Consumers are skeptical. Marketing consultancy Fletcher Knight’s “Marketing Trends for 2008 and beyond…” lists four trends that speak directly to an increasingly untrusting consumer who seeks reassurance. No longer putting their full trust in well-known, high-prestige brands, consumers are looking to well-known “experts” for guidance in their purchase decisions. No longer believing claims of “all natural” or “environmentally friendly”, consumers are looking for quantifiable proof of how “green” a brand or company is. Consumers want clear communication about the safety and purity of products and will hold the brand responsible. Finally, consumers seek brands with “soul” – with values and integrity that they share and can respect.
Is it any surprise that consumers are skeptical? From a presidential administration with recurrent amnesia, to toys coated in lead paint, to E-coli in bagged spinach, very little seems reliably worthy of trust.
So, what’s a brand to do? The traditional answer is to provide more information and education. For consumer products, this often means more package copy. However, time-starved consumers seek less to read and less labor-intensive product selection.
The solution goes back to the power of the brand. With consistent and unfailing brand building, a brand can eventually communicate authenticity and meaningful values just in its name. Think Patagonia, Volvo, L.L.Bean and Apple. But, these are long-established brands. How does a new brand bridge this “credibility gap?"
New brands that seek to gain the trust of a skeptical consumer must address the most significant and meaningful consumer need in a spirit of direct, unvarnished truth. Jet Blue, in the words of founder David Neeleman, sought to “bring humanity back to air travel” when established in 1999. Every customer was treated to good service – from more legroom to free branded snacks and in-flight DirectTV to consistently competitive prices. Jet Blue has communicated its core value of true customer service in everything it does and this has translated into brand equity and ultimately share value.
Seems simple, but in a world where trust isn’t easily earned, credibility is key …you can’t fake it.
--Deanna Elstrom & Maureen Sullivan
Comments