Article

Desiree Gullan
Desiree Gullan 19 November 2021

How to Align Your Brand with Purpose-Driven Consumers

Today’s discerning customers have high expectations from the brands they choose to associate with. According to the 2020 Consumer Culture Report, 71% of customers prefer to buy from brands that align with their values, while 83% of Millennials stress the importance of value alignment. When values don’t align, customers will shift quickly and are not afraid to permanently boycott brands because of their stance on issues.

Aside from ensuring sustainability by reducing the impact on the environment and positively uplifting the communities in which they operate, it’s important that your marketing efforts communicate those values effectively and authentically.

“When brands operate with a conscience and place their customers and the greater good at the centre of everything they do, they will build trust and deliver real value to their customers, communities, and ultimately their bottom line,” said Desirée Gullan, co-founder and Executive Creative Director of G&G Digital. 

Gullan adds that at the core of ethical marketing is authentic empathy and true purpose. “When brands prioritise long-term values over short-term financial gain, they become more meaningful, trustworthy and build enduring loyalty.”

Four Ways Brands Should Demonstrate Values

1. Get to Know Customers

Step into your customers’ shoes. Use analytics, surveys, and customer feedback to gain an understanding of their demographics and behaviours. In addition, get out there and connect with customers.

Events, experiences (whether online or offline), customer service and social media are excellent vehicles to gain valuable insights into your customers as people not data sets.

2. Authentic Conversations

Customers will skip over highly processed content in the search for meaningful, authentic experiences and messages. Get your brand out of its glass case. Staid and monotonous key messaging according to static brand strategies can become irrelevant quickly.

Be real, authentic, tell it like it is. Get your customers to do the talking for you.

3. Make Emotional Connections

The point isn’t to drive customers to tears, but to resonate. When brands commit––from the heart––to operate in a world they care about with content that is true and adds value, they will reap rewards, more than just financial.

This includes, owning your mistakes, for example, should you face quality or service issues, or let a customer down, honesty is important, own your mistakes, apologise even, with authenticity. This humanises your brand and will earn respect.

4. Journey with your Customers

Pivot away from industry best practices and expected initiatives. Leave jargon out of it and rather seek out real connections. Facilitate spaces for your customers to make their own memories with your brand at their side and be consistent in tone and sentiment across all touchpoints.

Consumers of all ages have evolved, particularly since the pandemic. People favour scrutiny, are less quick to part with their money, are over insincere marketing initiatives, and are less trusting of big business.

Your consumers are looking for real connections. The sooner brands get real with their customers and get real with their responsibility to the sustainability of the planet, the sooner they will not only make an impact in their people’s lives, but also to the greater good.

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
How to Understand Your Customer Needs Through Social Media?

How to Understand Your Customer Needs Through Social Media?

Social media is generally known to be a tool of online communication that is used to easily share information and bring together people with similar ideas on the internet. But brands use them as a marketing tool. And...

Manisha Sukhyani
Manisha Sukhyani 29 August 2017
Read more
Sales and Marketing Collaboration: A Recipe for B2B Success

Sales and Marketing Collaboration: A Recipe for B2B Success

In the world of B2B, the age-old rivalry between Sales and Marketing often overshadows the potential for a fruitful partnership. Yet, when these two departments align their goals, strategies, and efforts, the results...

Zsofia Raffa
Zsofia Raffa 12 September 2024
Read more
3 Reasons Why Building Social into Marketing is a Significant Competitive Advantage

3 Reasons Why Building Social into Marketing is a Significant Competitive Advantage

Understanding the role of social media in your business is important; however, before you get caught up in tactics first ask yourself “Is my business social?” If not, or if you aren’t sure, here are 3 reasons why...

Anna Fox
Anna Fox 31 October 2024
Read more