on our emotions. Things that catch our attention and our interest, or make our hearts stir contribute to our decision-making process. Being emotional is not bad—it’s what makes us human in the first place.
Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, brands spoke using sarcasm and humour to sell their product or service. We saw these in posters and commercials that featured funny skits. Now, brands have evolved to be more informative, inspirational, and rebellious. And as the customer journey shifts to place consumers at the heart of business strategies, brands have learned to appeal to their customers’ emotions in more creative ways.
In my chat with Alex McLean, MINI’s Head of Marketing for Australia and New Zealand, we discussed how this car brand takes care of their customers across the different purchase stages.
Because potential car buyers take longer to nurture than those who order food for dinner, it might seem tempting to hasten the customer journey by placing an emphasis on forms and cold calls. Today, potential customers should no longer be part of a quota that needs to be reached. They want to be seen as human beings with stories that they can tell.
MINI chooses to make sure that their customers get the processes and experiences they want. And this begins on their website.
Alex reveals that they have removed forms completely from the site. This ensures that people don’t end up feeling pressured to provide their information just so they can learn more about the automobile.
When potential buyers drop by the MINI store, their salespeople highlight how some car models have the capability to call emergency services. With a focus on how this smart machine has the ability to detect when a driver might be in an accident, MINI imparts that the drivers’ safety is of utmost concern during the car’s production phase.
And even after customers have made their purchase, the nurturing does not stop. Because some cars are made-to-order, MINI regularly sends updates to buyers when their cars have moved on to the next phase of production.
These efforts have allowed MINI to bring their people closer to the brand. As a result, MINI clubs or “tribes,'' as Alex calls them, have popped up all over the world. These clubs regularly meet up and go for drives, all because of MINI’s special TLC for their customers.
As digital touchpoints continue to multiply, brands like MINI have the capacity to satisfy their customers’ needs without any silos—after all, your happiest customers will be your most ardent ambassadors. When creating a good smarketing strategy, start by making meaningful interactions with your consumers at every opportunity.
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