Back in the day, consumers didn’t have much choice. There were maybe one or two brands per product and they stuck with the one they had always used. Things aren’t like that anymore and the general public has a lot more choice, with hundreds of brands vying for their attention. It’s good news for consumers, but bad news for brand managers who are looking to improve brand loyalty. It’s a constant battle to keep their product fresh and appealing.
It’s not just all the competition that makes things difficult for brand managers though. There are also the constant changes in consumer preference and wants to keep up with. A new trend always seems to pop up and dictate the market and what consumers want. But what is it that consumers want from brands right now? We ran a study across several European countries to find out. The results might just bag you a few more loyal customers.
What Do European Consumers Want From Brands?
Germany
Out of 2,027 respondents from Germany, we found that 44% want to see special discounts or loyalty offers, while 36% are keen on seeing eco-friendlier or locally sourced products. 21% would like to see more innovation and trendy products.
The Netherlands
In The Netherlands, the 1,030 individuals surveyed provided results quite similar to Germany. 42% liked the idea of special discounts or loyalty offers and 30% wanted eco-friendly or locally sourced produce. However, personalized products came in third place with 24%.
Austria
Out of the 1,017 interviewees in Austria, 48% agreed that they want special discounts or loyalty offers. In second place, 42% would like more locally produced and eco-friendly products. One difference with Germany and The Netherlands was that 23% said they would like to use a brand that helped them improve their knowledge and skills. This is the first time we have seen this answer.
Switzerland
Elsewhere in the DACH region, 32% of the 1,027 Swiss respondents said they would also like to see loyalty offers and special discounts. Improving skills and knowledge was in second place at 30%. Eco-friendly and locally sourced produce is also important to those from Switzerland as 27% stated that they would like to see brands offer these too.
Spain
We asked 1,014 individuals in Spain and a huge 62% want brands to offer special discounts and loyalty offers. On the other hand, 30% want to improve their knowledge and skills. Similarly, 30% want brands to offer produce that is eco-friendly and locally sourced.
France
Special discounts and loyalty offers are also really important to the French with 57% of the 1,072 respondents choosing it as their top option. 31% said that they want innovative and trendy products, while 28% agreed with many from the other countries in that they want more locally sourced and eco-friendly products to choose from.
What Should Brands Take from This Survey?
There’s no denying that customers want brands to offer some loyalty offers and discounts, but it also looks like sustainability is high on most people’s agendas as well. Other points to bear in mind is that consumers would also like to improve their skills and knowledge, as well as owning innovative products.
If you want to try to take these results into account for your own brand, there are certainly a few improvements that will need to be made. How you do go about making them should be dependent on what exactly your customers want from you. Once you do start to listen, it should be very clear where you should make those crucial improvements.
