It’s no mystery that customers want to see their values reflected in their shopping choices. A brand’s social behavior can be the deciding factor for consumers facing many options as the eCommerce industry continues to expand. But to what extent do consumers really care, and should retailers be advertising their activism to stay competitive? Below, we’ll discuss how retailers can strike the perfect balance of communication with consumers to build trust and grow.
The Statistics
64% of consumers choose to buy a product based on social responsibility claims.
Younger consumers are the most likely to prefer brands that support charities and practice sustainable production and are willing to pay more for sustainable alternatives to their favorite products.
1 out of 3 consumers say they would boycott a brand that isn’t keeping up with their social duties.
The Most Appealing Messages
Harvard Business Review has outlined the following key messages that resonated the most with consumers, based on findings from a report that looked at 7 U.S. based brands, and how their social messaging strategies impacted their brand identity.
- Access: Without fail, all consumers appreciate efforts to close the gap between access to resources for everyone across wealth, technology, education, and more. This is one of the pillars that has been highly successful for brands like HP, who aim to close the technology gap by providing children with resources to further their education and professional development.
- Basic Needs: Many brands focus on providing essential resources for those in need, including access to food and healthcare. Chobani, for example, demonstrates their core values through fighting food insecurity. These messages have been successful with amplifying their own brand message and building trust with their customers.
- Crisis Response: Another successful social message used by brands like Nestle is the use of resources to support the community during emergencies. They partner with Red Cross and Feeding America to provide bottled water to communities in crisis.
- Veteran and Disability Community: Brands looking to reach identity based social causes have been successful when supporting the veteran and disabled community. Brands like Chobani support this cause by partnering with Blue Star Families to empower military families in need.
- Economic Status: Another identity based social message that has shown to be successful is those that support underserved or traditionally excluded identity groups. Many major brands including Amalgamated Bank empower underprivileged communities to increase their social impact, improve their brand awareness, and increase trust.
Best Practices
- Support Claims of Social Action: Consumers are paying attention and they are often not satisfied by brands who simply claim to be socially responsible. In fact, less than 10% of consumers say they believe corporate responsibility claims. This can be challenging, as consumers expect brands to demonstrate real change which doesn’t happen overnight, meaning that the impact of your message will take time. Going forward, it’s not enough to say you’re taking action; your activism should be felt by both your audience and by those who benefit directly from it.
- Invest in Causes that Amplify Your Brand: Reports have shown that the strongest performing social messages also align with core brand values. If your brand sells food products, for example, you may consider investing in social causes that reduce food insecurity to strengthen your own message while empowering the community simultaneously. Keep in mind that successful social campaigns align not just with your brand’s core message but also align closely with the values of your target demographic.
- Optimize Fulfillment Practices: Partnering with charities isn’t the only way to boost your brand image through social action, you can start reducing your environmental impact today by introducing carbon neutral shipping options, switching to recycled packaging, and optimizing your return processes to give lightly used products a second life. Customers will notice your efforts to reduce your environmental impact, and these practices will improve the customer experience as well.
Final Thoughts
Customer expectations are changing, and the eCommerce industry is feeling the pressure. Today’s consumers demand hyper-fast shipping times, flexible return policies, and a seamless shopping experience, but meeting those expectations isn’t always straightforward. Faster turnarounds often means consuming more energy and increased pressures on workers, creating a struggle between customer expectations and social and environmental impacts.
Finding that balance will not be easy, but it is essential for building a brand that is both competitive and conscientious. If you’re looking for ways to improve the customer experience, increase eCommerce revenue, and create and eCommerce experience that helps support your brand strategy, schedule a consultation today to discover how Virid can help you grow.
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