Advertising, brand loyalty, Consumer Behavior

CPG Shoppers Are Becoming Multi Brand Consumers

With the presence of a multitude of brands the shoppers of consumer packaged goods are defying the term ‘Brand Loyalty’. The consumers and marketers are well aware of the fact that meaning of brand loyalty has changed.

In a market flooded with brands, how does a shopper decide which brand to buy? To find an answer to this, a survey was conducted on more than 1800 CPG shoppers about baby care, skin care and pet foods category.

They were asked about their path to purchase, how they made choices? What was their starting point and what was going on their minds while shopping? The results were most interesting. These shoppers start their shopping journey, undecided. They do not have a pre-decided brand or product that they want to purchase.

It was noticed that:

More than 8 out of 10 CPG shoppers were undecided

And they were considering several brands or had no brand preference at all.

60% of smartphone users, discovered a new product or company while conducting a search on their smartphones.

They are researching more than before, even for everyday products. This means the shoppers can change their minds before every purchase.

Shoppers are looking for the perfect product and they are determined to find it.

The CPG buyers are 2 times more likely to first search on Google comprising of e-commerce.

75% of shoppers confirmed that they searched products online before shopping.

With an access to detailed information the shoppers are opting for customized products & brand experience. This lead to:

90% surge in enquiries for “shampoo for____” and a 150% for “__ to avoid”; on mobile searches in the last couple of years.

The shoppers are researching about the ways a product can satisfy their requirements. Since their manufacturers have the best understanding of the products, these increasing queries allow them to communicate the information to the consumers.

Before making a purchase decision:

1. More than 60% of shoppers had researched multiple times to get full information about the consumer packaged goods category.

2. More than 80% of shoppers’ buying decisions for skin care, baby care and pet food categories were influenced by the searches.

3. Mobile search for “top ___ brand”, “best ____ brands” and the likes have grown 95% in the past two years.

Buyers come across digital touch points of brands. These provide diverse and positive experiences at each level. The brands which project that they understand the consumers’ requirements, stay at the top of their minds and win the customers.

The brand’s website is most impactful junction as today the buyers have higher expectations than ever. These digital platforms have well controlled digital gateways for potential consumers. The shoppers’ experience on these websites are the major influencers of their purchase decisions.

Location wise customized information lured the interest of 67% of smartphone users. Buyers of baby care category spent an average of 15% extra on their purchase.

So, it’s not just the search that plays big, the brand websites also influence sales. They impact offline sales too. An unimpressive platform can lead to lesser sales and low footfall on offline stores.

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Things to remember:

1. The consumer needs to know whether your brand can satisfy their needs. So, talk to the consumers about the products they are looking for. Brand loyalty might have become weaker but shoppers are still hungry for information.

2. Focus more on the website experience of the consumers. The research says that the most obvious step 2 of the consumer is to visit the retail store of the brand.

3. Pay attention to your digital platform. Shoppers like relevant information with a location wise custom experience every time.