Company Blog

Their Favorite Team

by Adam Zack — April 20, 2016

Their fans chant Raaiiiddddders!

The challenge facing grocers (and pretty much every retailer) today is developing, maintaining and nurturing the emotional connection and relationship with our customers. It’s the combination of everything you stand for and how deeply your customer commits to you. In the book “Firms of Endearment” (Rajendra Sisodia, David Wolfe, Jngdish Sheth) the authors make what I think is the perfect analogy, comparing companies that have a strong emotional connection to your favorite sports team.

“What we call a humanistic company is run in such a way that its stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, business partners, society, and many investors – develop an emotional connection with it, an affectionate regard not unlike the way many people feel about their favorite sports teams.”

As much as I can’t stand the Raiders or the Yankees, their fans are some of the most loyal around, not just when they win. Think about the Raiders, who haven’t had a season better than 8-8 since 2004! Their fans chant Raaiiiddddders! They wear the hats and shirts and have the stickers on their cars. Yeah, they’re nut jobs, but you have to appreciate their dedication. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys are just a few who have that connection that lasts not just for years, but for generations.

So if you don’t have that connection, how can you start it (the process takes years to build, but can be destroyed like a came of Jenga in an earthquake). Look at some of the firms you know have that connection – let’s just keep it at food stores for now – Dorothy Lane Market, Town and Country/Central Market, Wegman’s, Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Metropolitan Market). What are they doing to be the favorite team? How do they turn their customers into rabid fans? Or think about some of the seemingly soulless giants whose customers are anti-fans? How many times have you heard “I hate Walmart!”?

It’s a discussion worth having with your managers. Are we our customers’ favorite team? Are they loyal even if we have a lousy season? Do we sell out our home games and increase our season ticket holders every year? It’s a tall order.