Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business. You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)

Consumer attitudes have mutated thanks to pandemic

Brands must create moments of joy and build relevance

The Canada and US study measures current consumer attitudes to show how companies can navigate the difficult landscape of operating during and after COVID-19. The study took a rather unique approach. Instead of applying the traditional method of measuring consumer behaviour, Emotive focused solely on consumer attitudes that trigger those behaviours.

The study measured 16 distinct attitudes, including eight emotional engagement factors such as relatability, trustworthiness and joyfulness, and eight rational engagement factors like predictability, value, and community involvement. The study focused on the banking, quick service dining, hotel, mobile provider and retail industries. The goal was to understand the attitudes of consumers during the pandemic, so that brands can adjust their strategies in meaningful ways.

Key findings of the study included:

• Key elements of life that have been negatively impacted are
  community, family and friends and personal finances.
• 69% of people are overwhelmingly interested in seeing strong leadership from companies and brands in the months ahead, as they are more likely to feel a lack of confidence in governments.
• Across industries, customers are looking for a reason to smile more than ever, yet have never had a tougher time finding one.
• Delivering joy is currently the most critical and chronically underserved element of engagement across all industries tested
• Adapt or disappear
  A third (32%) of respondents strongly agree that they will do more online shopping after the pandemic ends, meaning consumers are demanding more innovation from traditional retailers.

Since the onset of COVID-19, men and women are equally interested in engaging emotionally with brands - but not in the same way. Brands that demonstrate traits of ease and familiarity will win with those identifying as male, while females want to build a more personal connection, yet demand follow-through.

Attitudes towards brands have become more emotionally-driven since the pandemic. A previous Emotive study conducted in January 2020 found the key elements driving engagement across industries were more operational in nature.

"We measured 16 distinct attitudes that audiences have towards companies, organizations and brands, and how these attitudes drive their actions," said Marc Whitehead, founding partner and CEO of Emotive Technologies Inc. "With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and world events, it's important to understand, respect and nurture these attitudes to enable businesses to make the right decisions. Just because governments and health agencies green light businesses to restart, it doesn't mean people will come running back. Our study helps shine a light on the most important attitudes to drive consumer action on the road to recovery."

Based on the current study, the idea of relatability or being personally invested in the success of a brand has become more important than ever. "Today, people want to see themselves in the brands they interact with," said Whitehead. "This level of relatability was once a nice-to-have for a brand manager, but today it's increasingly a must for any marketing strategy."

"We keep hearing companies say that 'we're in this together'", said Whitehead, "but it falls short when they don't walk the talk. Companies need to help their customers come to that conclusion on their own."

By measuring audience attitudes, Emotive is capturing consumer sentiment at a moment in time, then tracking how those sentiments change over time. In an ever-evolving world, this allows brands to quickly pivot, adapt, and measure again.

According to Whitehead, "The effects of COVID-19 will continue to dictate consumer behaviors and shape attitudes through uncertainty. If brands choose to win consumer confidence by tapping into their ever-changing feelings and beliefs, they'll stand a chance to build long-term trust and loyalty."

The full COVID-19 Pulse Report has been made available for download here: https://emotiveinc.com (free registration required).

Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business.

You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy. Grab this goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, technologies, research, suppliers and partners, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid CX strategy.

While most marketers could list maybe a dozen key points for improving their brand's Customer Experience (CX), the researchers and writers at The Marketing Factbook have identified FORTY main 'CX Keys' which will help you drive your customers to new levels of delight, loyalty, advocacy and profitability.

The areas in which customers have direct contact with your organization are perhaps the most obvious places in which CX improvements can be made, and this report addresses all 24 of these 'Direct CX Keys', applicable to offline and online businesses alike.

At the same time there are many other areas that indirectly affect CX (such as the supply chain, policies and processes) in which every business can make simple but far-reaching improvements. This report guides you through the problems and solutions for all 16 of these 'Indirect CX Keys', many of which are often forgotten or under-played even in the best CX strategies.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)