Cotton On's Global Head Marketing & E-Commerce Speaks on How to Build a Long-Lasting Community of Fans

QUEENSLAND, Australia, June 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Thinking of people as 'customers' is an outdated approach," Col Kennedy, Global Head Marketing & E-Commerce, Cotton On believes. "Brands need to understand why they were set up in the first place, and adopt a broad, holistic and long-term view of how to build a relationship with people," he adds in an interview with marcus evans on how to build a long lasting community of fans.

A speaker at the marcus evans CMO Summit 2016, taking place in the Gold Coast, Australia, 15 - 17 August, Kennedy says for real customer engagement and loyalty, his goal is to create deep and meaningful dialogues with the Cotton On community.

Kennedy continues to share his views on building long-lasting community of fans:

1. The meaning of establishing a community-led brand agenda

The idea of "customer" is outdated. Two folds come together here, the direction brands are going and understanding their role in the world. I believe in the power of the "why" over "what". It is important for brands to understand why they were created instead of focusing on short-term financials. If they connect that through to the right community, share different values with them, they will provide a much richer experience and build a stronger relationship with their community. How do their fans want to interact? They should avoid thinking in a channelistic way.

2. Advice on customer engagement and loyalty

The trick is not to get lost in thinking about sales, transactions and conversion rates. If you end up there, it means you see people as customers. In the 90s and majority of the 00s, marketing was about cross-selling, up-selling and squeezing dollars out of people rather than adding long-term value or having shared values.

It makes me nervous when people use the term "loyalty". When I was at Disney and Sony, I found that fans were loyal to a degree. It was not black or white. People will not be loyal just to you. A comic fan might love Batman, Superman and Spiderman. Companies cannot be naive in thinking that loyalty is just squarely and solely with them. They can build a fan base or community, but it is about how they reward people.

3. How to reach today's digital and mobile-savvy consumers

Many marketers are looking for the silver bullet, transferring from one platform to the next, but that is not the right way to go. They should always ask themselves why their company or brand exists, and relate that to what they stand for in the world and build relationships through multiple channels over a period of time.

Channels may morph and evolve. If they keep bouncing between channels based on numbers, they will not have build over the long-term. Do not chase the platform, it is much more about who you are, what you stand for and remembering who you are talking to.

4. Final words of advice

Identify and develop your brand identity, and stay true to it.

Author: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

About the CMO Summit 2016

The seventh annual CMO Summit is the premium forum bringing elite buyers and sellers together. The Summit offers chief marketing executives and agencies and consultants an intimate environment for a focused discussion of the key new drivers shaping the marketing agenda. Taking place at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 15 -17 August 2016, the Summit includes presentations on measuring engagement, leveraging sales and marketing best practices, merging traditional and digital marketing channels, and creating a streamlined marketing automation system.

For more information please send an email to SitiK@marcusevanskl.com or call +603 2723 6748. Alternatively you may read more here. 

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world's leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, case studies, roundtables and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

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