Home is a local community, where the people and places we love represent our day-to-day living. Even if you are a global traveler, coming home to the familiar makes you feel safe and secure. Our community is our exclusive world where we have a sense of belonging. “Belonging” to another hierarchy of human need established by Abraham Maslow. Yes, I am bringing him back into the picture AGAIN. If you don’t understand human needs how do you relate to your customers?

LOCAL BRANDS HAVE A COMPETITIVE EDGE OVER GLOBAL BRANDS.

Consumers trust brands manufactured locally and often make them their first choice. Consumers trust local brands. Here are a few quick steps to stay competitive in a local market.

1. If you are smart turning your local brand into a destination will make you less boring than your competitors. What type of experiences can you create unique to your brand?

2. Create local hype, a buzz, and community events around your brand and get the consumers feeling local love. Give back to the community and make sure your customers know.

3. Create an exclusive product or service only for locals. Consumers enjoy feeling empowered and having status, and they are willing to pay a premium for this status. Take advantage of it.

4. Create history and build the nostalgic element around your brand. Remember if your customers have not grown up with your brand there will be a generation that will…build the history through your social networks and in your place of business. Create memories and include your customers in those memories.

5. Your consumers want to know what is happening around them every day. Ensure your website is mobile friendly for quick access to your offerings. Utilize tools that create alerts when something new is happening with your brand.

Five easy steps to create a love affair between your community and your brand: Local Love rocks. Check out this month’s social pages as we post other examples of brands creating the over-the-top experiences for their customers. Learn.