Consumers are getting much more particular when it comes to supporting brands and digital technology is gaining adoption as it has the power to boost the personal connection between shoppers and brands.
In fact more than half of consumers, 66%, won’t shop again with a brand following a bad experience, according to Sitecore’s Brand Authenticity Report, which revealed 70% of American shoppers want a deeper personal connection with brands.
More than four in five consumers, 82%, will be more loyal to a brand with customer service agents who can ditch the script and have the autonomy to effectively resolve their unique issues and nearly nine in 10, 86%, said showing empathy and understanding of what they need in the moment is powerful in building a stronger relationship with the brand, according to a press release on the report’s findings.
«Brand loyalty has been put to the test over the last two years. Consumers’ values today are much different than they were pre-pandemic, and every type of shopper — from the bargain hunter to the die-hard brand advocate — is now second-guessing which brands they’ll spend with,» Paige O’Neill, Sitecore CMO, said in the release. «To re-engage and retain shoppers, brands must take a new approach to enhancing experience with empathy and transparency at the core. By forging humanized connections, brands can take their customer relationships from transactional to personal.»
When it comes to digital experience, the report found online interactions play a powerful role in driving personal connections between brands and customers. To continue improving the e-commerce experience, brands must keep in mind the variety of preferences from all consumers and create a customized experience that can work for every customer.
Consumers also expect brands to be transparent about their values and causes they support. In fact, 84% said brands need to prove they treat their customers and employees fairly, and 68% agree that brands should be forthcoming about the political parties and social issues they financially support.
