Consumers in 2020 are presented with an overwhelming amount of choice. While they frequently take a rational approach to purchasing decisions (price, convenience, and quality are considered), there’s an emotional aspect of buying that cannot be overlooked. A recent survey by Data Axle found that 44% of consumers are willing to switch to brands with more personalized marketing communications. This means, in order to engage digital audiences, brands need to make their messaging and products more relevant to your customers and potential customers. How do you achieve this? Data.
Here are 3 ways to leverage data to connect with your target audience:
Companies should ensure their brand has a clear voice that demonstrates the company’s values. The brand voice should be relevant to your target audience and remain consistent over time. Sometimes, trying to appeal to the broadest audience can reduce the power and clarity of your brand voice, so it’s important to have the ability to collect and draw insights from consumer psychographic data – attributes such as attitudes and interests – to truly understand what your core audience values. Using data, marketers can develop a brand voice that honors the company’s mission and reflects the values of their core customers.
Dove – Real Beauty Campaign
Dove, the ubiquitous body wash company, made national headlines for their Real Beauty campaign in 2004. The Real Beauty Campaign featured women of all shapes, colors and ages and focused on how all bodies are beautiful, despite the societal pressure for women to keep their appearance to a certain norm. This messaging made Dove the pioneer of body positivity and that continues to draw dividends for the brand. There was some backlash to the campaign, with some arguing that Dove went too far or not far enough. However, the campaign was successful for Dove because it struck a chord with their key demographic. The success of the campaign translated into sales. 10 years after the campaign launch, Dove product sales rose to $4 billion from $2.4 billion.
Now, customers rely on Dove for body-positive messages and imagery. Visitors to the Dove website can do more than explore products; they can also read uplifting Dove stories or visit the Dove self-esteem project tab and find valuable resources.
Brands need to be aware of shifts in customer behavior. This is especially important for large legacy brands that may become complacent and expect their customers to behave the way they have for years. Rapid changes in technology and global consumerism means consumer behavior is changing quicker than it has in the past. The largest example of this is the recent shuttering of many brick and mortar stores to accommodate the public’s penchant for buying online. However, some demographics still enjoy visiting an actual store. Brands need to know their audience preferences to keep up.
Amazon Fresh
Many busy young professionals no longer want to visit the grocery store. Grocery delivery services such as Fresh Direct and Peapod sprang into existence to meet that demand. Online retailer, Amazon, saw this trend and decided to expand their offerings to grocery and get a piece of the online food delivery pie. Amazon Fresh started as a subscription-based service, but soon shifted to charging delivery fees to accommodate consumers who didn’t want to commit to a subscription. Amazon Fresh also orders in-store pick-up and unattended deliveries, for customers who don’t want to have to rush home to accommodate a delivery. Amazon’s pivot to grocery hasn’t resulted in higher dividends. However, they are currently dominating the market for online grocery. Amazon Fresh accounts for 30% of all online grocery spending in the U.S. 1
67% of customers cite poor customer service as the main reason they stopped doing business with a brand. Today, there are many ways brands can provide excellent customer service and many technologies and solutions that brands can invest in that will help keep customers happy and loyal. In 2020, there’s no excuse for providing poor customer service.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the world of customer service. Using AI can help companies deliver targeted content, at the right time, to the right audience, customize experiences and products, keep messages relevant and make customers less likely to abandon ship.
Netflix
Netflix is, arguably, providing a more customized experience to their users than any other brand out there. Netflix offers their customers a steady stream of recommendations for what to watch, based on an algorithm that measures their viewing preferences. The algorithm, combined with an autoplay feature, keeps viewers glued to their screens and has made Netflix a household name and an essential part of many consumers’ everyday lives.
In a world driven by access to options, an emotional connection with a brand can be the tipping point for consumers when deciding where to spend their dollars. Want more tips to help you connect with your digital audience? Download our whitepaper on 2020 Digital Marketing Trends.
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As Content Marketing Manager, Natasia is responsible for helping strategize, produce and execute Data Axle's content. With a passion for writing and an enthusiasm for data management and technology, Natasia creates content that is designed to deliver nuggets of wisdom to help brands and individuals elevate their data governance policies. A native New Yorker, when Natasia is not at work she can be found enjoying New York’s food scene, at one of NYC’s many museums, or at one of the city’s many parks with her two teacup yorkies.