Why is Relationship Marketing Important in 2022

Consumer attitudes towards brand loyalty, personalisation, privacy and messaging are all pointing in the direction of relationship marketing as the way forward in 2022. Real-time, hyper-personalised experiences are increasingly what customers respond to – and consumers today are much more likely to engage with a business across multiple channels in ways that can often be unpredictable. Relationship marketing provides any brand with the tools to successfully tackle these behavioural shifts and create more opportunities for growth.

People Want To Be Treated Like Individuals

This is something that has become very clear in recent times – one report found a more than 100% increase in consumers identifying being treated like an individual as vital to the brand-consumer interaction. That’s why personalisation remains such an important marketing tool – but only if your brand is able to get it right. Especially after the pandemic, consumers want to be recognised for brand loyalty and feel recognition for something like providing data or continuing to buy. Providing this is where the personalisation part of relationship marketing is vital.

Brands Today Must Build Genuine Relationships

Consumers now are far too awake to the tactics that indicate a brand is simply serving their own interests with marketing. Community is what many consumers are looking for – and more than half will trade their personal data to join it. As well as personalisation that looks like creating communities where customers can engage, with the brand and also with one another. Innovative loyalty that has evolved from the one-size-fits-all approach of recent years is another key factor in distinguishing one brand from another. This goes beyond simply offering points rewards and transactions to a bespoke approach specifically tailored to the relationships a brand is looking to build.

Silent Tracking And Tactics Are On The Out

Relationship marketing requires brands to reconsider the way that they communicate and build relationships – and take into account how consumers want to be treated. It’s clear that customers today have reached a limit with any tactics that feel like silent tracking or manipulation. For example, incognito browsing has gone up by more than 50% as consumers seek to avoid cookie technology. A new approach to data is part of relationship marketing today – moving to a zero party data strategy to drive advertising and marketing initiatives and avoiding the resentment that customers feel when data is being surreptitiously, or manipulatively, obtained.

But Email Remains a Key Tool

Relationship marketing doesn’t have to blow the budget and email is one of the best tools available. In fact, one report found that email is 128% more effective than social posts or banner ads when it comes to driving ecommerce. This is because email marketing is evolving – technology increasingly provides options for personalisation and building genuine relationships rather than just serving a marketing strategy need.

In 2022, it’s all about relationship marketing – a fresh approach that will enable your brand to create genuine bonds with customers that last into the long term. Large or small, every business needs to consider it going forward. Iconic Digital is a full-service digital marketing agency in London helping brands build relationships with their customers. To find out more about Iconic Digital’s award-winning digital marketing services get in contact today on 020 7100 0726.