2. Table of Contents
• Objective
• Methodology
• Expo Panel Note
• Executive Summary
• Who are Brand Connected Consumers?
• What are Brand Connected Consumers doing online?
• Why should I care about the Brand Connected Consumer?
• How can I engage with Brand Connected Consumers?
• Summary
• Appendix
A di
3. Objective
Economics have evolved! Shopping has circumvented
brick and mortar. The stage is global, the medium is
digital!”
While we all understand the general importance of digital
communication, what we don’t know is:
• When consumers connect
• Why consumers seek and provide brand information
• How impactful online engagements can be on consumer
behavior
We set out to determine just that.
4. Methodology
By surveying populations of both engaged consumers and members of the
general population, we hoped to provide clear insights on when, where and why
consumers engage with brands in order to determine just how impactful those
connections are and how valuable brand connected consumers can be.
Our study incorporated both quantitative & qualitative methodologies:
Quantitative: Online survey, 20 mins. in length. Fielded U.S. respondents from
y, g p
(2) separate panels
• EXPO sample: n= 699
• Gen. pop
Gen pop. sample: n=300
Qualitative: (3) Online video focus groups, 1 hour in length. Fielded respondents
from EXPO panel
5. EXPO Panel
We found that respondents from the EXPO panel differed significantly from
members of the general population. Generally speaking, they reported stronger
digital attitudes compared to gen. pop. and were more likely to post information
after using a product. Therefore, we analyzed the data using (4) segments:
• Brand Connected Consumers:
• Hyper BCCs– Members of the EXPO panel (n=346)
• BCCs– Members of the Gen. Pop. panel (n=84)
• Brand Aware:
• Hyper Brand Aware– Members of the EXPO panel (n= 302)
• Brand Aware– Members of the Gen. Pop. Panel (n=184)
**Note: For this study, we support general insights using gen. pop. data in order to ensure the
generalizability of the study’s findings. However, we do illustrate important findings based on
EXPO data in various locations”
**Sample Caveat: Duplicate submissions, error-filled submissions, and non-connected consumers were removed from the
analysis, which accounts for the 51 removed EXPO respondents and the 32 removed Gen. Pop. Respondents**
y , p p p
6. Executive Summary
Our study finds that 80% of shoppers are digitally engaged with brands in some way
way,
whether just searching for brand information or posting about their experiences with
brands. However, some consumers, termed ‘Brand Connected Consumers’ (BCCs), are
more connected than others, and can have a great impact on the public opinion and the
potential sales of a brand.
BCCs post to and about brands frequently (at least once per week) filling cyber-space
with their experiences and opinions of brands and products with the main goal of
helping others make good purchase decisions. Coincidentally, we find that the places
BCCs are providing information are the exact places where other consumers are
searching f it making th
hi for it, ki these BCC very i fl
BCCs influential overall.
ti l ll
We also discover the impact of online interactions with brands. When consumers reach
out to brands, the brand’s response (or lack thereof) can have serious ramifications on
the consumer’s buying behavior. Responding in a less than satisfactory way can result
in losing a customer, while simply acknowledging a customer’s comment can lead to
new customers or increased business with existing customers. Moreover, the more
satisfied a consumer is with a brand interaction, the more likely they are to post about
the brand and recommend that brand to friends and family. Bottom line, brand
interactions can impact buyer behavior.
The more engaged the consumer is and the more frequently they communicate, the
more valuable they are to brands. Brand Connected Consumers are passionate about
brand engagement and they should be leveraged as a resource by brands. By
satisfying the BCCs’ need for acknowledgement, the brand can instantly g
y g g , y generate
positive buying behavior, PR and word of mouth marketing.
6
8. Most consumers digitally engage with brands in
some way; however some consumers engage
however,
more than others Within the 80% segment, there are
80% of consumers varying degrees of digital
p
perform at least ( )
(1) engagement, with the most important
of the following (3) 25% and influential group being Brand
activities at least BCC Connected Consumers
once per month • 100% of these BCCs post both to and
• Posting messages about brands at least once per week.
about brands
anywhere online
(e.g. – on
blogs, websites, etc.)
• Looking for
information like
messages,
messages videos or 55% Brand Aware
pictures about
brands online (e.g. –
on blogs, brand
websites, YouTube,
etc.)
• Posting messages
directed at brands on
social networks (e.g.
– On
Facebook, Twitter, et
c.)
20% Not Connected
9. Demographically, Brand Connected
Consumers are young, educated and part of a
traditional family
• More likely to be female
• Younger than other consumers
o Nearly 6 in 10 are between 18 and 34 years old
• Are completely responsible for their household’s weekly grocery
household s
shopping
• She’s employed
• Has an average Household Income
• Is educated
o 6 in 10 have at least some college experience
• Lives in a family household
o More than half have 3+ people in household
o Tend to have 1 or 2 kids in their household
10. BCCs
BCC are very engaged with b d and
d ith brands d
shopping
They shop, seek information and post information more frequently
than others across retailers and categories because:
• They
Th are i innovators
t
• They always know about the latest technology and products
• They are far more likely to search for and trust the information
online, both from consumers and brands
,
• They are informants
• They are far more likely to share information with others online;
an activity they very much enjoy
• They are regularly approached to share their advice and
experiences with products
11. They
Th engage at all ti
t ll times th
throughout th path-to-
h t the th t
purchase
BCCs
• BCCs look for information and post to
Before they
buy a
and about brands both before and after
product 64% they have purchased a product
• Interestingly, 8 in 10 BCCs engage with
brands in their free time, even when they
After
are not in shopper mode because of their
they’ve
th ’ innovator and informant status
used a
product
43%
In their
free time
/ just for 79%
! fun
Data Shown: % engaging in at least (1) brand-connecting activity
13. BCCs
BCC use many diffdifferent social media websites,
t i l di b it
and are using them more frequently than others
How frequently do you use each of the
following social media sites?
BCC vs. Brand Aware
100%
90%
5%
11%
80%
10%
70% 8%
60% 20% 8%
6%
50%
14% 17% 19%
40% 80%
30% 14% 58%
22% 51%
20% 37%
10% 23% 5%
4% 5% 13%
4% 5%
0% 3%
Brand BCC Brand BCC Brand BCC Brand BCC
Aware Aware Aware Aware
Pinterest Twitter YouTube Facebook
Every day A few days each week Once a week
14. Regardless of the occasion, or even the category
they are shopping for, BCCs are looking for
information in a variety of places
For Everyday
For Special Events For Big Ticket Purchases
Purchases
Family / Friends (50%) Family / Friends (47%) Family / Friends (60%)
Online Retailers (42%) Brand Websites (39%) Retailer Websites (50%)
Retailer Websites (40%) Online Retailers (37%) TV (46%)
**Note: Hyper BCCs are far more likely to use resources for both
big ticket and everyday purchases compared to gen. pop. BCCs
15. BCCs
BCC fill cyber-space with many t
b ith types of
f
information
How frequently do you use each of the following activities online?
Post text messages about products or services
47% 15% 12%
anywhere online
Post pictures about brands anywhere online 38% 21% 7%
Post videos about brands anywhere online 31% 19% 8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Every day A few days each week Once a week
And they share this information (predominantly their ‘good experiences ) in a
good experiences’)
great many places, including on:
• Facebook (87%)
• Retailer websites (85%)
• Online retailers (e.g. – Amazon.com) (80%)
• Brand websites (74%)
• Blogs (63%)
• Review sites (63%)
• YouTube (57%)
ou ube (5 %)
• Twitter (55%)
16. WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT
BRAND CONNECTED
CONSUMERS?
16
17. BCCs are important because they are influential
They provide the information that all consumers seek
• BCCs frequently inject their opinions of brands into the cyber-sphere
• 8 in 10 BCCs post messages both about and directly to brands at least a
few times a week
• As the majority of consumers feel it’s important to hear about the
j y p
experiences of others before they buy a product, other consumers
are likely to be looking for information that the BCC is providing
• 7 in 10 consumers agree that it’s important to hear about the
experiences of others before making a purchase
• More than half of other consumers look for brand information at least
once a month
Their attitudes towards brand interactions can significantly impact
purchase intent
• Dissatisfactory responses can result in lost sales opportunities while
satisfactory responses can result in increased sales opportunities
18. All consumers want information to find “the truth,”
gauge quality and di
lit d discover savings, and BCC
i d BCCs
enjoy providing information to educate others
“To help others.”
“To save time and money
while finding the best quality “I want people to be informed.”
product to suit my needs.”
“So th
“S other people can make a d i i
l k decision
“To see reviews and see “The information based on my (and others) experiences.”
what how companies are among customers
responding/customer is less biased.” “I think people want to know.”
service.
service.”
“To show my appreciation.”
“To see others
experiences before I buy.”
“Why do you
search for brand
information?” “Why do you post
information about
brands?”
b d ?”
19. Consumers are l ki f i f
C looking for information where
ti h
BCCs are providing it
Where BCCs provide information
20. The quality of a brand s response can have a
brand’s
major impact on the consumer’s purchase
behavior
• 1 in 4 times a consumer is less than satisfied with an online brand
exchange, they completely stop buying products or services from the
brand
• When consumers are satisfied with an exchange they have with a brand 4 in
brand,
10 report purchasing significantly more of the brand’s products or services,
and 2 in 10 will buy the brand’s offerings for the very first time
• Further,
Further satisfied consumers are significantly more likely to recommend
to others that buy the brand’s products or services
“Whoa!”
“Wh !”
21. The b d’
Th brand’s response t negative posts can
to ti t
have an even bigger impact
When brands fail to respond to negative posts it will most likely result in
lost sales:
30%
no effect
70%
stop buying
from the brand
**Note: 56% of the time a consumer
posts a comment because they are
unsatisfied, they receive no brand
response
response**
22. HOW CAN I ENGAGE WITH BRAND
CONNECTED CONSUMERS?
22
23. First, you must look for them where they are
posting information
Remember, BCCs post to a variety of places, but Facebook
dominates
To
T post personal opinions:
l i i
To post questions:
**Note: Qual suggests consumers know when to give feedback and
when it won’t be worth their while, based on the quality of the page**
24. Then you must provide good customer service
and quickly respond to BCCs’ posts in order to
BCCs
avoid lost customers
• Even though 6 in 10 consumers that send messages directly to brands say
it s
it’s because they’re satisfied it’s still important to consumers that they’re
they re satisfied, it s they re
acknowledged by the brand in various locations:
• On the brand’s social network pages (80% feel it’s important that their feedback is
acknowledged)
• On their personal social network pages (70%)
• On review sites (75%)
• And they’re confident that brands both see and value their posts in each of those
locations:
l ti
% that are confident brands see % that are confident brands value
Resource
their posts in each location information they provide in each location
Brand social network pages 83% 87%
Personal social network 73% 79%
pages
Review sites 79% 80%
25. Acknowledging BCC ’ i easier th you thi k a
A k l d i BCCs’ is i than think,
simple “Thank You” often does the trick
“How would you have liked
the brand to have responded
to your post?”…
“I would love for them to
make me feel important”
“Just saying they
appreciate my business”
business
“Simply liking my post would
make me happy” “Thank me for my comment”
“With a nice reply or comment”
• BCCs want to feel that the brand cares about them. “Thank Yous”
and personalized messages are appreciated
• They are dissatisfied by standardized messages and simple
contact information
• Respondents less than satisfied by a brand’s response were nearly 3 times more
likely to have received contact information for the consumer to reach back out to
the brand compared to consumers that were satisfied (33% -> 13%)
27. Conclusions
C l i
BCCs are extremely important
Each digital connection is an opportunity to
grow the brand
• All consumers want and need brand
information, and BCCs are often the
source of that information
• BCCs attitudes towards brand interactions
can significantly impact purchase intent of
both themselves and others
• Ultimately BCCs act as brand
Ultimately,
journalists…
…And what they publish depends on
THE BRAND
29. Shopping Behavior
How frequently do you shop at each of the following retailers?
At least a few times a month % shown
Walmart 83%
56%
W l
Walgreens 64%
26%
Dollar General 62%
14%
Family Dollar 60%
8%
Target 55%
47%
CVS 49%
27%
Amazon.com 47%
45%
Kroger 33%
26%
Costco 30% BCC
10%
Sam's Club 29%
9% Brand
25% Aware
Safeway 9%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
30. BCCs seek information to a greater degree
than Brand Aware consumers
How frequently do you search for information about each of the following
brands?
90% At least once a week % sho n
eek shown
79%
80% 74%
70%
BCC
60% 56%
53%
51% 49%
50%
40% 40%
40% 36% 35%
31% 29%
30% 27%
Brand Aware 23% 21%
19%
20%
9% 10%
10% 6% 6%
0%
Stores Grocery / Electronics Restaurants Service Apparel Baby / kid Home Luxury Car brands
household
h h ld brands
b d providers
id brands
b d brands
b d appliances
li brands
b d
products
31. BCCs also post information to a greater
degree than Brand Aware consumers
How frequently do you post information about each of the following
brands?
60% At least once a week % shown
55%
52% 51% 49% 48% 48%
50%
BCC
40%
40% 38% 38%
30%
30%
20%
Brand Aware
15% 14%
13%
11% 10%
8% 9%
10% 7% 7%
4%
0%
Stores Grocery / Restaurants Service Apparel Electronics Home Luxury brands Baby / kid Car brands
household providers brands brands appliances brands
products
32. Special Events (Holidays, Birthdays, etc.) deep dive
% of shoppers that use each resource to get product
information for special event purchases
Family/friends
F il /f i d %
50%
Online Retailers 42%
Retailer Websites 40%
Brand Websites
a d ebs tes 38%
Facebook 37%
TV 32%
Magazines 30%
Family & friends are the go to for
go-to
Newspapers 27% advice on special event
purchases. However more than
Blogs 26%
1/3rd of consumers also report
Discussion boards or forums 24% engaging with retailer
websites,
websites brand websites and
Review Sites 24%
Facebook, which are all locations
YouTube 19% filled with information provided by
BCCs
Twitter 17%
Pinterest 15%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
34. EXPO Panelists tend to mirror the relationships of
the general population
EXPO Brand Brand
EXPO BCCs BCCs Aware Aware
Before they
buy a
product 80% 64% 82% 74%
After
they’ve
used a 79% 43% 76% 52%
product
In their
free time
/ just for 85% 79% 65% 52%
! fun
Data Shown: % engaging in at least (1) brand-connecting activity
35. However, overall, EXPO members are more likely
to post both to and about brands compared to the
general population
EXPO EXPO Brand Brand
BCCs
BCCs Aware Aware
Before they Post to Brands 55% 37% 33% 21%
buy a
p
product Post about Brands 45% 33% 23% 25%
Look for Brand info 77% 57% 80% 73%
After Post to Brands 71% 42% 68% 55%
they’ve
used a Post about Brands 73% 33% 71% 56%
product Look for Brand info 42% 23% 22% 11%
In their Post to Brands 72% 68% 48% 38%
free time Post about Brands 74% 67% 51% 33%
/ just for
! fun Look for Brand info 71% 61% 44% 38%
Data Shown: % engaging in at least (1) brand-connecting activity
36. The Value Equation
• When a consumer chooses to engage a brand, the feedback (or lack
thereof) can have a tremendous impact on their behavior
• Satisfaction with a response can create trial / increased purchases
• Dissatisfaction with response / ignoring negative feedback can end the consumer-
brand relationship
• When consumers are satisfied with the brand’s response, it
increases th lik lih d th t th will recommend th b d’
i the likelihood that they ill d the brand’s
products or services to others
• EXPO members are posting to and about brands more frequently
than even gen pop BCCs, which means there is a greater
BCCs
opportunity for brands to connect, satisfy and encourage these
consumers to communicate their experiences across cyber-
space