Building true customer loyalty should be a goal for every business, but most only do the bare minimum to develop relationships with their customers. Many businesses are missing countless opportunities to build real 1:1 relationships and connect with their customers on a truly personal level by instead choosing to rely on one-size-fits all reward programs and bulk email sending to engage their customers.

In business, loyalty can be a tough subject to discuss. That’s because the word is often misinterpreted, or sometimes misconstrued, as a marketing term versus an actual human-centric practice. And yes, there is a big difference.

One of the best assets I have is the young team that surrounds me. They are a constant reminder that people interact with business—and each other—in very different ways than even just a decade ago. For instance, 10 years ago, the number of social interaction apps was a fraction of what it is today.

Here I go again aging myself … but when I was young, marketing prospects were segmented into personas, and we liked it that way! Then, the automobile replaced the buggy and we sent people to the moon, and we all hated the taste of New Coke, and so on and so forth. Okay, jokes aside, my point of this brief (yet highly sarcastic) rant is that times change, and things evolve. Marketing is one of those things.

It’s human nature to make mistakes. We all do it—some more than others (my family would love to chime in here).
And marketing is no exception to this, but is also often misunderstood in its practice. No, this is not a “feel sorry for marketing” rant. It’s actually about the root of many so-called marketing failures—and successes. Let me explain.

For restaurants and grocery businesses, the theme is always consistent—delivering a better, more personalized experience for the customer. But what does that theme actually imply for business owners?

Throughout history, businesses and entrepreneurs alike have been searching for what many have referred to as the “formula” to success. For some, that formula was thought to be hard work, determination, and a never-ending journey of chasing one’s own dreams. For others, success was a combination of right time, right place—and a lot of luck.

Okay—I’m not going to start this blog by delving into the past year. We all know that 2020 and early 2021 were horrible, so let’s leave it at that. But with light at the end of our collective tunnel vision, there is a glimmer of hope emerging that we are all about to put the worst behind us.

It takes only a minute to look around any restaurant or grocery store to know that mobile devices rule everyone’s lives. Whether it’s work-related or personal, regardless of intention or use, the mobile device is always there in people’s hands.

I cannot overstate this enough: I’m passionate about food! As a Cordon Bleu chef who has spent many happy years in restaurants as a chef, I can confidently say that I am immersed in and enjoy all things culinary-related.