5 Reasons Why Consumer-First Brands Are Winning The Battle For Consumer Attention

It is no surprise that brands like Amazon, Netflix and Uber are raising the bar when it comes to customer experience. It is evident that there is no more room for “one size fits all”. The challenge is: consumers are hyper-engaged and hyper-distracted at the same time. 

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What do consumers expect?

• 76% of consumers expect brands to understand their needs and expectations
• 69% of consumers expect Amazon-like buying experiences
• 82% of business buyers want the same experience as when they are buying for themselves

Now, what happens if you fail to meet consumer expectations?

• The average consumer tells 15 people when they have had a poor customer service experience
• One-third of consumers say they would consider switching companies after just one bad experience
• 57% of consumers have stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better experience

Consumer know what they want and expect you to understand what they need before they even tell you. 

The good news is: there is no need to hire a mentalist.

In this article, I will be sharing five key reasons why consumer-first brands are winning the battle for consumer attention.

1. They surround themselves with others that share the same ethos

Consumer-first brands no longer just go for the biggest “one-stop-shop” agencies or vendors. For brands, it’s becoming increasingly important to work with partners that share the same vision and philosophy. It is the real foundation of a partnership. The partner becomes an extension of the brand’s team – long gone are the days of simply throwing projects over the fence.

Even with all technology and automation we have at our disposal today, competing in the battle for consumer attention is still a difficult task. Some of the most common challenges might be:

• There is often too much data for it to be actionable for marketers
• Disjointed customer journeys and blind spots
• Accurate campaign performance measurement and attribution
• Growing technological complexity

Brands that settle for the good ol’ “quick and dirty” often find themselves scratching their heads when it is time to evaluate their latest marketing campaign or program performance.

Identify the type of services (i.e. content marketing, marketing automation, branding, PR etc.) your brand needs help with. Look for partners that specialise in that particular area of marketing and have a proven track record. Make sure there is mutual accountability, excitement and respect. 

At this point you might be asking yourself: should we go for a full-service partner or a specialised partner? To be honest, both have pros and cons. There is no single answer, as it depends on various factors. In the end, you might go for a combination of both that is driven by a full-service agency or specialised partner that has your best interest in mind as much as their own.

2. They never put the brand first

If you’re making it about you, you’re instantly setting yourself up for failure. Think about your audience (your prospects and customers) and the value your product/service can bring to them. 

Put yourself in the shoes of a new customer. What changes for them once they buy your product or subscribe to your service? Does it help them save time? Does it make their life, whether it’s personal or professional, more convenient? For B2B buyers – does it help them attract or retain customers? 

If you are unable to answer this simple question, you need to rethink your strategy. Think like a consumer, focus on benefits and value.

3. They listen and never just assume

You would be surprised how much feedback consumers are willing to provide. Don’t believe me? Have a look at the amount of reviews on websites like TripAdvisor, Amazon, Booking etc. The reason why a lot of brands are disappointed about engagement rates on their feedback forms or surveys is because they don’t make it about the consumer. You have to show them that their feedback is truly important in improving your service/product. 

Consumers like to feel listened to. Think about the last survey you’ve sent out. 

What did you do with the feedback? More importantly – did you inform the consumers about how their feedback contributed to certain improvements or changes to your product or service? Consumers actually like to be involved. Research has shown that consumers who feel valued and involved are more likely to stay loyal to your business. Not just that – they don’t mind telling their family and friends if they’re happy with your brand.

4. They understand the power of the human touch

We are living in an era of rapidly advancing technology, marketing fatigue and a shortened human attention span. On average, we see more than 5.000 marketing messages on a daily basis. It is getting increasingly difficult to grab consumer attention. Technology can definitely help you stay ahead of the curve. However… at the same time, your marketing messages have to be personal, consistent, relevant, contextual and empathic. You would like to automate as much as possible without losing the personal touch. It’s a real catch-22 situation.

Major global brands are coming up with ingenious ways to help them win the battle for consumer attention. I highly recommend looking into the following campaigns (if you haven’t seen them already):

• The battle between McDonald’s & Burger King (article)
• BMW says farewell to retiring Mercedes-Benz CEO (video)
• “The power of love” by dtac (video)

5. They listen to the data, not just their gut instinct

Brands across retail, travel, automotive, publishing, and financial services all have something in common – it is getting harder to stand out in a competitive market. They are all fighting for consumer attention. Winning over and retaining customers requires appealing to their emotions and needs. As a brand, you have to be present during these opportune moments.

Consumers are constantly leaving footprints on off- and online channels. These data nuggets might tell you more than what the consumer is explicitly telling you. You just have to listen good enough and take action. Many brands are sitting on a gold mine of data without even realising it. The key to all of this is “data activation”.

Closing thoughts

These are definitely interesting times, to say the least. For marketers, it is important to always continue to challenge yourself, your projects, your KPIs and the business in general. Break outside of the box. Tuck your marketing hat away for a moment and look at the customer journey from the consumer’s point of view. Take a walk in their shoes. Don’t forget to involve other colleagues or departments within the business as well. At the end of the day, we are all consumers 🙂

Are you looking to get a head start in winning the battle for consumer attention? Feel free to send me an email.

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