Survey: Birthday greetings build customer loyalty

New York - Companies seeking to get closer to their customers simply need to remember and acknowledge their birthdays. A new online survey conducted by analytics and marketing technology provider Fulcrum finds that nearly three-out-of-four (74%) consumers who received birthday messages from a company they do business with thought more positively of the company afterward.



Eighty-eight percent of those positive reactions translated to increased brand loyalty. Consumers responded most positively to birthday greetings from food and beverage retailers, such as Baskin Robbins, Ruby Tuesdays or Starbucks. Ninety-two percent of consumers receiving greetings from such food and beverage establishments thought more positively about the sending company, and 96% reported an increase in loyalty.



While nearly all birthday greetings received favorable consumer responses, those which included discounts positively influenced the greatest number of survey respondents. Greetings that included some type of discount or gift were 24% more effective in positively impacting consumer opinion than simple birthday greetings (87% and 70%, respectively).



Age played a decisive role in how birthday greetings impacted brand loyalty. Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 were far more likely to report increased loyalty, at 92%, compared to those ages 55 and up among whom just 73% reported increased loyalty. Income level and gender played significantly smaller roles in differentiating consumer responses.



"While marketers who recognize their customers' birthdays assume the message creates an even stronger relationship with them, our consumer research confirms the positive influence on both the brand's image and future sales to that customer," said Tara Piazza, senior VP, Fulcrum. "Firms deploying campaigns to celebrate their customers' birthdays tighten consumer relationships while also creating the opportunity to market additional products and services."



The online survey was conducted earlier this year based on interviews with 500 consumers.