(Tide Laundry Detergent)
Tide Laundry uses several strategies to get customers included into the marketing of its products. Firstly, almost all promotional videos include “customers”, who need to wash their clothes. Secondly, ten years ago Tide launched Loads of Hope community service to assist those, suffering from disasters, by providing them free laundry and drying services. Since that time Tide has already helped more than 45,000 families throughout the U.S. (Tide, 2016). In this way, Tide managed to emphasize its participation in community life, but get customers directly involved into the marketing of Tide. One can help Tide in its community involvement by donating to the Loads of Hope Fund. Importantly, the Loads of Hope activities were always accompanied by active social media campaigns (e.g., hashtag campaign in Twitter). While being promoted as community service-related, Loads of Hope campaign entails the elements of viral marketing, aiming to promote Tide products.
Customer satisfaction is an important target of Tide. Customers can contact Customer Service team to express their dissatisfaction about Tide products. Furthermore, they can surely write their feedback on Facebook, where Tide page operates. Most importantly, Tide offers customers to use the website CustomerCare.org in order to submit complaints without referring to Customer Service team or call centers. Using this service, it is enough for a customer to submit an electronic complaint, accompanies by relevant documents and photos to get it considered by a decision-maker/director (CustomerCare, 2016). Customers are also encouraged to describe the kind of remedies they would like to get. Furthermore, if customers leave comments at the webpage, dedicated to a specific product (e.g., Tide Plus Bleach Alternative Liquid) and express their dissatisfaction, they are invited to contact Customer Service team, submit required information and get financial remedy. In all cases it is important for customers to prove that they used Tide products according to instructions.
Tide does not have a developed customer relationship management program. However, the Loads of Hope program, highlighted above, aims to facilitate both behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. In behavioural terms customers get used to Tide products and start choosing them on a daily basis after the Loads of Hope experience. In attitudinal terms, Tide aims to create an image of a brand that cares about its customers and is ready to assist them. At the same time, no specific loyalty programs are developed. At the same time, Tide actively uses customer support (e.g., video lessons, Customer Service team) to increase customer lifetime value and ensure longevity effects (Tide, 2016). At the same time, a blocker effect can be developed due to the fact that a link between recovery from a disaster and Tide emerges. Nevertheless, the lack of a specific loyally program leads to the company’s inability to exploit spreader and accelerator effects (at the same time, post-purchase dissonance is avoided). The use of Tide coupons allows targeting deal-prone customers. Importantly, promotional efforts, used by Tide, tend to target Tide’s most valuable customers, namely women, aged between 25 and 60, who are managing the household and, thus, choose, which detergent to use.
Tide has developed privacy policy that applies to consumer information, including personal data that is gathered by the company. The policy is elaborated in a way that allows for complying with federal privacy legislation. The policy addresses the reasons for working with personal data, data sources and the way the information is used, shared and collected. There are opportunities to work with customers and data protection authorities in order to address any privacy-related issues. The company does not disclose personal data in cases related to customer dissatisfaction and further remedies. Thus, there are no concerns to be discussed with regard to Tide privacy policy.
References
CustomerCare (2016). Official Website. Retrieved 24 January 2016 from http://www.customercare.org/
Tide (2016). Tide Official Website. Retrieved 24 January 2016 from http://tide.com/en-us
