A world-class product or service is just the beginning, but without the right customers, even the best brands struggle to grow. To become a household name or the go-to favourite, the secret lies in building strong relationships between brands and customers.
At SXSW Sydney, Klaviyo’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jamie Domenici, put it best: ‘70% of consumers will switch brands if they feel their needs are not understood or met.’ This highlights the critical need for brands to focus on creating personal, lasting connections that fuel long-term success.
With that in mind, here are five tried-and-tested strategies every brand leader should leverage.
Before brands can build meaningful personal relationships with customers, they must recognise that there is no ‘one’ customer. Instead, the focus should be on understanding who their customers are and what they need. As Domenici puts it, “We have to think about every single interaction and make it make sense. Because you must know your customers to win your customers and to keep your customers. That’s the reality.”
July, known for its high-quality luggage and travel bags, places great importance on maintaining close connections with customers. CEO Athan Didaskalou highlights the power of using owned channels like retail, email, SMS, and the website to foster these relationships. “Keeping these channels close is a great way to communicate with your customers,” he said. At July’s office, the team actively engages with customers in their on-site store, gathering feedback firsthand to ensure they’re delivering exactly what their customers want.
By tapping into customer data—whether from email lists, surveys, or social media—brands can group customers based on shared characteristics. Klaviyo automates this segmentation, enabling more targeted interactions with customers, whether it’s based on demographics, purchase preferences, or behaviours. The result? Communication strategies with purpose that resonate on a personal level.
Loyal customers are more than repeat buyers—they’re brand ambassadors who bring others along for the ride. Domenici emphasised how personalised emails with clear, targeted messaging can be a game-changer for inspiring long-term brand loyalty. The more loyal the customer, the more referrals and repeat purchases you can count on. To make this happen, brands must tap into customer data and craft tailored, meaningful messages. As Domenici says, “You can’t just email everybody the same message anymore. It doesn’t work. You have to think about every single interaction.”
By combining customer data with personalised messaging and customised email flows, brands can spark stronger engagement. A great example is Zero Co, the eco-friendly cleaning and personal brand, which boosted customer retention by tailoring email flows to match specific customer types and behaviours—driving both loyalty and sustainability.
Entering a fiercely competitive and established market, July carved out its niche by cultivating customer sentiment, loyalty, and trust through strategic initiatives. “How do you convince someone to switch from a brand that’s been around for 100 years?” asks CEO Athan Didaskalou. “You’ve got to let people know they can trust us.”
Beyond designing exclusive luggage for the Australian Olympic athletes, July consistently reinforces belief in its brand. With high-quality products backed by a lifetime guarantee, customers experience a reassuring sense of security and care, fostering long-term loyalty rooted in trust. For any brand, nurturing trust comes from authentic communication, personalised customer service, and actively listening to feedback. Ultimately, trust is key to strengthening personalised brand-customer relationships.
Zero Co, a champion of sustainability and waste reduction, delivers a powerful message that resonates with eco-conscious consumers. By harnessing Klaviyo to target audience segments through seamless Shopify and Facebook Ads integrations—while actively gathering customer feedback—Zero Co launched its innovative ForeverFill system, eliminating a staggering 97% of plastic from its supply chain. This innovation was driven by customer insights, reinforcing relationships that align with the brand’s mission.
“It’s about leaning into our mission and showing customers the incredible impact they have by doing seemingly routine chores that become acts of positivity for the world,” says Zero Co founder Mike Smith. “You’re literally changing the world every time you do a daily chore with Zero Co.”
For brands, success hinges on the ability to connect with customers at precisely the right moment. Klaviyo’s smart data enables companies to predict customer behaviour, helping brands meet their customers where they are. At Zero Co, this strategic approach has resulted in a 40% increase in weekly subscription sign-ups by identifying behaviours that lead to subscriptions. Additionally, the data helps predict when customers are running low on products, enhancing repurchase efforts.
Similarly, July leverages Klaviyo’s data to guide its offline retail strategies. As they gear up to launch their 10th store, geo-targeted customer demand data has been instrumental in determining the optimal location for the new store. Knowing when—and how—to communicate with customers helps brands build personal relationships in a smart, scalable way.
In today’s bustling and ever-evolving markets, nurturing customer relationships is more important than ever. The key to strengthening these connections lies in harnessing data insights, crafting exceptional products, and inviting customers to be active participants in your brand journey. Brands that prioritise loyalty, shared purpose, and genuine understanding will not only thrive but also forge lasting bonds with their customers, setting themselves up for enduring success.
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