So Informative Content Helps. But What Kind of Information?

April 16, 2018

There’s been plenty of research of late indicating that people value informative brand content, and a new report from Meyocks [download page] backs that up: 9 in 10 consumers surveyed for the report agree that brands should provide value-added information to their customers. But what kind of information?

Among those feeling that brands should offer value-added information, a strong majority felt that brands should provide details on how to get the most out of the product (77.3%) and information on different ways to use the product (73.4%). In other words, more than two-thirds of consumers overall feel that brands should be providing such information.

Meanwhile, among those who agree that brands should provide customers with value-added information, a majority (58%) feel that brands should provide details on different ways to use the product, while close to half (46%) say that brands should provide education around topics related to the product.

There are numerous ways in which consumers want to receive such informative content, judging by past research, ranging from emails to video and even advertising.

Consumers in Favor of Brand Advocacy on Social Issues

There’s been some conflicting data about the extent to which brands should dive into social issues. For example, a recent report indicated that 79% of brand marketers believe that social and cultural issues will play more of a role this year than last in their branding and marketing strategy. But 83% of respondents to the latest CMO Survey felt that it’s not appropriate for their brand to take a stance on politically-charged issues. Feedback from consumers, meanwhile, has also been split on the extent to which brands should be involved in political and societal issues.

This latest survey adds to that body of research, this time in favor of brand advocacy. More than three-quarters of the consumers surveyed feel that a brand should work to inspire its customers. In this case, inspiration is seen as encouraging customers to be better (healthier, financially sound, etc.), as well as more involved in environmental issues and helping others.

Brands themselves should also be involved in these endeavors, per the report: 72% agree that brands should advocate, with the majority of these respondents feeling that brands should advocate for the environment (59%) and for awareness of social issues (53%). (See here for the specific issues that people feel CEOs should and should not speak out about.)

Not too surprisingly, the desire for brand advocacy is higher among Millennials (18-34; 80%) and among women (76%). These two groups tend to be more sensitive to corporate social responsibility issues than others.

Both Millennials (59%) and women (50%) are also more likely than the average adult (47%) to say that they choose brands that advocate over those that do not, per the report.

A strong majority (72%) of 18-34-year-olds likewise claim to be willing to pay more for a brand that advocates for something they believe in or feel strongly about. That compares with 59% of the sample overall, with women (63%) again more likely than men to feel that way.

Of course, there is the risk of taking the wrong stance… And 5 in 8 (62.5% of) respondents did say they would stop buying a brand when it doesn’t align with their beliefs, with Baby Boomers leading the way on that end (73.2%).

As for those who have boycotted a brand, the main reasons for doing so were political reasons (48% of those who have boycotted) and for human rights reasons (41%).

The report is available for download here.

About the Data: The 2018 Meyocks Mentor Branding Survey was conducted nationwide via an online panel with 1,057 Americans age 18 and over. For results based on the total sample of American adults, the margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

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