STOP BLAMING COVID!

Covid just opened your audiences eyes to your failure to engage with them…

It’s 2019, it’s a Thursday evening, I’m probably finding excuses to head to the pub, or a restaurant, or the cinema or a concert, something, anything, sociable, probably involving a drink and too many calories. Why was I doing that? What was missing in my life? How many of those experiences were truly life-enhancing?

A great conversation here, a new friend or an old acquaintance remembered there…a great film enjoyed or an enjoyable meal eaten. These are the good times remembered with fondness.

Fast forward to Thursday night now…invariably tired, stressed, worried…it’s going to take something exciting to get me out of the front door once I’ve crossed the threshold of an evening. Covid made me lazy…and it reminded me that a lot of the venues I visited really didn’t try that hard to create an environment or an offering that acquired or retained my custom beyond a reliance on me to create a “good-time” in their venue.

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated behavioural shifts that are here to stay, and cost-cutting to create a margin to compensate for reduced custom is a dangerous spiral. People are visiting less, and giving them an inferior experience when they do visit is hardly likely to re-engage them to the experience and return them to frequent visits.

Today’s consumers are looking for businesses that have their best interests at heart. To boost customer loyalty, companies could look to offering highly personalised customer experiences, by providing their customers products, offers, and communications that are uniquely relevant to them.

Cut margins and improve experience…that’s the key to a long-term return.