DATA POINT: BRAND LOYALTY STILL DRIVEN BY IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES

Despite COVID-19 risks and fears, US consumers still overwhelmingly value in-person experiences for boosting brand loyalty.

Seven out of ten US consumers said in-person experiences are most likely to increase their brand loyalty compared to online, or virtual experiences, a new poll by Studio Butch finds.

Belied by a global pandemic that has drastically altered nearly every facet of daily life over the past 10 months, the data suggests that consumers will nevertheless continue to reward brands that connect with them in-person with their loyalty—and by extension, their spending.

“Brands that have pivoted to digital brand expressions during COVID-19 will need to now balance that presence with well-designed, in-person experiences to maximize customer loyalty in the new normal,” said Chris Giovarelli, director of creative strategy at Studio Butch.

But that’s not to say the acceleration of digital integration seen during the pandemic will slow down once safe, in-person interactions become more prevalent in the near future.

“We’ve been talking about the value of designing omni-channel customer experiences for a while now,” Giovarelli said. “But post-pandemic, it will be an expectation for any brand that wants to grow their customer affinity,” he said.

In the poll, which launched at the onset of holiday shopping season, consumers were asked to indicate which type of experience increased their brand loyalty most. 68 percent of consumers selected in-person experiences, followed by 25 percent who selected online experiences, and 8 percent virtual experiences.

While younger consumers made up a larger portion of those polled who showed preference for digitally-based experiences, they were still more than twice as likely to select in-person experiences, reinforcing the need for brands to continue to experiment in blurring the lines of omni-channel customer engagement across all demographics.

xoxo

The Studio Butch poll was administered online, to a representative sampling of the US consumer population age 18 and older. Approximately 1500 responses were recorded for the findings, with a margin of error of less than 3 percent.

At Studio Butch, we help global and boutique brands build customer affinity through experiences, spaces and content. Let’s connect to talk about how our unique combination of strategy and creativity can help your brand.

INSIGHT: RECLAIMING CUSTOMER LOYALTY THROUGH POWERFUL POP-UPS

HI, WE’RE STUDIO BUTCH

We help global and boutique brands build customer affinity through experiences, spaces and content. Let’s connect to talk about how our unique combination of strategy and creativity can help your brand.