PLEASANTON, Calif.,
Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- New research* finds that marketers are able to drive
consumer engagement with a brand by focusing on consumers' reasons
for being loyal to that brand, including their experience,
convenience and payment process. Commissioned by Blackhawk Network,
a global financial technology company and a leader in connecting
brands and people through branded value solutions, the study
examined why consumers are loyal to brands and how that loyalty
impacts their engagement with those brands. The findings come as
evolving consumer demands and technology continue to change the way
consumers shop, creating challenges for marketers looking for new
ways to engage current and potential shoppers.
"Many marketers understand that building brand loyalty can have
a positive impact on driving customer engagement, and our latest
research supports that thinking," said Teri
Llach, chief marketing officer, Blackhawk Network. "While
the amount of choice that consumers have today is making it
difficult for brands to bond with customers, our research found
that nine out of 10 consumers surveyed said they engage with brands
that they are loyal to, and nearly half identify themselves as
'very engaged.' Marketers looking to increase customer engagement
should be seeking to maintain and acquire devoted customer
relationships by focusing on the factors that are already driving
loyalty, like creating a positive customer experience and a
seamless payment process."
The key research findings, published today in an ebook entitled,
"What Makes Customers Loyal?", include:
Positive customer experiences drive loyalty: Surveyed
consumers name a consistently good customer experience (94 percent)
as the main reason they remain loyal to a brand. However, other
factors, such as convenience (77 percent) and an easy payment
process (76 percent) are also important. Surprisingly, lower prices
(57 percent) was one of the lowest ranking reasons for loyalty
according to surveyed consumers.
Loyal consumers are a brand's biggest ambassadors: Of the
consumers surveyed, most engage with a brand they are loyal to by
recommending it to others (86 percent). Just 50 percent of
non-loyal consumers would do the same. Marketers might also
consider finding ways to build upon their loyal following using
their website, social media, targeted branded offers and rebates,
which are the other top ways consumers prefer to engage with
brands.
Consumers are more engaged with the brands that they are most
loyal to: When comparing surveyed shoppers who are brand loyal
with shoppers who are not loyal, the findings indicate that loyal
shoppers engage with the brand more often through different
marketing vehicles. Of the loyal consumers surveyed:
- Sixty-three percent receive emails from their favorite brand or
store about the latest deals and products, compared to 39 percent
of non-loyal consumers.
- Sixty-two percent watch for or take advantage of rebates from
their favorite brand or store, versus 44 percent of non-loyal
customers.
- Forty-four percent use their favorite store's gift cards or
egifts, compared to 31 percent of non-loyal customers.
- Forty-two percent use targeted offers from their favorite
store, versus 27 percent of non-loyal customers.
Millennials are more likely to engage with brands:
According to the research, millennials (aged 18–34) are more likely
to engage with brands they are loyal to—and in more ways—than any
other generation surveyed. Marketers can consider using branded
value solutions, such as gift cards, loyalty points, and targeted
offers—to help acquire more loyal members of the coveted generation
of millennial consumers. For instance, of the loyal consumers
surveyed:
- Fifty-nine percent of millennials used gift cards or egifts for
brands or stores they are loyal to, compared to 43 percent of Gen
Xers and 32 percent of Baby Boomers.
- Fifty-five percent of millennials signed up for the reward
and/or loyalty program for a brand or store that they are loyal to,
compared to just 41 percent of Gen Xers and 36 percent of Baby
Boomers.
- Fifty-two percent of millennials used targeted offers from a
brand or store that they are loyal to, compared to 43 percent of
Gen Xers and 31 percent of Baby Boomers.
- Fifty-three percent of millennials have used a mobile app for a
brand or store that they are loyal to, which is significantly
higher than the number of Baby Boomers (27 percent) and Gen Xers
(39 percent) who have done the same.
- Thirty-two percent of millennials have purchased or used
prepaid offers for brands or stores they are loyal to, compared to
19 percent of Gen Xers and just seven percent of Baby Boomers.
To download the complete "What Makes Customers Loyal?" ebook,
visit:
https://blackhawknetwork.com/examining-brand-loyalty-impacts-engagement
*About the "What Makes Customers Loyal?" Report
"What
Makes Customers Loyal?" was an Internet-based survey conducted
independently by Leger on behalf of Blackhawk Network in May–June
2017. The sample size included 1,502 American respondents
ages 18+.
About Blackhawk Network
Blackhawk Network Holdings,
Inc. (NASDAQ: HAWK) is a global financial technology company and a
leader in connecting brands and people through branded value
solutions. Blackhawk platforms and
solutions enable the management of stored value products,
promotions and incentive programs in retail, ecommerce, financial
services and mobile wallets. Blackhawk's Hawk Commerce division offers
technology solutions to businesses and direct to consumers. The
Hawk Incentives division offers enterprise, SMB and reseller
partners an array of platforms and branded value products to incent
and reward consumers, employees and sales channels. Headquartered
in Pleasanton, Calif.,
Blackhawk operates in 26
countries. For more information, please visit blackhawknetwork.com,
hawkcommerce.com, hawkincentives.com or our product websites
giftcards.com, giftcardmall.com, cardpool.com, giftcardlab.com and
omnicard.com.
CONTACT:
Courtney
Brunkow
Courtney@fletchergroupllc.com
303-717-9575
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SOURCE Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc.