Consumer beliefs and behaviours can change faster than the latest viral meme. To keep up—and maybe even steer the ship—brands need to tap into some serious consumer insights. Normally, we humans are creatures of habit. We cling to our routines like a lifeline, making it tough for companies to introduce new ideas. But now? The post-pandemic era has us all primed to try new things at lightning speed. A good time for brands to play it smart, not safe.
Transform habits by tuning in, not just talking.
Good communication is a must, but there’s more to social marketing than just talking. The best behaviour change initiatives focus on removing barriers to desired behaviours. This requires more than a snazzy ad campaign. It might mean re-thinking how you engage with your audience, pushing for changes in regulations, or tweaking the environment they interact with. Barriers can be structural or personal, but they’re the things that stop people from trying something new. So, when you’re doing your research, ask your target group what’s stopping them from making that change.
Here’s a tip: focus less on shouting your message and more on really listening, because communication is a two-way street. Many campaigns flop because they spend too much time telling people what to do instead of asking how they can help them do it.
One big lesson from social marketing is the power of listening to the people whose behaviour you want to change. This is crucial because people always have their reasons for what they do, even if it seems illogical to you. They might not even be fully aware of their reasons. Rarely are they sitting around waiting for you to tell them what to do. Even if you manage to grab their attention and tell them about risks or benefits, they still might not change.
Master your message to move your market.
Crafting an effective message strategy is essential in this crowded media landscape. With people bombarded by thousands of marketing messages daily, you’ve got just a moment to capture their attention. Remember to communicate benefits rather than just features, and most importantly, keep it simple.
Start by clearly stating your objective and the specific action you want them to take. Make the issue personally relevant to each person in your audience and tailor your creative style to suit them. Highlight the benefits and focus on the immediate, likely outcomes of positive behaviour. And sometimes the messenger is more important than the message itself. Celebrities and influencers can be particularly effective in shifting social norms. This kind of positive reinforcement works well, creating an environment that supports social change.
Know your crowd: why audience insight is key.
Pay attention to social norms, which are beliefs about what’s normal, acceptable, or expected behaviour in a given context. These norms significantly influence behaviour. When people misperceive these norms, they might act based on those false beliefs. The social norm process involves gathering data on actual versus perceived behaviours. If there’s a mismatch, develop messages to communicate the true norms. By repeatedly sharing the real norms, the myth that “everybody’s doing it” fades, and behaviours start to align with what’s actually right.
Knowing your audience inside out is crucial. Marketers focus on the consumer, so you need to clearly identify your target audience and see the world through their eyes. Understanding your audience’s wants, struggles, interests, and dislikes is key. If they feel misunderstood, they won’t listen.
Ultimately, understanding why people do what they do is essential. People don’t change because it’s the “right thing to do” or because they’ve been educated. People tend to fib about their behaviour. Behaviour changes when the benefits outweigh the barriers. Always remember, your audience is asking, “What’s in it for me? My family? My community?”
And here's a little secret: if you can change someone’s habit first, over time, they’ll adjust their attitude on their own, whether it's for the right reason or not. And honestly, as long as you’re building a community of loyal fans that are either buying or spreading the word about your brand, that’s all that matters.
Wrapping it all up.
As consumer beliefs and behaviours continue to evolve, companies need detailed insights. Qualitative research, digital monitoring, and granular analysis of sales data can provide a comprehensive picture. This helps refine product offerings and marketing messages, ensuring they meet changing consumer needs. It's what we think about here at Boldly, when building your brand, taking it from a customer problem or bright idea, to a compelling brand identity and messaging that sticks in pixels and print.
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