Customer relationship management—how to master the balance between engagement and overload

Building trust and loyalty with customers has never been more critical. The stakes are higher, the market more competitive and customers expect more from brands they engage with. The key to thriving in this environment is a concept borrowed from psychology: the “secure attachment style.” Secure attachment is about trust, emotional stability and clear communication in interpersonal relationships. It separates fleeting connections from those that last. The same principles apply to how businesses build relationships with consumers. Brands that establish secure attachments don’t just create loyal customers—they lay the foundation for long-term growth and success. Here are five ways to develop a secure attachment style with your customers: Consistency establishes trust Trust begins with consistency. Customers want to rely on brands to deliver what they promise: an exceptional product and customer experience. Ad Age Best Places to Work 2025 50 companies doing a standout job See the full list here Vanguard, for example, has built a reputation on consistency—low-cost index investing, lowering barriers for new investors and staying true to its mission—earning trust and loyalty from customers. But consistency doesn’t mean perfection. You’re going to screw up sometimes. Everyone does. What matters is how you recover. If you’ve built up trust, you can afford a misstep—as long as you’re transparent, own your mistakes and course-correct quickly. The best companies do this well. They understand that trust is a relationship “bank account.” They make deposits regularly because when the inevitable error happens, those reserves will keep the relationship intact. Personalization that respects boundaries In today’s data-driven world, customers expect experiences that feel personal and tailored to their needs. But there’s a fine line between personalization that delights and personalization that frustrates—such as when a brand relentlessly retargets customers with ads for a product they’ve already purchased or for something they considered weeks ago but no longer need. This kind of over-targeting can feel intrusive and tone-deaf, leaving customers with a negative impression of the brand. Think about the last time you received one of those “Dear [First Name]” emails. While not as off-putting, it’s still a prime example of personalization gone wrong—lazy, generic and far from the thoughtful engagement customers expect. In contrast, Sephora demonstrates how to get it right, using data to make customers feel valued without overstepping boundaries. Through gamified experiences, it collects data seamlessly, enabling personalization that enhances the customer journey without feeling intrusive. Transparent communication builds loyalty Transparency might sound like a buzzword, but it’s incredibly powerful. Customers are more forgiving when brands are upfront with them, whether about supply chain issues, price increases, or mistakes they’ve made. Clear, honest communication is key to building loyalty. Chipotle’s response to its food safety crisis offers a prime example. Rather than avoid the issue, it embraced transparency and took decisive actions to regain customer trust. It rebranded with a focus on transparency, improved its digital ordering experience and launched sustainability initiatives to reaffirm its commitment to values such as local farming. It also maintained strict food safety protocols and leveraged technology to improve customer engagement through mobile apps and delivery services. Gen Z Career Forum Get practical advice on launching your career and excelling in the industry Register today Chipotle’s proactive and transparent approach during this crisis reinforced the importance of clear communication. Its actions, not just words, helped it build lasting loyalty and restore its brand reputation. Balancing engagement and overload Staying connected with customers without overwhelming them is tricky to balance. Over-engagement, such as too many untargeted, irrelevant emails or endless re-targeted ads, can feel intrusive, while under-engagement leaves customers feeling ignored. The key is tailoring communication to customer preferences, focusing on the right channels and timing. Starbucks is a great example of the pros and cons of catering to customer preferences—it offers personalized experiences but has also faced challenges when too many customization options created operational issues. Listening to customers through surveys, social media and direct feedback is essential. Combining this input with data ensures a thoughtful, balanced approach that keeps customers engaged. Responding to feedback creates connection Listening to customer feedback is one thing. Acting on it is another. Customers want to feel like they’re being heard. When brands take their input seriously and use it to create real change, the brand-customer connection strengthens. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today When Tesla owners and EV enthusiasts highlighted the lack of accessible charging infrastructure for non-Tesla vehicles, a Twitter user suggested opening its Supercharger network to all EVs. Elon Musk responded and confirmed that Tesla would explore this idea—a decision that not only delighted customers but also aligned with Tesla’s mission to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. Building secure attachments with your customers isn’t just about loyalty—it’s about survival. Brands that thrive long-term invest in trust, respect and authenticity, while those that fail to do so risk irrelevance and decline. If you’re starting a business or rethinking your strategy, focus on solving real customer problems. Everything else—trust, responsiveness, personalization—rests on that foundation. As customer expectations rise, secure attachments will shift from a competitive advantage to the baseline for staying in the game. This isn’t about short-term wins. It’s about creating secure relationships that stand the test of time. In a world where customer loyalty is hard-earned and easily lost, building secure attachments isn’t just a strategy—it’s the key to enduring success and meaningful connections that last. Read Ad Age’s Best of 2024 stories here

Customer relationship management—how to master the balance between engagement and overload

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