Customer Experience and Digital Transformation
2022 Report
Brand Authenticity
What U.S. consumers expect from their favorite brands
Essential findings
Explore consumer opinions across
5 key areas
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1. Empathy and understanding
1. Empathy and understanding
Vital components of authenticity, empathy, and understanding are key consideration tools for brands and their customer interactions.
And 8 out of 10 consumers surveyed reported that it is powerful when brands illustrate empathy, provide insightful recommendations, demonstrate their values through action and remember actions already taken.
But which specific touchpoints do customers think you should be focusing on when trying to connect and engage with them?
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2. Brand representation
2. Brand representation
Who does your brand represent? And what does it support? 81% say brands should try to ensure customers feel represented in their marketing and communications.
What do consumers think about your stance on social issues? How important is transparency? And should you simply stay neutral?
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3. Transparency and communication
3. Transparency and communication
Our research showed that brands need to be transparent in how they deal with customers and employees – including in how they communicate. For example, 84% believe that brands need to prove that they are acting fairly.
How will customers react to price increases? Will they understand why they’ve risen? And will their loyalty to your brand remain intact?
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4. Brand loyalty
4. Brand loyalty
What about brand loyalty in general? Our research reveals the extent of the challenge: only 4 in 10 consumers (of all ages) describe themselves as “fans” of their favorite brands.
But there’s good news too. You can foster brand loyalty — the question is, how? What do consumers consider to be key? Is quality more important than price?
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5. Shopping experiences
5. Shopping experiences
About a third (30%) of US consumers say they buy almost everything online. And our study reveals how brands can improve online shopping experiences in the eyes of their customers.
Yet online isn’t the full story. How can you cater for those who say they “live for the experience” of shopping in person? And how can you connect online and offline experiences to create authentic connections and drive loyalty.