Three Ways Emperor Palpatine Could Have Saved the Empire by Focusing on Brand Love
As Emperor Palpatine was falling into the main reactor of the Death Star he was probably wondering where he had gone wrong. After saving the Galactic Empire from the clutches of the Jedi twenty years earlier this was not the thanks he deserved. With the Rebels offering a new, fun, rogue-hero brand and gaining more and more support each month, we at the Marketing Lab suggest that the whole misunderstanding could have been avoided by the Empire reinforcing their own brand love through creating unique engagement experiences for each Galactic Citizen.
Now the Galactic Empire is a big place, from Coruscant to Tatooine, there are thousands of planets each with their own unique races & cultures, how can the Empire let each citizen know that the Empire really cares about each one of them? We would suggest that there are three elements that would empower the Empire to connect personally with each citizen and promote Galactic loyalty and engagement; they are: 1) Digital First Strategy, 2) Offer Contextual Loyalty Rewards and 3) Predictive Analytics.
Building a Digital-First Strategy
As citizens are becoming more engaged & dependent on their smartphone devices to shop, communicate and interact with their world it is essential that traditionally offline brands like Admiral Ackbar’s Cereal develop an online presence that they can use to engage & communicate with consumers. Tools like chatbots, social media accounts, and placing products/reviews online allow customers to engage, and provide an outlet for brand lovers to share more stories and for new-comers to have positive interactions with a brand.
Offer Contextual Loyalty Rewards
Residents in the Empire are not just looking for the regular rewards of safety and stability – they want interactions that mean something to them. They want new experiences, so try pairing up with other companies that you can use to leverage their products. If the people of Naboo are being particularly model citizens maybe treat them with some genuine Tatooine pod races. These relevant and personal experiences will ensure that planets remain loyal to the brand… er, Empire.
Using Predictive Analytics
With billions of citizens in the Galactic Empire going about their busy lives, they may seem as unknowable as a single ant; understanding what may be relevant to them may seem impossible, however, fear not! With the rise of droids and their Artificial Intelligence they can sort through the data and determine what rewards the citizen will value, when to give them the rewards, and identify who may need a friendly message from the Galactic Empire. Top inputs the droids can use in determining rewards are consumer surveys, purchase history, previous interactions with the empire, NPS, focus groups, social media listening/scraping, and more.
As you or the Empire harness the power of a digital strategy, contextual loyalty rewards, and predictive analytics, you will be able to build a better, more engaged customer base and they will become advocates of your brand.