A New Breed of Brand AdvocatesSocial networking redefines consumer engagement |
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Consumer product companies are witnessing a profound transformation in how they reach and engage consumers. A number of technology and social trends are changing the way consumer product companies connect with consumers and more importantly how consumers interact with each other in influencing buying decisions.
In Fall 2009, Deloitte’s Consumer Products practice conducted a study to examine the issue of brand advocacy and how consumers engage with their favorite brands given the emergence of social networking. The study examined the behavior of surveyed consumers related to the purchase of their favorite brands, and their interaction with those brands. We surveyed more than 1,700 consumers in the United States across three categories to better understand and define brand advocates – consumers that have a favorite brand, spend an above-average amount on that brand, and are actively involved with the brand, through engagement and advocacy.
Our analysis covered the consumer product categories of salty snacks, all purpose household cleaning solutions, and beer. The result is a new publication, “A New Breed of Brand Advocates: Social networking redefines consumer engagement.” In this report, we share findings from the survey and shed light on the characteristics of brand advocates, assess their motivations for preferring one brand over another, and gauge how survey participants perceive brands across categories. We explore what the implications are for consumer products companies and provide recommendations to help them maneuver through and develop a strategy to capitalize on this changing environment.
“It’s really quite simple,” said Pat Conroy, Vice-chairman and U.S. Consumer Products Leader, Deloitte LLP. “Brand advocates spend significantly more on their favorite products than the average consumer, according to our survey results. Companies therefore should take advantage of the expanding array of new technologies that are making it easier to cultivate and grow this important consumer segment. By building deeper relationships online with their consumers, they will be better positioned to enable those advocates to interact with their favorite brands on their terms.”
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A new breed of brand advocates
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