Brand Loyalty and The Millennial Mom
Brand loyalty is always on marketers’ radar, especially when their target audience is moms. Once a brand gains a new customer, how do they grow and maintain this brand loyalty? It’s crucial to pay attention to your level of brand loyalty, as it can lead to trusted brand advocates, repeat customers, and beyond.
More and more, consumers turn to online reviews and their peers instead of trusting marketers’ advertising efforts. Whether a consumer switches to a generic brand or another competitor, it’s clear that this loyalty is on the line. Many brands gauge this level of loyalty using a bonding score – a measurement of their brand’s awareness and relevance with consumers. In fact, 59% of top U.S. brands have seen a decline in their bonding score over the past five years.
To foster a strong sense of brand loyalty, ask yourself these 3 questions about your target audience:
What motivates them to buy? Many purchase decisions are daily necessities such as groceries or cleaning supplies, but why will she choose your brand? Several factors point to rewards or loyalty programs. In fact, 68% of Millennials (many of which are moms) say they wouldn’t be loyal to a brand that doesn’t offer a good loyalty program. Offering moms an incentive to buy your brand can lead to a spike in sales, as well as increased brand awareness.
Marketing Takeaway: Really research your specific target audience, and understand what motivates their purchase decisions. If you do find that savings are a top concern, consider implementing a successful rewards program. This can also lead to increased engagement, via both social media and in-person interactions.
Why might they switch brands? Moms are often the decision maker for household purchases, which makes them a crucial piece of the brand loyalty puzzle. There are many reasons a consumer may switch brands, from a desire to try something new to the appeal of a competitor’s coupon. Top reasons include change in financial situation, current brand price increase, and a word-of-mouth recommendation of another brand. Another compelling stat is that 54% of Millennial women switched brands because it supported a cause they care about.
Marketing Takeaway: Brands that instill a sense of trust and loyalty are more likely to retain consumers month to month. As a marketer, aim to connect with moms on an emotional level to truly win them over.
Why will they recommend your brand? Word-of-mouth marketing is a key factor in brand loyalty. This type of brand engagement spreads quickly and effectively, often at little cost to the brand itself. Understand why a consumer may recommend your brand, and leverage this knowledge to further boost these personal recommendations. Seven out of 10 U.S. mother will recommend their favorite brands, products and services to other mothers on a monthly basis. Furthermore, 61% of these mothers recommend based on special offers from the brand, while 54% recommend based on the brand’s sense of fun.
Marketing Takeaway: To capture moms’ attention and lead to trusted brand recommendations, tune in to what drives this word-of-mouth phenomenon. Offer special offers or trial memberships via social media or your company blog. If it’s relevant to your product or service, keep in mind a sense of light-hearted fun when planning out marketing efforts.
No marketer can force or guarantee brand loyalty among consumers, but there are many tactics they can employ to increase the likelihood. To learn more about consumer trends that impact marketing to moms, download our free white paper.
Posted by Amie Reardon