What Do Customers Expect From Brands?

The rapid growth of social media and the evolution of e-commerce and live online shopping that came with it has revolutionized the relationship between brands and consumers. Especially given the present circumstances, the customer-brand relationship has witnessed many changes.

Business is built on customer relationships, and brand perception sets the tone. Today’s consumers share their opinions and experiences widely, and their peers trust them when it comes time to buy or pass. Meanwhile, companies, of course, want to cultivate a positive brand perception among their target consumers, but it’s a tricky goal.

Today, consumers’ attention spans are shortening and their expectations from brands are growing. Businesses are expected to cater to their customers’ needs at a moment’s notice – wherever they are, whenever they want. Therefore, it is crucial to know and understand what customers want from customer service.

Brands can no longer be just transactional entities. To truly make an impact, a company must be a constant presence in its customers daily lives. Every interaction could be the difference between earning a loyal customer or losing out on a lifetime of purchases. So, here’s a list of things that consumers expect from brands today.

Brands That Allow Them to Express Their Values

Consumers increasingly think of themselves as brands, and therefore, they are not only choosing brands whose values align with theirs, but they also want to be able to express these values clearly to the outside world. This has 2 implications on brands: First, consumers are increasingly aware of the way brands articulate their values through their customer touchpoints. This is because, second – consumers want other people to know what they stand for through what they choose to consume.

Brands that Live Up to Their Claims

Consumers place a high value on a product’s marketing claims. Everything from ‘fragrance free’ and ‘all-natural’ to ‘cleans in less than 3 minutes’ all are valuable information that can trigger a purchase from someone searching for a product that meets their specific priorities and needs. False claims, however can quickly diminish brand loyalty. In order to make the best claims on the market companies should pursue an independent laboratory to certify product claims and confirm product efficacy.

Brands That Support the New Definition of Luxury

Heightened demands on our attention and the rise of remote work have sparked a constant battle to find space between work and leisure. This has contributed to a rise in the importance of self-care. Time is of essence and is also a valuable resource. Therefore, how consumers spend their time, also impacts the way they interact with brands. Customers have begun to seek brands that empower and encourage them to take care of themselves.

Brands That Provide a Good Experience

Times are changing and people, particularly younger generations, are opting to spend their money on experiences rather than material things. This is good for brands that can offer consumers the consistent and compelling experience that they desire and thereby differentiate themselves from the rest of the competition. Personalization is the name of the game.

Brands That Have the Human Touch

It goes without saying that consumers want brands that seem more human. The pace at which communication is conducted, paired with the tech capabilities the world currently uses, have conditioned customers to expect that level of ease in all of their brand interactions. To put it simply, customers want brands to be more real, less robotic – like a good friend.

Brands That Support Local Authenticity

Locally-made products are gradually gaining prominence in this day and age. People have become weary of the globalized commotion of products crowding the market and have started going local. In addition to being increasingly concerned about where their products come from, consumers want products that are unique – they feel good to buy local.

The above list of expectations is also a reason behind the growing popularity of live video shopping. This concept allows customers to interact with a brand like never before and in turn, identify with it, express themselves the way they want to and connect with it on a more human – more personal level. By taking note of the above mentioned points, brands will be able to build their own identity in tune with consumers’ expectations and grow and evolve along with them.

A digital marketer & content creator with an extensive experience of 7 years working with my passion.