Happy birthday

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! TWO WORDS CUSTOMERS LOVE
Wishing customers "happy birthday" is
an easy way to earn their repeat business, new research shows.
A study by analytics and marketing technology provider Fulcrum revealed
that nearly three-quarters of consumers who received birthday messages from a
company they do business with thought more positively of the company afterward,
with 88 percent of those positive reactions translating into increased brand loyalty.
The consumers surveyed responded most positively to birthday greetings
from food and beverage companies, including Baskin-Robbins, Ruby Tuesday and
Starbucks. Ninety-six percent of consumers who received greetings from such food
and beverage establishments had a more positive image of the company that sent
the message.
"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 vice president at Fulcrum. "Firms deploying
campaigns to celebrate their customers' birthdays tighten consumer relationships
while also creating the opportunity to market additional products and services."

2. The research found that while nearly all birthday greetings receive favorable
consumer responses, those that included discounts positively influenced the most
people. Greetings that included some type of discount or gift were 24 percent more
effective than birthday greetings alone in positively impacting consumer opinion.
The study discovered that age plays a decisive role in how birthday messages
impact brand loyalty. More than 90 percent of the survey respondents ages 25 to 34
reported increased loyalty, compared with 73 percent of those age 55 and older.
Researchers said the study's results suggest that companies that aren't
sending shoppers birthday wishes by email are missing out on a strong opportunity
to engage with customers in a very influential way. They added that birthday
greetings generally have the highest click and conversation rates among all
operational emails, are essentially cost-free and lack the risk of a negative consumer
response.
The study was based on interviews with 500 U.S. consumers.