What impact can effective death notifications have on brand advocacy?

A ‘brand’ is defined officially (in Websters Dictionary) in very simple terms as a class of goods identified by name as the product of a single firm or manufacturer. It is also a ‘characteristic’ or ‘distinctive kind’.

In marketing terms, a brand does indeed convey the characteristics of a product or service, something in which the ‘buyer’ can identify with and wish to ‘own’. Sometimes brands are aspirational – like a Ferrari or Rolex; more often they are more ‘everyday’ and represent our unconscious decision to buy a Coke rather than a Pepsi, a Snickers rather than a Twix.

A brand isn’t a logo; it’s a promise, an unspoken contract with the buyer. Brand strength comes through consistency, knowing that the McDonalds you buy in one country will taste the same in another, with the same seating, lighting and level of service. That doesn’t mean it’s good, necessarily; it simply means you know what to expect from your brand experience, and you can either buy into that experience, or not.

In the consumer space, brand is especially important, particularly in the most highly competitive industries competing for a higher share of the wallet. Consumers looking to buy a car with £30,000 to spend have a choice set of half a dozen vehicles, including many of the so-called ‘premium’ brands like Mercedes and BMW. Their decision will most likely be driven by an emotional impulse. Luxury vehicles are seldom a choice for the pragmatic; they are chosen for what the brand says about you as a person, and how you want to be seen by others.

The impact on brand of managing bereavement

So what has brand got to do with death and the bereavement process? Banks, utility companies, subscription service providers etc are all very much focused on brand and protecting and enhancing their brand reputation. The strength of a brand is often measured by how many times a consumer is prepared to forgive it, before they walk away. One poor experience on an airline, for example, may not be enough to make you switch, not if all your previous experiences have been good. If the next experience is a poor one, however, that may be sufficient to tempt you away.

Customer experience and brand are therefore inextricably linked. It’s a simple equation. Creating a good customer experience makes that customer more ‘sticky’ and less likely to be lured away. High levels of customer retention support a higher brand advocacy, and deliver a tangible, competitive advantage.

In their drive to enhance the customer experience, and enhance their brand, many of these financial organisations and third-party providers have gone down the digital route, recognising the shifting nature of their customer base who have been brought up on ‘self-serve’, and for whom the thought of speaking to someone in person is an anathema. The really smart ones, however, have recognised that there is a balance to be struck, and that the ability to speak to someone, when you need to, is a critical part of maintaining an essential customer connection.

Dealing with a third party to notify someone of a death is a particularly trying experience. It is also trying for the supplier. Managing a bereavement is an emotional time, and the way in which a third-party supplier interacts with those tasked with notifying them that a loved one has died can have serious implications – both positive and negative – on their brand. Get it right, and the positive sentiment will probably be shared; get it wrong, and the organisation will almost certainly be damned from the rooftops, which in the age of social media can have serious consequences.

Death notifications as a point of difference

It is unlikely that a bank or a utility would actively seek to promote that it has a better death notification process than a rival, as a point of difference with which to attract new business. No-one is suggesting that (although it is fair to say that many of those who have signed up to Settld or NotifyNOW from The Estate Registry are justifiably proud of their association).

Failing to have an effective death notification process, however, and failing to deal with customers in an efficient and sensitive manner who are going through a bereavement can most certainly do the brand harm.

And since the cost of acquiring new customers is always much greater than the cost of keeping them, any initiative that ultimately supports a positive brand experience is one that needs to be actively championed.

 

Luke Cheadle is Head of UK Operations for The Estate Registry

 

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