Turn Customers Into True Believers


CNNMoney.com:

Businesses, if they are lucky, can have a lot in common with cults.

Apple Computer, Harley-Davidson and Trader Joe’s are all examples of companies that inspire fanatical loyalty in their customers.

If you live in or near California, you probably know that In-N-Out Burger has inspired the same kind of devotion.

Customers line up in the wee hours when a new outlet opens. They buy the chain’s T-shirts. Even Julia Child was a fan.

How do firms get customers to identify so strongly with their brands?

By offering unique products, promoting a membership ethos and selling not just goods but meaning.

From the outset, In-N-Out focused obsessively on quality, paid employees more than the competition and refused to expand beyond its competence or geographic reach.

While members of the founding Snyder family could have grown richer by cutting costs like McDonald’s, their vision did not include low-grade frozen patties that look and taste like warm cardboard.

By remaining loyal to their customers, staff and even suppliers, the Snyders earned money and meaning.

Photo by In-N-Out Burger.

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