Customer Satisfaction Research vs. Advertising
Posted by John Grafton on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
For years, companies have relied strictly on advertising to bring in and retain customers but it appears now that customers may respond as well to marketing research as advertising to keep them satisfied with a company or brand.
A recent study conducted by the research firm, Cint, found that 62% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product if their opinion has been sought by the brand and 56% of those polled felt more loyal to a brand if it takes the time to find out their opinion.
Further, 70% of respondents stated that they felt brands act on marketing research results and 77% felt that brands listen more to what consumers want now than they did ten years ago.
This goes against conventional wisdom that advertising was one of the only way to reach and retain customers when in fact, just asking them how they feel and then acting on it means much more to them. This should not be a huge shock since with the advent of social media, companies’ Facebook pages have become ‘sounding boards’ for customer likes and dislikes. With the proliferation of online shopping sites, it doesn’t take much for a consumer to switch brands if they feel that their feelings are being ignored.
Using comments on a social media site will never replace customer satisfaction research, but they are excellent ‘barometers’ on consumer opinion and can act as an early-warning system that more detailed customer satisfaction research may be called for.
What influences your perception of a brand more – a slick ad or the company asking for your opinion?
