What do consumers really want?

ExpoTV recently released some statistics (abeit a little vague) on what consumers expect from brands. To cut the story short, 55% of consumers want ongoing conversations with brands. 63% of consumers would be loyal or very loyal to a brand they’re unfamiliar with that solicited for their comments on their products. 61% of consumers will tell 10 or more people, if they like a certain brand. 81% tell at least five others.

It’s a very punishing statistics for those companies who have yet to dabble in social media. Such surveys highlight how much they are losing out by not engaging with consumers. Besides, loyalty and relationships are forged upon these conversations. All of us are well aware how important it is to maintain this relationship. Like I previously wrote, customers are the true influencers. Is there anything we still do not know?

Who are these “consumers”?

Looking at these statistics published in their blog, I am now left wondering who are these “consumers” they approached for this survey. It’s imperative for me to know if a survey is marketer-inspired or customer-driven. If a survey is built around marketers who are advocating for social media heavily, little guesses needed for the kind of results we will see. Likewise, a street survey at the side of a shopping mall filled with retail shops may yield different results.

I shall not jump to conclusion, since I do not have the full report. However, I always feel there is greater need to reveal the demographics of survey respondents whenever such findings are published. I remembered once where I quoted a finding (in my previous blog) where it said only small amount would trust bloggers, and I received feedbacks (along in other blogs like Web Strategist) that the breakdown of “bloggers” is necessary. Are they bloggers that we know as friends? Or are they bloggers we randomly come across and are total strangers?

It’s a valid argument, nonetheless. In fact, most surveys that are published fail to disclose the demographics which are the driving forces behind the results.

I think we’re looking at a lot of marketers who are perceiving what consumers want, which is precisely why “listening to consumers” is of paramount importance. While this survey showed exactly that, we have also learnt that the traits of general consumers and tech consumers are starkly different. Tech consumers evidently, are more vocal than others given the rise of Web 2.0 applications.

What does this survey tell us? Honestly, nothing. At least not something we don’t already know.

Related Read:
PR and Social Media in Asia
Online vs Offline Word of Mouth

July 2, 2008 | Filed Under Research, Social Media

6 Comments 

Having 6,141 friends you don’t know may be beneficial

I don’t know if I should be amused that “sharing our lives technologically“ is such an educational achievement. It’s something hard to swallow even for a software developer. (Read through the comments) Not that we are not aware of the possible merits of social networks, we have just heard it too much and for too long. Is that really what’s being taught in Universities these days?

What’s even more ludicrous, is the underlying perception that you are seen as “great” if you can memorize HTML or PHP codes off the top of your head. Or perhaps, knowing how to change your cursor to a flower or changing your blog header graphic. How do these educate us to be a more responsible person in the society?

Jeremiah recently popped a few questions asking how such modes of communication will impact interpersonal skills and our culture. Clearly, the rising abuse of social networking sites paints a very different reality. If this is really the case, then everyone has a good cause for worries. We no longer need proclaiming of educational values. What we truly need, is to see real educational efforts being adopted and flourish. If we could go without the hand-changing billion-dollar sales a tat too frequent, even better.

Come to think of it, what significant values does the “study” contribute? Is University of Minnesota trying to pave internships for students in Silicon Valley with such a vague result?



June 24, 2008 | Filed Under Research, Social Networking

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