New survey reveals that rapidly changing communication channels and consumer expectations are not being embraced quickly enough by Brands with nearly 1/2 of all consumers not seeing Brand communications as effective or relevant to them
SINGAPORE, May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- 1/2 of consumers say that Brands they have yet to buy from are not effective in communicating with them. Even considering Brands they are already purchasing from, 1/3 of consumers say they are not receiving communications that are either relevant or engaging.
This stark finding is from a survey of Singapore consumers during February and March 2014 carried out by 3radical, and signals a rapid pace of change in channels of communication and consumer expectations that Brands are struggling to keep up with.
Consumers are adopting new channels - Brands need to keep up
According to the survey, 70% of consumers now feel that word of mouth, online (websites and advertising) and social media are the 3 most effective channels of communication about Brands. In the past year, consumers highlighted that social media (71% of respondents), online advertising (70% of respondents) and Brand websites (50% of respondents) have all become more effective as channels for them.
Very few respondents rank traditional channels in their top 3 - for example poster/outdoor (16% of respondents), magazines (11% of respondents), newspapers (13% of respondents), TV (10% of respondents) and radio (3% of respondents).
Brands also need to give consumers what they want, when and where they want it.
With so many Brands competing for consumer attention, coupled with an increased understanding of the value of consumer data and engagement, Singapore residents are becoming increasingly demanding of Brands. 93% said that Brands need to "give them something back" in order for them to read or respond to messages and 65% said that getting this value exchange has become more important to them over the past year.
The importance of receiving marketing messages at the right time and right place is also paramount - with 72% of consumers being much more likely to respond when contacted appropriately.
Consumers want rewards, but they don't need to be only discounts.
Whilst 80% cited discounts as an incentive to visit a store, share information about Brands on social media, or make a purchase - there are other very effective rewards that would motivate consumers at a much lower cost.
70% said they would interact in return for entry into a lucky draw, and 50% for level ups in mobile games.
It's got to be mobile
Mobile is having a big impact on consumers, and how they interact with Brands.
Everyone knows that Singaporeans love smartphones - and in this survey each respondent owns on average 2 smartphones or tablets. Android is the most popular for smartphones (65% vs 55% Apple), and Apple the most popular for tablets (36% vs 28% Android).
Singaporeans don't just own these devices, they really use them, anytime, anywhere! From the start of the day (74% use their smartphone when they just wake up) to the end of the day (78% use their smartphone just before sleeping) Singaporeans are wedded to their devices. Even "during lectures" and "while exercising".
Even while shopping
Smartphones are becoming part of the bricks and mortar shopping experience - with 82% using their smartphone while shopping. In addition to finding the location of outlets and opening hours, in the store 70% use their smartphone to research products they are looking at and 51% to find competitive prices.
How can Brands change to win?
Brands need to catch up if they are to communicate effectively with Singaporean consumers today. They need to be where consumers are - social, websites and online advertising. They need to be rewarding - giving a fair value exchange to consumers for their attention and information. And they need to be relevant - making sure they understand when to communicate with consumers and about what.
And everything needs to be mobile first - mobile devices are the channel of choice for a large and growing number of consumers - and this channel lets Brands deliver a compelling and instantly rewarding experience at the right time and the right place by using capabilities such as photo sharing, vouchers, games and location based triggers on an individual consumer basis.
Chris Tew, EVP Asia Pacific for 3radical commented, "Brand managers should be both fascinated and concerned by this research. The survey clearly tells us that competitive advantage today is largely based on how well Brands engage with consumers, get their message across and deliver value in that relationship, and for many consumers in Singapore this just isn't happening. The opportunity is there for Brands that want to seize the chance to create that strong relationship with consumers - where they are, when they want it, in a way the consumer sees as adding value - and it's got to be mobile."
An infographic showing the survey results can be seen here.
For more information:
Rayson Woon, Marketing Executive, 3radical
Rayson.woon@3radical.com
+65 8113 0441
