Are Consumers Still Brand Committed?

Brand Commitment is all about to the loyalty of consumers surrounding a particular brand that provides a certain product/service. Brands that have near cult followings, such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Apple, Disney (who we’ll go into more detail about, below) and Chipotle, all have something special about them that consumers connect with. Whether they’re known for their all-natural goodness, like Chipotle or for their innovation and quality, like Apple, the most popular and loved brands all have a unique quality about them that people can’t find anywhere else. Because of this, these brands have a high rate of Brand Love and Brand Commitment.

APPLE:

Take an Apple fan, for instance. When they are in need of a new phone, tablet or computer, they obviously won’t head to their local BestBuy and pick up a PC. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have the money for a new device or even if they need a new device- they’ll use their current device until it’s fully dead or fork out the money to get that sweet new electronic accessory. This level of commitment is what any business owner could hope for, but how did these popular brands achieve this status? Let’s find out.

DISNEY:

Take Disney, for instance. We probably all know one person who’s a die-hard Disney fan, right? You know, the ones that flock to either Anaheim, Orlando, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong or Aulani anywhere from once to 10 times a year just to “experience the magic”? How do you think they got to the point of becoming such a huge part of people’s lives? Disney has a huge brand love following. From those who watched the originals, such as Beauty and The Beast, Cinderella, etc., to those who are only just experiencing the “Most Magical Place on Earth”, Disney is a place (and brand) that people of all ages identify with and have grown to love. Popular online pop culture website, POPSUGAR, ran a poll specifically geared towards adult women (the poll consisted of 100 adult women) who are total Disney devotees and this is what the polls said:

15% of those interviewed have been to a Disney Park at least 10 times by November 23rd, 2015.
75% said that their ultimate vacation included a trip to a Disney Park.
80% don’t/didn’t have kids at the time they were polled.
30% are married.
46% were single at the time the poll was taken.
24% were in a long-term relationship at the time the poll was taken.
(Thanks to POPSUGAR for the poll)

Disney has created another world for visitors to escape to- a place of refuge when hard times hit and a place where memories are made, which you can never put a price tag on. Because of this, I would say, without a doubt, that Disney is one of those brands that people will always love and won’t hesitate to blow their hard earned money on a trip to one of their many parks or some overpriced merch.

But not all brands are as lucky as Disney. Most brands don’t have the strong Brand Love that Disney aficionados have. So where do you go from here? Well, let’s break down the basics:

People want good quality at a low cost.

For those manufacturing or providing the product service, it’s not like upping the quality and slashing the prices will give them any benefit, so what’s the solution? In a study conducted by Nielsen, 55% of online global shoppers across 60 countries said they are willing to pay more for a product/or service offered by companies that are dedicated to positive community and environmental impact. Another study, conducted by Braun Research, concluded that 72% of consumers are more fixated on the quality of the food they are looking at purchasing, rather than the price of the item. They also found that a robust 68% of those polled felt that nutrition is the most important thing to consider when purchasing food items.

You may be asking, “what if my company has nothing to do with food?” or “what if my service/product doesn’t have a way to be environmentally friendly?” Not to fear! Those stats were all just examples of how companies have won over consumers by devoting themselves to a certain cause or by increasing the quality of the product they provide. Obviously you can’t typically increase quality without increasing the price of your product, but thankfully, from the information above, it’s clear that most people would rather pay a higher price than purchase a lower quality item. This also comes into play if a consumer’s favorite place to shop starts to lower the quality of their products, because then they have to decide whether or not they want to continue paying for low quality and shop at the store they’ve been committed to for however long, or if it’s time to break off their relationship with their favorite store and search for a new place that offers a better quality item for the same or a bit of a higher price. When a company has made a claim or lowered quality standards, this is your time to really market your company in a way that would entice customers to check out your store, product, or service. It’s been shown that consumers value having a more personal brand experience versus a more impersonal brand engagement such as traditional advertising in producing successful word of mouth advertisement. If you're looking to merge into a more personal consumer-brand engagement, think about hiring a Social Media Manager who could actively reply and interact with your clients and customers when they contact you or mention your brand. Trust me, nothing is cooler than knowing that a brand or person you love took the time to reply back to you and engaged with you specifically. Something as replying with a gif, retweet, or short comment can turn someone who comes to your store infrequently (but likes the product/service you provide) into a regular customer. So you like the idea of someone attending to your social media, but maybe you've crossed it off your list due to the extra expenses. Well, let's look at it like this:

Going with the example I went over above, if your social media manager engaged with a customer and the customer really liked the interaction and feels that your store/company cares more than their regular shopping place/item supplier or was there for them when their regular stop didn't help them or have what they needed, then you've just gained a repeat customer. Let's say that your customers spend an average of $35.00 per visit. At that rate, if you pay your social media manager $12.00 per hour for 8 hours 3 days a week and during those 24 hours they connect with 20 customers who are going to use your store/service/product regularly, then you've only paid your social media manager $288.00 and you've gained $700.00 that you wouldn't have had otherwise. So after paying your social media manager, you've grossed $412.00. That may not seem like a lot, but let's be honest, every dollar counts and this was a smaller scale example.

What to Do:

We've covered a lot of info, so let's recap:

• Brand Commitment is all about to the loyalty of consumers surrounding a particular brand that provides a certain product/service.
• Brands with "cult" followings all have something special about them that consumers connect with.
• Brands that give the consumer a "feeling" that they feel is irreplaceable are the ones who win. What can you provide that will give your customers a feel something special to put you ahead of your competitors?
• Consumers are more fixated on the quality of the item they are looking at purchasing, rather than the price of the item itself.
• Find a way to connect more with your clientele in a unique one-on-one way. Find a method that suits your budget, company voice and overall strategy.