The 4 Main Ways Consumers React to Brands
By: Kimberly Grant
Everyone is always concerned about loyalty. Businesses want loyal customers. Wives want loyal husbands. Friends want loyal besties. It runs the gamut. What about loyalty in the products and brands that we use? Personally, I have shopped at the same Publix since I was in the womb; literally. My mother shopped at the same Publix when she was pregnant with me and I still find myself wandering its aisles to this day. That kind of brand loyalty is not easy to come by and is considered rare.
Functional Reactions
In marketing, there is such a thing as functional theory of attitudes, which is four different ways that consumers feel about and react to a product, service, or brand. The four functions are:
- Utilitarian (reaping reward over punishment)
- Knowledge (simple decision-making based on memory)
- Value-expression (expression of core values)
- Ego-defensive (protection from threatening info)
In the knowledge function category, consumers are aided in choosing the objects (product/service) they like based on past experiences with the product. In essence, consumers are creatures of habit and are not always willing to try something new. A glaring example of this is in the vegan/organic and plant-based markets.
Where’s the Beef?
Everyone likes a good steak. What they don’t like is the long-term negative health effects and effects on our environment that come with eating beef. There are alternatives out there, but not everyone is excited about eating a plant-based burger. Granted, plant-based options have improved tremendously over the years. But they still have a way to go to convert the masses.
At the beginning of 2020, my church decided to go on a 21-day Daniel Fast, which is basically Christians gone vegan. It was an interesting experience going without meat, dairy, and wheat. Fruits, nuts, salads, and plant-based options became my life. Although there was something glaringly missing: meat. The day after our Daniel Fast ended, I had a very large pork chop and skipped around my house giddy with delight.
Based on Plants
That personal experience taught me a few things: I can go without meat for 21 days and there are a lot of food options that don’t require meat, dairy, and wheat. I even discovered plant-based butter! Does that mean, I have decided to stay vegan? No. I still eat beef, pork, and chicken; even though I know there are alternatives to eating meat. My memory likes to remind me that I’m a carnivore; like a lot of consumers.
It’s not easy trying to get consumers to give up the thing that makes them giddy with excitement. Sure, it’s better for our health and our environment. Then again, we are creatures of habit. Our bodies have physical reactions (withdrawals) when we veer from our regular consumption path. That said, it’s not easy for the plant-based (vegan/organic) markets to generate loyal customers from people who love eating meat, dairy, and wheat. Knowledge of how great a juicy steak or mouth-watering pork chop tastes is stiff competition.
Hoping for Loyalty
There’s still hope, though. More and more people are choosing a plant-based diet as opposed to the real thing. This steady climb in the industry is nice, but it’s not great. The plant-based industry hasn’t made a huge leap into the meat market, yet. After all, they’re competing with memories of the taste of true beef, pork, and chicken; oh my.
Savoring the words of this post? You can read my last post here.
