Kindle
Across the board, Amazon is No. 1 in brand loyalty, recently overtaking fanatically supported Apple. As the largest online retailer, its sheer selection of goods is enough to continuously reel in customers. However, a company does not get to the top of the loyalty charts by treating people like fish.
"Amazon Prime" is a membership program that gives users unlimited shipping for $79 a year. Not only does the program offer free shipping on goods, but it also provides a wide array of free digital services. Prime members can access unlimited, commercial-free, instantly streaming online videos through Amazon Prime Instant Video. And with the release of its new Kindle, the Android-powered Kindle Fire, Amazon provides an affordable tablet on which to view content.
Although Amazon is hesitant to reveal the numbers, according to comScore, the Kindle Fire makes up 54.4 percent of the total Android market, likely due to Amazon's loyal customer base and the tablet's low price ($199). This market domination has attracted the attention of big brands like HBO, as the HBO Go service is now available on Kindle Fire. HBO Go provides members access to HBO's original shows, such as "True Blood" and "Game of Thrones."
A new licensing agreement with MGM will add hundreds of movies and TV shows to the Amazon's video catalog, which now offers more than 18,000 videos. According to Brad Beale, Amazon's director of digital video content acquisition, "Our customers tell us they love having tons of movies and TV shows to choose from, which is why we are focused on adding even more titles to our already extensive Prime Instant Video library." Once again, the key to happy customers is listening.
Expedia
Nowadays, nearly every vacation begins with an online journey. Web-hopping from travel site to travel site can be as draining as a red-eye flight, but many find that the personalized experience, DIY satisfaction, and extra money saved from online booking are worth it. If you have recently planned a trip, the odds that you visited Expedia (or its affiliate network of travel sites) are high. In fact, one of every 20 hotel rooms a night is booked through Expedia -- the world's largest travel company.
To reinforce its dominance, Expedia launched "Expedia Everywhere," which places social media and mobile at the center of its marketing strategy. For instance, in 2011, the company created the largest Facebook-hosted sweepstake game, "FriendTrips," which gave away five trips entitled, "Trips of a Lifetime." According to Expedia, the game increased the company's fan count by 750 percent.
By developing strong relationships with influential bloggers, Expedia understands the value of travelers' sharing stories with others. In late 2011, the company invited 16 top travel bloggers to lunch and to a corporate suite at the Seattle Seahawk's football game. In addition, the company sponsors road trips with travel bloggers, such as the "Touring California with Travel
Blogger Spencer Spellman" feature.
Another online platform Expedia uses to develop positive relationships with consumers is the digital newspaper. Expedia partnered with NTimes.com to serve as the exclusive online booking engine for its travel site. Visitors to NYTimes.com Travel are able to access Expedia travel content and book hotels, flights, rental cars, and cruises. To develop customer loyalty, Expedia makes sure the individual knows they are just that: individual.
