A new study by Sprout Social finds that 72% of U.S. consumers cite government and political leaders as playing a significant role in dividing society, but they are looking to an unexpected source for resolution – big brands.
The study, titled “What Customers Want From Brands In A Divided Society,” suggests that brands have the unique opportunity to mend a country that has become polarized politically. And the way to do that, consumers agree, is through social media. While more than half of consumers (55%) say social media is a cause of societal fractures, 91% still believe in social media’s power to connect people.
“That sentiment is something we have seen anecdotally but to see that high of a number really validates the true power of social,” said Jamie Gilpin, Spout Social’s CMO.
Remarkably, this is an issue on which consumers across the political spectrum agree, with 85% of liberals, 80% of moderates and 72% of conservatives saying they want brands to use social media to help individuals better connect with each other. The study also found that 79% of people agree that brands are well positioned to connect people of varying backgrounds and beliefs -- because they already appeal to a wide variety of people, and have the marketing platform to do something about it -- and a little more than half of both conservatives and liberals say they would like to connect with people who are different from them.
“The brands who focus on building genuine relationships among their consumers, rather than strictly selling to them, will differentiate themselves from the competition,” the study reports, also finding that social media is the number one channel that consumers expect brands to connect with them.
“Brands are no longer seen as bystanders on social—there to watch as people connect with one another,” said Gilpin. “Instead, they’re active participants and increasingly, the conduit for that connection.”
When consumers feel more connected to brands, the study found, they are more likely to buy from that brand over a competitor, recommend that brand to a friend, spend more and be more loyal to the brand.
So why look to brands to fix a problem that they didn’t create? Consumers expect brands to serve as connectors, which includes connecting with their own customers and bringing together people with different perspectives, because Washington isn’t providing that connection. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of consumers said they expect brands to be “positive contributors to society.” Additionally, nearly two thirds (64%) want brands to connect directly with them, and just under half expect brands to bring people together toward a common goal.
This gels with a recent Edelman study which found that a majority of consumers want the brands with which they do business to take a stand on key societal issues. That report stated that 64 percent of consumers around the world (59 percent in the U.S.) now “buy on belief” – in other words, they choose brands based on their stance on important issues.
“Whether people are shopping for soap or shoes, they’re weighing a brand’s principles as much as its products,” the Edelman study reported.
As an example, Coca-Cola purchased a 60-second ad during the Super Bowl in January titled “A Coke Is A Coke.” The commercial suggested that everyone – regardless of ethnicity, background or political affiliation – can agree on a certain cold fizzy beverage on a hot day.
While brands aren’t likely to solve the political divide in the U.S. any time soon, consumers are calling on them to be “facilitating conversation around commonalities rather than differences—something that has become rare in our current landscape,” said Gilpin.
“And if they do, it can truly impact their bottom line—76% of consumers would buy from a brand they feel connected to over a competitor, and 64% say their loyalty to a brand increases when they feel connected,” Gilpin added.
Sprout Social provides social media analytics, engagement and advocacy solutions for businesses.
