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From eco-conscious shoppers willing to pay a premium for sustainable goods to socially minded customers who disavow brands over political positions, consumers have increasingly signaled the importance of tying purpose to their purchases.
Instead of ignoring these shifting consumer preferences, brands should take proactive steps to demonstrate their values to shoppers—and reward consumers for theirs.
In research by Edelman, consumers reported changing their purchasing behavior based on a brand’s response to pressing social issues. According to respondents, top issues include employee treatment (75%), climate change (64%), economic equality (60%) and racial justice (60%).
Of note, consumers’ purchasing changes aren’t just about deserting brands that don’t match their values; they’re also proactively switching to brands that do.
To win new customers in this environment, brands must focus on both value and values. To do so, they should integrate purpose-driven marketing into their messaging, using personalization to reach customer segments who care about brand values and gated offers to provide a financial reward for doing so.
Personalized communications
The issues consumers care about are much bigger than themselves. When looking to make purchases with values in mind, they’re personally trying to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Personalized communications allow brands to speak consumers’ language—while also clarifying how they can help them live their values. A brand targeting eco-conscious customers, for example, might use a monthly newsletter to highlight sustainable practices that can help them actually embody their principles in their day-to-day lives.
An online storefront, on the other hand, might promote ethically sourced products on its social channels to reach consumers concerned about fair labor practices. This tailor-made content speaks directly to consumers’ concerns by translating their abstract values into concrete actions that guide them toward purchases that reflect their worldview.
When brands personalize their communications based on consumers’ values, they effectively become trusted partners in their customers’ journey toward living those values. And brands, in turn, become a go-to source for shoppers’ future purpose-driven purchases.