More than half (54 percent) of American consumers consider themselves to be socially conscious shoppers, and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) prefer to purchase holiday gifts from brands that support specific social causes, according to new research from SAP, which surveyed some 1,000 US consumers to better understand the correlation between their purchases and “brand purpose.”
The study revealed the following:
Around 60 percent of respondents will actively choose to avoid buying from brands that support causes they disagree with, while more than half (51 per cent) would spend more for a holiday purchase from a brand that strongly supports a cause or represents specific values.
Brand values matter more to consumers than a previous experience with a brand (positive or negative), the friendliness of a website or whether the brand has a location nearby. In fact, it discovered that brand values are second only to price, when it some to making a purchase decision.
The values most important to shoppers this holiday season were found to include: environmental sustainability (30 percent), education (25 percent), and diversity and inclusion (23 percent).
Transparency in business practices was found to be more important than third-party certifications, reporting donations or ads that show a brand’s position on issues, with 67 percent of respondents reporting that transparency is essential for a brand to prove its authenticity.
SAP Customer Experience solutions help companies make an impact:
“We live in an experience economy in which consumers care not just about products but also about a company’s purpose, value and global impact,” said Alex Atzberger, president, SAP Customer Experience, SAP. “For retailers this can be decisive while competing during the holiday season, when shoppers are spending more than at any other time of the year. Our survey findings indicate that when a company closely connects its purpose to the brand, chances are customers will relate to it on a more personal, human level — which supports customer loyalty and completes the customer experience.”
SAP Customer Experience solutions are designed to help brands build long-term competitive differentiation and loyalty through positive experiences that last beyond the purchase.
