Brand Messaging and Consumer Feelings

During a time of crisis, most consumers have stated that the brand messages they want to receive are the messages that are going to make them feel motivated and happy.

According to a recent report, throughout the pandemic, consumers have been a lot more receptive to brand messaging that they find entertaining and humorous, or simply inspiring.

About a third of all consumers prefer to receive brand messages that are thought-provoking or educational, and plenty of consumers are expecting brands to take a stand on various social issues.

Pandemic Topics

While the time for recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is slowly arriving, most people find the virus the most popular topic of conversation.

Aside from the pandemic itself, people also tend to mostly talk about the effects that the pandemic, lockdowns, and various protective measures have had on society overall, including inflation, the job market, and rising gas prices.

Overall, the current mood for many consumers is cautiously optimistic, which means they’re also expecting to see more positive messaging from brands.

This is especially true for older generations of consumers, who have started spending a lot more time on social media, compared to other generations of consumers.

Top Social Issue

One of the biggest shifts in consumer feelings is that now consumers expect many brands to take a stand on different social issues, and more specifically, on poverty. In the last couple of years, there have been plenty of big headlines regarding various social issues all over the world, but one of the most important things to US consumers right now is inequality and poverty.

Many consumers believe that companies should not only be taking a stand regarding poverty but actively doing something to solve this global issue.

This trend reflects the struggle that plenty of people have been facing since the start of the pandemic, with large numbers of people losing their jobs or working fewer hours, while the prices for necessities have been steadily increasing.

Other Social Issues

Other issues that consumers want to see brands address are racism. This is especially true of younger generations of consumers. They are also worried about climate change.

However, it’s important to note that consumers don’t want to see brands taking a stand on social issues or adopting causes if they only plan to make tokenistic efforts to uphold those causes.

It’s important to consumers that the companies supporting various issues are authentic, purpose-driven, and not just for show.

Ronn Torossian is the CEO and founder of NY based PR firm 5W Public Relations. Torossian is also the founder of the Ronn Torossian Foundation, and a life long New Yorker.