How Gratitude Strengthens Your Brand's Reputation
With Thanksgiving next week, it is truly the season for showing gratitude. Customer appreciation is important for brands to further their relationship with their consumers. In the past, companies have attempted to foster these connections through rewards programs, 24-hour customer service, giveaways, and more. However, there are some brands that go above and beyond when thanking their customers.
Chewy, Honda, and Chipotle all displayed exceptional gratitude for their customers through unique campaigns and personalized gifts. Each company created a one-of-a-kind approach to better express their gratitude toward devoted customers.
Chewy’s Heartfelt Approach to Customer Service
Chewy is an online pet supply store that ships customers’ pet items, from big to small, directly to their doors. Time and time again, its customer service experiences have far exceeded expectations when consumers lose a furry friend. Losing a pet is devastating, and Chewy understands how hard this can be for consumers. The company’s compassion for its consumers is evident through its extra effort, care, and empathy during these tough times. Showing compassion towards its customers has a lasting impact on peoples’ emotional connection with the brand. Multiple Chewy customers have spoken up about their experience with the company when they told them about the loss of their pet.
One customer, Anna Brose, expressed her gratitude for Chewy's response to the loss of her dog, Gus. She tweeted: “I contacted @Chewy last week to see if I could return an unopened bag of my dog’s food after he died. They 1) gave me a full refund, 2) told me to donate the food to the shelter, and 3) had flowers delivered today with the gift note signed by the person I talked to?? 😭”
In response to this tweet, many other Chewy customers shared their personal experiences with the brand. Some received bouquets of flowers, like Brose, while others received painted pet portraits, handwritten sympathy cards, and refunds for products.
These heartfelt acts of sympathy show Chewy’s gratitude and genuine empathy towards its customers, further building and strengthening an emotional connection.
Honda’s Creative Celebration of Customer Loyalty
Honda customers openly express their love for the brand through unique acts such as “Honda” shaved into their heads, custom tattoos, and sharing personal stories about brand interactions. After Honda hit one million “likes” on its Facebook account, the brand introduced its new campaign: Honda Loves You Back.
In response to the photos shared by fans, Honda found creative ways to share its gratitude. One Honda employee shaved a fan’s name into their hair, while corporate headquarters cut the name of another fan into their grass. The brand also celebrated one million miles with a Honda owner after his car's odometer hit the maximum number of displayable digits. The company even surprised fans at a baseball game by paying for their parking.
Through these unique acts to return its thanks to its loyal customers, Honda effectively connected with its audience and displayed its gratitude.
Chipotle’s Delicious Display of Appreciation for Healthcare Heroes
During National Nurses Week, Chipotle announced that it would be giving away $1 million worth of free burritos to 100,000 healthcare workers. In previous years, Chipotle awarded healthcare workers with over $5 million dollars in free food. This year, the brand launched a website for care providers to verify their employment as a healthcare worker, and then were entered to win a gift card for a free burrito.
In response, Chief Brand Officer Chris Brandt said, “Healthcare professionals have overcome countless challenges in the past several years, continuing to show up and selflessly serve our communities. We're proud to continue to support these dedicated individuals and want to express our gratitude with a fresh and convenient meal.”
Chipotle’s commitment over the years to giving back revealed its dedication to showing appreciation for the healthcare heroes. Through this, Chipotle strengthens its connections with the community.
Chewy’s, Honda’s, and Chipotle’s campaigns all serve as examples of how companies can go above and beyond in showing gratitude for loyal customers and fans as Thanksgiving approaches. Whether through heartfelt gestures, creative interactions, or generous initiatives, each brand reveals the impact of valuing and giving back to their communities.
Margaret is a senior currently working towards a major in Communication Studies and a minor in Business. She studied abroad in Florence, Italy in the summer of 2024 at Florence University of the Arts. She is involved in GV PRSSA, GrandPR, and works in the Padnos International Office to encourage other students to travel abroad. This is Margaret’s first year as an account associate for GrandPR, and she hopes to use her professional experience in either the Travel or Entertainment industry of PR after graduation.