Are we loyal to brands? Or are we loyal to satisfy our own needs?The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that, we, consumers are very difficult to understand and please.
Now, why did I say that? I didn't say it just because I necessarily agree with an old marketing premise that suggests "consumers don't know what they want." No! I say it because I think we know what we want, but the problem for marketers is that sometimes they might not know when and/or how we want it. "Oh, if they were only able to read our minds."
On the other hand, I do believe we may be loyal to very select group of brands. What is the secret? There is no real secret here, but rather just common sense. I think what happens is that these particularly set of lucky brands have become an essential part of our daily routine. In the absence of them, we may feel incomplete, insecure, grouchy, sad, etc.
However, when a product or service doesn't play an essential role in our lives, and does not satisfy an immediate need, both physically and emotionally, we can easily replace it with something else. It may sound obvious that the secret lies on the value we give to such products, and that depends solely on us.
The future of product brands competing with generic or private label products depends on the level of "desire" they will be able to provoke in us.
For example, if I don't think a specific brand of hand sanitizer or a moisturizing lotion has the power to affect my day in a way that I feel I need it to survive through the day, then I will have no emotional attachment to what they can do for me.
For some people this may not be entirely true since I myself have bought the Target brand moisturizing lotion for the last 2 years. I may or may not change my mind, but if there were a product that tells me that the moisture in my skin will last for 24 hours, 12 more than the generics, then I might have to think about it twice.
I will conclude by saying that we all are complex individuals. Our needs and emotional experiences are different from anyone else's.
One thing is for sure, we all have at least one product that we are not willing to change. Brands cannot read our minds, but what marketers can do is to continue to improve in product development, offer quality and solutions to consumers and at the end of the day establish emotional connections between people and the brand.
In my case the one product I am not willing to change ever again is the AXE body wash. I've tried other brands and always come back to it. It makes me feel and smell good, in fact my wife loves the way I smell after using it.
Can you think of a product that you will absolutely never change? How does that product make you "feel" and why?
Loyalty?! Who is loyal in this economy? As consumers are we becoming ‘risk averse,’ ‘seeking products that will just do,’ or really stick to the product that you just loooove?!
ReplyDeleteYou touch many different things in today's posting.
What came to mind when you were talking about the connection consumers have with certain brands in the decision involvement; low-involvement vs. high-involvement. As we know, the usual low involvement purchases are those that we do it out of inertia, (deodorant, toothpaste, and lotion) – it is here where consumers are more likely to be loyal to these brands, without being cognizant that they are in fact been loyal. Those that are high involvement purchases are cars, tv’s, etc. (where the product will most likely last you for more than just a couple of uses… in other words, when the consumers makes in his mind the ‘price/value equation.’ Now consumers can also be loyal here, but they will most likely seek the BEST option, not mattering brand… necessarily.
When our wallet starts feeling the economy (even unconsciously) our mind starts deviating to products that will ‘serve the purpose.’ In other words, even the low-involvement products start to be re-thought… hence, affecting loyalty. Which brings me to my next point, how loyal are loyal consumers?
To your question, what brands am I loyal to? What is loyalty? For this case, I will use loyalty as the following. Loyalty is not substituting that product by any other, and willing to NOT consume anything if they don’t carry it. Thus far, coke… well diet coke is that one product.