Building a relationship with the consumer is key to your brand’s success. You must be aware of the relationship stages a consumer and brand must go through to build a solid foundation over time. To evolve, your brand must create a positive experience for the consumer. Here are the five stages of a consumer-brand relationship:

Stage 1: Attraction

This is the first stage of the relationship. The consumer recognizes that your brand is visually appealing. Everything is consistent across all platforms, which shows that your brand is serious about its appearance. Your identity stands out from your competitors, and the consumer only has eyes for you. The consumer overlooks your brand’s flaws and only focuses on what looks pleasing. The consumer starts to see that there are other attractive qualities in your brand and begins to develop positive feelings about it.

Stage 2: Intimacy

If the consumer decides to take things to the next level, you have entered the intimacy stage. Your brand must respect the fact that the consumer has boundaries around intimacy. By nurturing the consumer over time, your brand will show its loyalty and affection. You have come to realize that the bond the consumer has with your brand is deeper than visual attraction. As the relationship goes on, the consumer can feel a little bored at times if your brand is not staying current on the latest trends. So, you must refresh your brand’s message over time to keep the spark alive.

Stage 3: Understanding

Through trial and error, you will learn what the consumer likes or dislikes about your brand. Building a strong bond is crucial to your brand’s success. If that bond is broken, your brand will be left with negative feedback that can harm the next relationship. If your brand is satisfying the consumer but wants to expand to new markets, then the consumer might well leave your brand behind. Your brand must have a thorough understanding of the consumer. Without a solid strategy, you will most likely not pass this stage.

Stage 4: Stability

If the consumer and your brand can navigate through the weaknesses and strengthen them, then they start to settle down. Putting the consumer first is essential to your brand’s growth. This relationship is built on trust, security, and consistency. It’s not about the amount of money you spend to get the consumer, but the effort you put into the relationship that creates brand equity. The more your brand provides solutions to the consumer’s needs, the more stable the relationship will be.

Stage 5: Commitment

Now that the consumer has a positive history with your brand and you can work through your differences, you’ve made it to the final stage. Two-way communication is especially important in a long-lasting relationship. You must reassure the consumer that its opinion matters. The consumer is committed to your brand, so there is no need to step outside the relationship and have an affair with your competitor. Your brand has done everything in its power to keep the consumer happy.

These relationship stages can prepare your brand and the consumer for their future together.

 If you need help building your consumer-brand relationship, contact us to get started!