Britain's Got Talent & Brand Loyalty - it's a yes from us!

Yet again, the Britain’s Got Talent final is nearly upon us. Now in its eighth series, we're about to feast on all that is talented and British (and Spanish, Canadian and French)! Together with other popular culture shows such as the X-Factor, I'm a Celebrity, The Voice and Big Brother, how does BGT manage to stay around? Viewing figures may ebb and flow and Big Brother even changed channels but we still switch on every Saturday night. You could say there’s nothing else on and nothing better to do but we can stream TV programmes and films to our heart’s content! 

So if it’s not inertia, it must come down to loyalty.

So how do we generate sustainable brand loyalty? Here are our top 5 tips:

1. Tap in! Tap into your target audience’s needs and, crucially, try to “own it”. BGT creates family entertainment that you can watch while eating your Saturday night takeaway. It’s mostly inoffensive, suitable for all ages and has no direct competitors on the other side. Create a unique offering that suits your target market and delight them; they'll come back for more.
2. Keep on innovating, don’t settle: to be successful a brand has to change and adapt but it doesn't have to be top flight all of the time. Any brand, regardless of resources can focus on ensuring design, communications, packaging or customer care are delivered in a way that is superior compared to others. Make sure that you are outperforming on the factors that are most important to your customers.
3. Get engaged with your customers! One thing that often sets top brands apart from the followers is the ability to communicate and engage with their audiences. BGT has a great app that replicates the big red buzzer and can be used during the programme. It doesn't matter how you engage with your customers – whether it’s through apps, social media, or shaking a bucket at the village fete – just make sure it suits your organisation and your objectives.
4. Remember your long-term faithful customers: after 8 series, BGT has to consider its original fans as well as find new ones (some who may have been too young to watch previous programmes). These original fans are the ones who complain about changes in format or the competition's rules - it's not what they signed up for but they may like the spin-off shows which gives them more of the auditions they love! Remember, if you only offer superior deals to new customers, your existing customers will complain with their feet. Generate genuine loyalty by looking after your existing customers and hopefully they'll spread the love to new fans too.
5. Use your personalities! For BGT, it’s a carefully selected team of judges. For other organisations, it could be inspiring or entertaining figureheads, social media with a face (we love First Capital Connect’s customer service Twitter feed) or even a celebrity endorsement in your communications. Nobody loves a faceless grey organisation; show off your individualism and unique selling points!

So if you want your brand to be more than just a one-trick pony, with a sustainable base of fans, use your talents wisely! 

Ann & Cheryl