The value of social media as a connecting medium rather than a promotional tool has yet to be widely utilised amongst brands. The Survey showed that investing in relationships with customers facilitates loyalty with more than half of consumers (56%) highlighting that they would increase their spending and 76% saying that they would consider switching their loyalty from competitor brands.
Worldwide
The data gathered shows brand popularity doesn’t imply a strong consumer-brand connection. For example, metrics such as a growing number of followers does not reveal why consumers feel an attachment towards the brand and form a loyalty towards them.
The results show that consumers define feeling connected to a brand as -
• a sense of trust (66%)
• an alignment of values (53%)
• and an understanding of consumer wants (51%)
These attitudes indicate brand-consumer relationships are much more than transactional.
Social media is a powerful medium for networking and the spread of information. However, based on personal experiences of consumers surveyed, 63% feel social media helps them keep in touch with others and 62% feel it helps them unite.
Powerful campaigns and growing popularity fosters engagement but connectedness facilitates brand loyalty. Connectedness is insurance against boycotts when customers have a bad experience or losing customers to a competitor.
With 62% of consumers loyal to brands they feel connected to, harnessing connection with the target market is a powerful and essential consideration during promotional planning.
Social media has sparked a growing interest in learning about the faces behind brands. Consumers feel more connected to brands with CEOs active on social media (72%) and feel there a real people behind their favourite brands (61%)Harnessing the power of personality allows the brand to speak the same language as the consumer with 45% of consumers feeling more connected to brands they felt had a personality.
Connection grows when the consumer feels the brand listens to their needs and communicates directly with them (55%). This need to be heard by brands also effects the content consumers would most like to see with 46% of consumers preferring interactive social content.
One of the most significant factors in fostering connection is transparency. With a growing need for connection it’s crucial that marketing strategy of the business aligns with this consumer trend.
