Revitalising brand loyalty: &Open’s guide to helping customers & employees love your brand

To make everything feel a little less daunting, and in a very obvious attempt to convince you that thoughtful gestures go extra far during the holidays, we created a little gift guide to revitalising brand loyalty. From the almost unsubscriber to the 10-year employee, here’s a curation of our favourite gifts to make people fall in love with your brand all over again.

Let’s start with the obvious: rewarding your VIP customers (and keeping them hooked for years and years to come). Think really special gifts, with a bit of a higher price point. Bring some brightness into their life with a beautiful bouquet. Send an assortment of delicious olive oils and vinegars. Even consider delivering a soft, woven blanket that will provide warmth on winter evenings and summer beach trips alike. For your biggest brand supporters, our vote will always be to go big or go home.

Go, go, go is great for growth! But the importance of rest should never be dismissed. Encourage those that have a hard time quite literally sitting still to do so with the right kind of gifts. An interesting read about how to slow down, a cosy comforter-like coat to lull you to leisure, and an extra day or two of PTO are all ways to tell someone, ‘Thank you! But now take time to relax and relish in all your hard work this year.’

We’ve all been guilty of being brand admirers but never actually converting to customers. Maybe it has to do with cost, or the struggle with justifying needs vs wants, or purely not getting around to it yet. To nudge those ‘almost customers,’ try surprise gifting with branded merch (wine bottle opener, corduroy baseball cap, recycled notebook), a brand gift card (small balances are fine!), or a personalised note (handwritten is our favorite). Might help them make the transition from followers to customers to advocates.

Coming from a team that’s spread across Europe and North America, we understand the feelings that come with being fully-remote. Instead of focusing on the perfect gift, think about what gift would make them feel the most included. Start with a gift from your company’s HQ city; if you’re based in New York, ship the employee in Seattle a famous Katz pastrami sampler. Another idea: send an office desk plant from The Sill to liven up their WFH space. Or, better yet, gift a membership to their local workshare space for a change in scenery once or twice a week. Whatever makes the far-away employees still feel a part of the gang, try to make it happen.

Methods for reengaging lapsed customers walk a fine line between desperation and thoughtfulness. For someone who’s gone a year (or more) without interacting with the brand, we like to think elevated basics work best. Send chocolate — but make it fancy and surprisingly vegan. Or a mug — one that’s hand-glazed in Los Angeles and thrown with distinction. Or even a coffee subscription — not to Starbucks, but a shop that feels a bit more exciting. Bottom line: prioritise useful things, but beautiful things.