Carrying distinctive products differentiates your store from the rest of Main Street. Such products can build extreme product loyalty in consumers who tend to stay true to their brand no matter what. Furthermore, they "sneeze" and spread the good news about their favorite product.

Such is the case with Gracefully Yours boxed greeting cards, produced by my company, Artbeat of America. We have legendary stories of consumers who have bought 25 card boxes in one shopping trip for their personal greeting card ministry, and have told their friends who have told their friends, and the rest is history.

Extreme brand loyalty is also found among some Christian T-shirt wearers. Take Jerry Harris, lead guitarist at Saddleback Church, who told the apparel maker: "It is a rare occasion that I am ever caught wearing anything other than Kerusso apparel. Your products are a real answer to my prayers."

In the general market, one consumer of Arm & Hammer products reported living exclusively on food that contains the company's baking soda for the last 30 years. At Nike, one loyal customer has bought 99 pairs of the same style of shoe, while a Canon customer has purchased more than 150 of the company's cameras since 2006.

And when it comes to coffee, it turns out that America does run on Dunkin'. Value matters more than ever to consumers, and in terms of quality and variety, Dunkin' Donuts has been able to meet consumers' high expectations in a tough marketplace.

While other companies have lost their reliable customer base, surveys from research and planning firm Brand Keys show that Cheerios has actually increased its high-loyalty customers by 6% during the recession. One expert credited the product's continued popularity to message control, communicating the cereal's health benefits. Such meaningful, authentic messages resonate well with consumers.

In today's new media environment, Twitter may be the darling of the social-networking community picking up new users everyday, but Facebook holds onto its users longer with a retention rate of 60%. More than half of new Twitter users quit within the first month. One big reason for Facebook's retention is that it continually adapts and modifies its site, enabling users to find ways to connect or reconnect with each other.

So, how can you use your store or product loyalist to build your mission and company's long-term health?

Colombo Yogurt rewarded its most loyal consumers with free yogurt if they participated in taste tests of new flavors. Energy drink maker Red Bull greets enthusiasts with an invitation to receive their Web bulletin, keeping the company's following informed, feeling important and offering special coupons.

Adidas invited loyalists to spray graffiti on warehouse walls and then used the best designs to decorate shoes, while outdoor clothing company Patagonia relies on fearless customers to test their products in the planet's harshest environments.

Gracefully Yours conducts focus-group studies with churches, frequent card-senders and loyalists to get their new ideas. They test art, verse and scripture to make sure consumers' expectations are consistently exceeded.

There are a myriad number of ways to build store or product loyalty. It begins with listening to your most ardent fans, finding out why they love your store, product or service and building a cost-effective strategy to interact with them. Start with local churches and determine simple ways to connect-all in the spirit of building God's kingdom.

Rick Tocquigny
CEO
Artbeat of America/Gracefully Yours
Host of the national radio show "Life Lessons"
www.blogtalkradio.com/search/rick-tocquigny-life-lessons/

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