Today’s customers are more difficult to please than ever before, and brands have a lot to lose if they can’t deliver an exceptional experience. 61 percent of consumers are willing to switch brands purely based on receiving a better customer experience, and average, satisfactory experiences are simply not enough. 

The best brands of the last decade have grown through a strong passionate following, which has led to organic word-of-mouth and high retention. This combination allows brands to organically grow their following quickly and cost effectively. 

Back in 2008, Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired Magazine and all-round future gazer, wrote an essay called ‘1,000 True Fans’ on how an individual, band, artist or craft person only needs 1,000 true fans to make a living. 

Throughout history, human beings have made important decisions based on the trust they put in their friends, families and networks. It started with villagers relying on localized information, trusting their neighbours to find the best bakers or carpenters in the area. Marketers were held accountable by the reputation they could build amongst their customers, and as a result, they needed to provide a certain level of service to compete.

We are truly excited to introduce our new Lead Brand and Community Consultant: Jaclyn Crocker. 

The concept of building a brand through advocacy is still novel to most marketers, with many doubting the ability to gain returns or run advocacy strategies efficiently. Thankfully, there are many examples of successful programs that show brand advocacy's impact on both customers and the bottom line.

Brand advocacy is a process that encourages passionate and happy customers to create new customers for a brand organically while keeping acquisition costs low.