The Values-Based Buyer: No Gender About It
What makes you buy? Which ad campaigns have caught your attention lately, and why? What is it about the American Express “My Life. My Card“, Kleenex “Let It Out” or recently launched Rockport “Choose To Walk” campaign (as critiqued by Stuart Elliott in the New York Times), for example, that resonates with so many of us? Let me hazard a guess and say that something in those efforts rings true, feels “like me” or otherwise gets to the gut of who each brand’s core customer is – many of whom could be YOU. And, that’s because such campaigns seem to reflect shared values between brand and consumer.
Whether it is the appeal of independence, the common ground of tear-inducing emotion, or a choice to walk more, each of those campaigns has dialed into the values of its market – those things beyond the given competitive baseline expectations for fair price and high quality. These days consumers are really looking under the brand “cover” and seeking recognition and appreciation for who they have chosen to be. Research cited in a recent GreenBiz article by Sarah Fister Gale confirms that the new consumer is sticking to his/her beliefs and social values:
The 2008 Good Purpose survey from public relations firm Edelman overwhelmingly shows that buyers plan to remain loyal to products that they perceive to have strong social value.
According to survey results, 68 percent of consumers say that even in a recession they would remain faithful to a brand if it supports a good cause; nearly seven in 10 would be prepared to pay more for eco-friendly products.
Now, here’s the thing: a persons core beliefs or values are not gendered. He may buy Brand X because he loves its green approach, and she may buy Brand Y because it reflects her belief in community – or vice versa. Social values are being raised up, they are becoming more of a priority and something that ALL consumers are using as a filter in their very deliberate purchase processes.
If marketers want to reach these people, they’ll need to reflect shared values and an awareness of what their customers really want from that perspective. This is a more challenging and uphill battle perhaps, but brands don’t have much choice. The women they’ve been serving have been nudging them toward this for years, but there seems to be more urgency now that both genders are leveraging their values-based buying power.
