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Our Bureau

Helpful to global marketers who reach out to worldwide audiences: Study

Bangalore/Chennai May 21 Consumer decision-making patterns and speed-to-action are radically shifting, according to a survey released by public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

The global survey, `New Wave of Advocacy,' indicates evidence of the shift, and identifies advocates among consumer groups that actively support and undermine brands, causes and issues.

Significant role

"In a challenging and rapidly changing business environment, companies and organisations need to engage stakeholders in new and creative ways," said the Weber Shandwick Chairman, Mr Jack Leslie. "Advocates play a significant role in meeting this need as they affect the court of public opinion at Internet speed. They forge emotional bonds and higher levels of engagement that help attract new customers, earn support for issues and causes, spread word-of-mouth, and strengthen brand loyalty."

The survey said rapid decision-making by global consumers is reflected by two-thirds (63 per cent) of them responding in affirmation to support or reject issues, causes, companies, products and services than they did two to three years ago.

The reasons for this are that people are more informed, have stronger voices, and have easier access to information and experts.

In this survey, Weber Shandwick surveyed 583 consumers, 21 years and older, in nine countries: Australia, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the UK and the US, in March.

An advocate

About one out of two global consumers (45 per cent) is identified as an advocate.

Advocates take action to support or detract from issues, causes, companies and products, such as making purchase recommendations, sending a letter to a company or elected official, or organising a protest or boycott.

High-intensity advocates are the most vital advocates, who represent a small nine per cent of all global consumers.

Their advocacy stretches to organising protests or writing blogs in support of causes, issues, brands or products. Asia Pacific has more high-intensity advocates than other regions (11 per cent).

Influence others

They more actively influence others' decisions, make decisions faster and demonstrate their support or lack of it more zealously than low-intensity advocates (36 per cent), whose activities are more likely to be writing letters to organisations or newspaper editors, soliciting support for causes or sending product information to others.

They reach 38 people on average against 110 people that high-intensity advocates reach.

Low-intensity advocates have only participated in low-intensity activities in the last two years but their more passionate counterparts have indulged in a mix of both high and low-intensity activities.

`Badvocates'

Advocates contain an important segment of `badvocates,' who make their dissatisfaction known quickly and in a variety of ways today than two or three years ago, with 76 per cent of them expressing displeasure within one week.

It takes badvocates only 16 days to express dissatisfaction against 37 days on average to decide on a major buy and 25 days to choose a household service provider, the survey found.

Advocates are more likely to be found in Europe and Asia Pacific than in the US. In Europe and Asia Pacific, advocates are influenced by environmental and social causes than in the US. These regional differences present opportunities and challenges for multinational marketers who want to communicate their messages to global audiences.

Both new and traditional media play a critical role in forming advocates' opinions. Broadcast and print take the dominant position, with online media ranking third in importance of opinion influence among all global consumers.

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