Whoa! That’s some blog title: Too Many Brands Disappointing Consumers. And it’s based on recent research. So, how did we get to this point? Also, what’s next?
Before reading below, take a look at these posts:
- 2018 Global Most Valuable Brands
- Young Adult Views Toward Brands
- Customers Like Caring Brands
- Does YOUR Brand Creep Out Customers
- Great Brand Campaigns Pay Dividends
- Top Authentic Global Brands — Credibility Pays
What Does this Mean? Too Many Brands Disappointing Consumers
Why are too many brands disappointing customers? For a status report, we turn to Jen King, reporting for eMarketer:
“Do brands live up to their promises to consumers? Much of the time, the answer is no”. And a recent study suggests that the ramifications of that can be very bad news for brands that fall short of expectations. In a May 2018 survey from brand experience agency Jack Morton, 2,000 US internet users were asked about their experiences with 100 brands. As well as if their interactions align with the images depicted by the brands’ marketing. This included having helpful store associates or efficient digital sales channels.”
“The survey found that more than two-fifths of respondents (45%) said brands today rarely live up to the promises they’ve made. Essentially giving them a D grade for poor performance. This dissatisfaction was slightly higher among millennials (49%) compared with Gen Xers (44%) and boomers (42%). What does this mean for the brands? Possibly less revenue going forward. Fully, 48% of respondents said when a brand doesn’t keep its promise, they no longer trust it and will stop buying its products.”
Now, consider another study from only seven months earlier.
Poor quality of the product and poor customer service are most likely the factors that are driving the customers to disapprove the brands. Brands today are forgetting that customers are the ones who are driving their revenue and if they are not fulfilling customer requests then they are more likely to see decrease in their revenue. Customer Satisfaction should be the key goal of every organization.
When brands don’t take customer sevice and product quality as a priority, it is likely that sales will decrease. Companies should want to please their customers so that they can have long-term relationships with them. Long-term relationships will keep them coming back and spending money, also they are more likely to tell their friends.
It seems that now more than ever, people become impatient quicker with companies and customer service. I think the problem of brands disappointing customers is a mix of brands marketing their products almost to false claims and the problem of impatient customers. Marketing can advertise so enthusiastically that the actual product is of a less quality. Also, once a customer disapproves of a brands action, then the customer will move on to another company/product. People want a quick, successful, and consistent response of a brand.
Dissatisfaction primarily is a result of expecting to be rewarded and attended to quickly and thinking that we are the only customers with grievances. Companies have a number of tasks at their hands and can’t necessarily find the solution to problems immediately. Companies should work better to provide quality customer services and customers on their part should give a benefit of doubt to the companies and should bear in mind that they are not the only customer.
So often today, there is so much competition between brands that they are forced to promise certain things that they can’t deliver. Therefor, consumers, who have higher expectations than ever for who they choose to give their business, end up being unsatisfied with the brand and will likely choose to do business elsewhere. Brands need to market honestly, so they can try to over exceed their promises and receive high customer satisfaction.
There is a lot of competition between brands which leads to these brands making promises to consumers that they can’t keep. Consumers also today have such high expectations for the brands that they choose to give their business to, that consumers are often left unsatisfied and are likely to switch to other brands. Companies should engage in honest marketing so that they will be able to meet and possible over exceed its consumers’ expectations and receive positive customer satisfaction.
The expectations of brands to live up to their promises isn’t asking for a whole lot. When I’m made a promise, I expect it to be met. Many things factor into this, such as customer service, product quality, and overall experience. By going the extra mile, brands can really ensure that customers ahve a positive experience that they’ll remeber next time they make a purchase. Having a relationship with a brand relies on them fulfilling expectations, as simple or complex as they may be. Maintaining a relationship with customers is key in establishing loyalty.
In todays world of brands and marketing, there are so many options for the same types of products. There are different marketing techniques being made, many of which are not always truthful, especially in food advertising. More times than not a product is pictured and marketed as looking the best it can be, but when getting the same product in person the results are disappointing. When the customer is dissatisfied with their service, they can stop purchasing from that business and turn to may of the other brands with the same types of products offered. Customer satisfaction and the relationship between a company and their customers are what can fuel the revenue and loyalty to continue.
These reports definitely speak to the rising expectations consumers have from the brands they purchase from. More often. consumers want their brands to have similar values to their own before deciding to purchase from them. Customer satisfaction definitely fosters better relationships between brands and their customers. If customers aren’t feeling that their needs are being met or the brand is under-delivering, this could hurt brands long-term. I believe that many marketing agencies and departments have had to expand their traditional roles and responsibilities to include initiatives and ideas for over-delivering on the customer experience. This will probably be something that continues to expand as competition in multiple industries becomes more saturated, and brands want to be recognized, known and chosen.
I think that misleading information is an important factor that leads to consumers disappointment in various brands. When products don’t match the picture or description provided by brands, consumers are instantly turned off by the product. Consumers rely on the information provided by companies in order to make purchases so when this information doesn’t support the product they’re buying, they have a right to be frustrated and unsupportive of the brand they’re buying from. Another factor that affects consumers opinions on brands is if they’re getting their money’s worth. When consumers pay a fair amount for a product and the quality isn’t satisfactory, that’s another factor that could dissuade them from purchasing from the brand in the future. Businesses need to ensure that their information and their quality is up to par if they want to secure their consumers.
There is so much competition within brands nowadays. Because of this, it is very important for consumers to be satisfied with the service so they can maintain a long-term relationship. It is evident that most brands are disappointing their customers which will evidently show a decrease in their revenue. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important aspects a brand should take into account because they are the ones bringing in the revenue.
Customer service is a huge part of whether to buy a product or not. Consumers want to be able to buy the best products available and for it to live up to its expectations. With good customer service, the customer is more likely to come back and purchase another product.
Customer satisfaction is a huge part of driving the brand’s success. However, there are many reasons that lead to a brand letting down their customers. As consumers, we do tend to expect a lot from the brands we prefer and seek top service. When something is a slight bit off, we automatically question our loyalty to the brand and more often than not, feel either anger or frustrated. Companies should find ways that will leave their customers content with the good and service with out giving them false hope and not being able to hold their ground.
I feel like a lot of brands these days are trying to have the next best thing or produce their product faster than other rival companies. This forces them to lower the quality of their products, which can frustrate the consumer. If it were me, I would stop using the product completely if it didn’t reach my satisfaction. If I cannot rely on something to do what it is supposed to do, then why keep using it? This thought is what is making many companies world-wide lose sales.
I believe that the growth in generic brands and the increased width and depth of the online market has allowed more consumers to think that they deserve products and services with higher consistency and quality, especially because it takes practically no effort to switch to another brand. The same grievances and disappointments companies may bring a person have honestly stayed the same. It is the freedom to switch that has allowed these numbers to be high.
This article does not necessarily come as a surprise to me. Most of the time products are bought because of others who used them or the reputation with the brand. Products may start off working fine, but after some time is when the deficiencies start occurring. Many brands I continue to buy I do not because I think they are phenomenal products, but because I don’t want to deviate to a product I have not used and know nothing about. It’s this thought that I think many people use, and why the last chart that has the majority just being frustrated but continuing to buy the product makes so much sense.
Didn’t come as a surprise to me when reading this. Brand loyalty plays a huge factor when it comes to buying certain items and that comes as no surprise to anyone. A lot of companies are trying to create products faster than their rivals and sometimes it can come out sloppy which will then agitate their customers who buy their products. If that was to keep happening constantly I would stop buying the product from the company as they would have then lost my full trust to keep producing high quality products. Quality over Quantity goes far.