By their very nature, private label brands are an extension of your retail brand. Assuming you’ve already identified your best customers via your loyalty data, have you taken the next step to truly listen to what your best customers are saying about you and your brand? This is not about issuing surveys, but rather actively listening to what they are saying on social media. If you’re not actively listening to your ideal customers, you don’t know what they need from you and by extension, your private label brands.

Mapping your customer’s journey is the best way to understand their needs at each of the four phases of the Customer Journey: Discovery, Engagement, Transaction, and Advocacy.

While most retailers have spent time and resources in the Discovery phase, most have struggled to sustain high levels of Engagement. This is often a result of not understanding the needs of your customers and instead focusing on your own sales growth. 

Additionally, while much of the marketing emphasis is directed to the transaction phase of the customer journey, far less is directed to the place where sales growth truly takes off and that’s the Advocacy phase of the customer journey. Is it possible to create private label advocates? In his session, Bill Carmody will explore what it takes to create advocacy for store brands and what immediate actions you can take to create better connections with your best customers in order to ensure both short and long-term growth.