In today’s world, where people are constantly looking for the next best thing, companies must find ways to keep their customers engaged. One way they can do this is by building a strong company culture. This blog post will discuss 3 different companies that have relied on their culture to achieve success and maintain customer loyalty.
Zappos
Zappos is an online retailer that specializes in shoes, clothing, accessories, and more. They are known for their incredible customer service, quick free shipping, and extensive selection. One of the reasons they have been successful is because they believe in creating a strong company culture. Tony Hsieh (CEO) believes that treating employees like family is essential to making Zappos a household name. Employees can work flexible hours; there are no cubicles or assigned desks; everyone wears jeans; and if you don’t like someone you can always find another person with whom to eat lunch.
Airbnb
Airbnb was founded based on the idea of letting people out available space within their homes to people who need a place to stay when they visit. This is a great idea, but many cities have strict laws about renting out your property for money. To overcome these laws AirBnB encouraged their community to lobby in favor of the company and any use of Airbnb. This has been extremely effective in getting these laws changed nationwide.
Airbnb also puts a lot of emphasis on the culture within the company itself because it plays a major role in its success. They encourage employees to be themselves because real connections with customers are what drives sales growth. All employees must attend an all-hands meeting once a week where everyone from customer service reps to CEOs learns together. “We’re very communal,” says CEO Brian Chesky, explaining there are no assigned desks or offices, only occasional open-plan meetings, and executives are encouraged to interact with employees at all levels.
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
Many companies have created a strong company culture but one of the most iconic examples is that of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. The core beliefs behind the creation of B&J were love, fun, and social change. There was no focus on money – profits were not celebrated because they felt this would corrupt their inherent purpose as a company. They made decisions based on what was best for their fans rather than trying to sell out every time. The symbolic giant tubs of ice cream were used as rallying points by activists so they could create awareness about important social issues such as AIDS and world hunger. This has created a strong customer base who feel like they are part of something, all because of the company culture.