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Nina Glynn

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Digital Trends, Report, Retail, Trend reports and toolkits, Trends

Consumer trends to watch around Black Friday: How have shopping behaviours changed in the wake of Covid-19

Black Friday sales: Consumer insights for Black Friday

With Black Friday looming, the war for the customer’s attention is on. And, with easing lockdowns and life returning to normal, the online/in-store debate is the hot topic for brands trying to get ahead. Will customers be desperate to get back into the shopping malls post-covid, or will a Black Friday spent in lockdown have taught consumers a more peaceful alternative to fighting with fellow bargain hunters over the last discounted TV?

Having originated in the US, Black Friday’s popularity is snowballing globally, with 60% of our global community intending to take part this year. And, with offers released earlier and earlier every time, this flurry of sales is no longer contained to just one day. But, with this year marking the first time payday takes place after Black Friday weekend, brands are clambering to know whether hunger for discounts or the ‘hold on till payday’ mentality will win.

So, how can your brand get ahead of the competition? The secrets to success have been revealed by our global, always-on consumer insight community…

Unlock the Black Friday predictions here…

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media

What you ‘do’ vs what you ‘say you do’… Lessons in how to get to authentic ‘consumer truths’ with Bulbshare’s Associate Research Director

Consumer surveys: getting to the truth of the say-do gap

We’re all guilty of projecting an idealised self-image into the world. Be it on social media, dating profiles or consumer surveys, the gulf between who we are and who we say we are can be vast.

And when brands and marketers rely so heavily on consumer insight to optimise their products and services, this can present a problem. There’s no point in creating products that are aimed towards the illusory consumer, rather than the real-life individual. 

So, how do brands cut through these barriers to really get to the heart of consumer truths? For more and more global brands, the answer lies in always-on, mobile customer insight communities, where they can truly penetrate the daily lives of their customers. We caught up with Amoné Redelinghuys, Bulbshare’s Associate Research Director, to find out more…

Bulbshare customer communities on your mobile

Always-on communities

The first step in conquering the ‘say-do’ gap is building an always-on consumer community that gets inside the home of the consumer through their mobiles. Online communities are the portal into the minds, habits, and behaviours of your consumers.

By engaging your consumers continuously through these communities, you don’t just ensure brand loyalty by entering into a more personal relationship with them, you also guarantee consumer truth. The brand is not just more visible to the consumer, the consumer is also more visible to the brand. By simply getting to know your consumers in a more long-term, symbiotic way, you brush aside any pretences and delve deeper into what is really going on behind the scenes.

Amoné agreed: “When an insight community is always-on, we can catch the consumer close to the moment and avoid reliance on memory and recall. Humans have a tendency to sugarcoat. If you ask someone about a frustrating experience in the moment, they’ll answer with unadulterated honesty about their frustration. Ask them a week later and those emotions will have faded.”

Traditional focus group vs online customer communities

Moving away from traditional, transactional relationships with the consumer

This more meaningful relationship is a significant step away from transactional market research. Unlike the erratic nature of one-off focus groups, online communities offer a consistent consumer perspective that can inform your brand decisions more reliably. Building an emotional connection with the brand is facilitated through ongoing communities, and the consumer feels they can trust and confide in the forum the brand provides.

Moreover, when it comes to consumer truth, group settings are fraught with bias: it isn’t just your introverted consumers whose answers will be affected by that of their fellow participants, it’s everyone. Hearing others’ opinions may influence the discussion of the group, even though when it comes to actually buying a product, they will likely be alone. Asch’s conformity experiments examine these very issues.

Amoné elaborated: “There are three levels to why digital customer communities are more effective than traditional focus groups when it comes to accessing consumer truths. Firstly, online customer communities allow people to really be honest. When looking someone in the eye in a focus group, you’re more likely to say what you think they want to hear. But if it’s just you and your keyboard, you are more likely to give rich, truthful insights.

“The second level,” she continued, “is that group conversations can so easily be dominated by a more vocal person. When online, you can have the best of both worlds – people can give responses that are uncorrupted by other opinions, but interaction is also possible.

“Finally, there’s the scalability of online. It’s easy to go from a 10 person group to 100 people without needing more resources. When it comes to infield work, you have to account for a venue, travel, and supplies when scaling up.”

Online communities provide a fine balance between the anonymity that is so desperately needed when forming one’s answers, and the opportunity to be known more intimately by the brand, to feel part of something big, and to share one’s views on social media and beyond.

Our blog, ‘Online communities vs traditional focus groups: Building emotional brand connections in 5 steps’, has more on this topic…

"It is much easier to connect via an online site rather than travelling to a particular location and spending half the day there. Also, being a shy person, I am more likely to give an honest opinion online without being concerned about what others may think about my opinion or being influenced by the majority.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 57 🇨🇦

The power of video for consumer insight

Video is king

The ‘holy grail of insights’, video allows your users to create unique and in depth qualitative content – showcasing attitudinal responses in an infinitely more nuanced way. The opportunity to use video enables creativity in your users and introduces you to your customers on a more personal level. Instead of asking them to write down what they have for lunch, asking them to film their fridge unlocks the next level of insight: not only do you hear what they’re planning to eat, you see what sauces they own, what brands they’ve bought, what items they’re most stocked up on. Through AI analysis of the video and auto-translation, rich consumer insight has never been more accessible.  

As Amoné says, “If you rely on recall, you’re asking them to tell you what they did. If you’re in the moment, you can get their instant response without any filters. If we can go with them on a shopping trip and they take videos of what they’re buying, it’s far more accurate than asking them a week later what they thought of that shopping trip or what they buy in their weekly shop generally. Getting as close as possible to actual behaviour is key.”

“It’s fun to give my opinions about new products, especially when I can upload a picture or a video."

Bulbshare user, Male, 33 🇺🇸

Consumer truth = authentic advocacy 

When you get real consumer truths, you guarantee authenticity in peer-to-peer recommendations and UGC that genuinely promotes your brand. 84% of our customer panel prefer the recommendations of friends and family over that of paid influencers, and the authentic, trustworthy word-of-mouth advocacy that is driven by customer communities makes a world of difference. When a customer loves your brand, they’ll promote it without being endorsed. In fact, 74% said they’d promote a product if they liked it enough. Moreover, 39% of our consumer poll said that customers have become advocates since Covid, rather than just being a passive audience. This wave of authentic advocacy is one to tap into: your customers are your best influencers.

The steps to success

When asked what methods are the most effective for ensuring accurate answers, Amoné told us, “The key is to include a mix of different questions, methods and techniques that bring up real answers. Projective techniques are effective and less exposing for the person answering. Instead of asking someone why they don’t have insurance, you might ask a hypothetical question, such as ‘Imagine you have two friends, one has insurance and one doesn’t, what do you think of their decisions?’. This way you get more thoughtful, honest answers that avoid any defensiveness.”

Two way street

But it isn’t just your brand that benefits from these communities, it’s also the customers. Overwhelmingly, our global research communities have told us they want to be involved in the brand decisions: 88% of our global users said they want to be included in the decisions brands make, 76% said they enjoy helping product development processes, and 86% said that products developed using consumer collaboration were better.

And lockdown hasn’t in any way diminished this, with consumers being more keen than ever to connect online. 84% of our participants said they prefer online communities to traditional focus groups. Those surveyed said that the convenience of online insight groups was far superior to in-person methods.

To find out more about why customers want to be involved in online communities, discover our blog ‘Product development in a locked-down world: Why 88% of consumers still want to be involved in your brand decisions…’.

“Businesses listening to their customers makes us feel appreciated and more likely to stay involved with the brand.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 28, 🇬🇧

“I enjoy having the ability to give my opinions and shape the brand’s future products.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 54 🇬🇧

“It’s inspiring that my opinion contributes to something important.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 24 🇺🇸

Brand toolkit

  1. Always-on is always better. To truly understand the motivations behind consumer decisions, you need to be there in the moment with them. By being always-on and omnipresent, you avoid the bias that reliance on memory can threaten. 
  2. Honesty in anonymity.  As opposed to traditional focus groups, a consumer can be completely transparent online. Without the pressure of others’ presence, the participant can avoid sculpting their answers to fit what they think is the ‘right thing to say’. 
  3. Video tells all. Video offers a more detailed insight into the lives of your consumers. However, it is also an outlet for creativity and ripe with opportunities for creating user generated content and marketing material.

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Digital Trends, Report, Retail, Trend reports and toolkits, Trends

Diversity and inclusivity in branding… Lessons in how to build a truly diverse brand with L’Oréal UK & Ireland’s Ellis Lanyon

Bulbshare diversity survey

When asked ‘how diverse is your brand’ and ‘how inclusive is your company’, some might believe the two questions are merely synonymous. But they’re not just the same question repackaged. According to Forbes, diversity is the ‘what’: who is sitting at the table. Inclusivity, on the other hand, is the ‘how’, the brand culture that allows diversity to prosper: have you pulled up extra chairs to that table?

When 72% of our insight communities believe that brands have a responsibility to be involved in D&I conversations, it’s more important than ever for your brand to embrace an equal and inclusive future. However, despite our online panel being overwhelmingly in favour of brand activism, more than half of them were untrusting of the brands that allied themselves with these causes.

How can brands overcome this double bind of championing progressivism without being damned as inauthentic? We caught up with Ellis Lanyon, Head of Digital for NYX Professional Makeup, Network Chair of L’Oréal UK & Ireland’s LGBTQ+ Employees and Allies Network OUT@L’Oréal, and a British LGBT Award Nominee 2020. He told us how NYX Professional Makeup, a pioneering brand for gender, sexual and racial equality, are working towards a more inclusive future.

Here’s what Ellis, as well as our insight communities, had to say…

Unlock the expert advice from L’Oréal UK & Ireland…

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media, Youth

Online communities vs traditional focus groups: Building emotional brand connections in 5 steps

Traditional focus group

The world has gone digital – and focus groups are no exception.

Over the last 18 months, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated what was already a rapid move towards digitalisation. Digital connections that were already ubiquitous are now rooted even more firmly at the heart of our daily routines and staying ‘connected’ has taken on a whole new meaning.

Despite what people may say, this digital revolution isn’t the death of connection. ‘Remote’ no longer means isolated, and connection is more than just how many bars are on the wifi. Instead, the transition online has unleashed a world of possibilities for interaction and connectivity between brands and consumers.

In this brave new world of online connections, digital customer communities have flourished. Brands have been able to connect with their audiences in isolating times through always-on channels – and when traditional, in-person focus groups were near-impossible, online communities provided much needed insight and interaction. As Forbes says, Covid-19 has proliferated our need for connection, and brands that prioritise ‘humanising the customer’s experience outperform their peers.’ And, according to 51% of our insights community, brands are getting closer than ever to the consumer.

As we enter into a post-covid world, consumers are just as keen to get involved in these communities. Here’s what our insight panel has to say about the power of online communities…

Online communities with Bulbshare

1. The benefits of online communities

The advantages of digital customer communities are endless, but let’s start with 5…

  • Brand loyalty. Through always-on communities, your brand penetrates the daily lives of your customers. Rather than the one off, transactional focus groups with a different group of customers each time, online communities create constant visibility for your brand. Through regular interactions with a much larger audience, you become a household name to many. This forms a relationship that is much more meaningful, leading to emotional connection and, ultimately, brand loyalty. Your consumers are much more likely to pick your products on the shelf now they have a symbiotic and meaningful relationship with you. So much so, that 29% of our community said that customers and brands are adopting the role of ‘friends’, rather than just having a transactional relationship.
  • Consumer truth. This brand omnipresence not only offers brand loyalty from the customer’s perspective, but gives the brand a deeper understanding of the consumers’ lives. The brand is not just more visible to the consumer, the consumer is also more visible to the brand. Through these always-on communities, your company can delve deeper into what consumers actually want and get more powerful insights. 
  • Consistency of opinion. Unlike the erratic nature of one-off focus groups, communities offer a consistent consumer perspective that can inform your brand decisions more reliably. 
  • Customer advocacy. Your customers are your best influencers. Especially when they’re in customer communities. 84% of our customer panel prefer the recommendations of friends and family over that of paid influencers, and the authentic, trustworthy word-of-mouth advocacy that is driven by customer communities makes a world of difference. When a customer loves your brand, they’ll promote it without being endorsed. In fact, 74% said they’d promote a product if they liked it enough. Moreover, 39% of our consumer poll said that customers have become advocates since Covid, rather than just being a passive audience.
  • Real-time responses. Always-on equals real-time responses which equal rapid turnaround. Want quantity and speed of insight? Then an always-on digital community is the more dynamic option. Rather than arranging an hour that suits 30 people’s different calendars, arranging travel and finding a space to facilitate the meeting, buzzing hundreds of phones to invite them to take part in a project or survey is a much quicker, simpler, and more accessible way to access insight.

“Companies need input from a wide cross-section of society so they have mass market appeal. That process begins in the early stages of development, and I think I can offer opinions that may benefit the company and the product.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 40 🇨🇦

“Products developed with customers in mind are better because the consumers can come up with ideas the brand hasn't thought of to improve their product!”

Bulbshare user, Female, 56 🇦🇺

2. Pitfalls of traditional focus groups

Traditional focus groups, though useful for in-depth discussions, have some disadvantages…

  • Inconvenient – especially during Covid. Traditional focus groups, which can last around an hour and tend to take place in a room with a facilitator, have the disadvantage of inconvenience. This was highlighted by the unpredictability of lockdowns and safety concerns of the pandemic.
  • Bias. Moreover, when participants discuss products and services together, there is a chance for bias to creep in. Once someone has asserted an opinion, other, more introverted members of the group may be reluctant to diverge. Hearing others’ opinions may also influence the discussion of the group, even though when it comes to actually buying a product, they will likely be alone. Asch’s conformity experiments examine these very issues.
  • More transactional. One-off interactions with a brand, that happen through a facilitator who may have no connection with the company, are more transactional and superficial in terms of emotional connection. Unlike customer communities, where the brand becomes an ongoing presence that penetrates into the home, these focus groups tend to take place in anonymous spaces with little staying power in the minds of the consumers.

"It is much easier to connect via an online site rather than travelling to a particular location and spending half the day there. Also, being a shy person, I am more likely to give an honest opinion online without being concerned about what others may think about my opinion or being influenced by the majority.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 57 🇨🇦

“Online focus groups are so much more convenient and environmentally friendly as there is no need to travel.”

Bulbshare user, female, 54 🇫🇷

“Online market research is more accessible and safer during Covid.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 53 🇲🇾

Bulbshare online communities vs focus groups

3. Why consumers love these communities

But it isn’t just your brand that benefits from these communities, it’s also the customers. Overwhelmingly, our global research communities have told us they want to be involved in the brand decisions: 88% of our global users said they want to be included in the decisions brands make, 76% said they enjoy helping product development processes, and 86% said that products developed using consumer collaboration were better. Forbes corroborates this, saying 87% of people want more meaningful relationships with brands. 

And how do they want to be involved? 84% of our participants said they prefer online communities to traditional focus groups. Those surveyed said that the convenience of online insight groups was far superior to in-person methods.

To find out more about why customers want to be involved in online communities, discover our blog ‘Product development in a locked-down world: Why 88% of consumers still want to be involved in your brand decisions…’

“Businesses listening to their customers makes us feel appreciated and more likely to stay involved with the brand.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 28, 🇬🇧

“I enjoy having the ability to give my opinions and shape the brand’s future products.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 54 🇬🇧

“It’s inspiring that my opinion contributes to something important.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 24 🇺🇸

4. The tools to make it happen

The tools needed to build these online communities are becoming more complex and intelligent. Here’s a few of the top ways to understand what your consumer truly wants…

  • Qualitative and quantitative surveys. Surveys help access a mass of insight quickly. And they don’t have to be basic – they can have a range of engaging questions that gather insights in a multitude of ways. Then, these surveys go through AI sentiment analysis to show what emotional experiences community members expressed in their answers.
  • UGC. Your consumers can create and share images, ideas, and videos around a brief you set. ​​The ‘holy grail of insights’, video allows your users to create unique and in-depth qualitative content – showcasing attitudinal responses in an infinitely more nuanced way. Through AI analysis of facial expressions and auto-translation, video is made simple. Plus, the opportunity to use video enables creativity in your users and introduces you to your customers on a more personal level. If you ask your consumer what sauces they buy, they might answer ‘tomato sauce’. If you ask them to show you what’s in their cupboard, you can see for yourself the brands, the types, the quantity, and what else is in there.
  • Heat mapping. Image highlighting tools allow consumers to interact with images. Have packaging you want to analyse? With image highlighting, users can click to comment on the areas they like, the areas they dislike, and the areas they’re unsure about. This is then converted into a heatmap to show not only which areas were most interacted with, but whether there was a positive or negative reaction to them. 

To discover exactly how Bulbshare can bring you closer to your consumer, head to our Solutions page. 

Bulbshare focus groups and online customer communities

Brands getting it right

Our communities noted Nike, Apple, JD Sports, The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry’s, The Meatless Farm Company, Oh Polly, Budweiser, Lush and PlayStation as brands they’re advocates for. Notably, though, the brands our users were most enthused about were the ones that considered their customers with compassion: 92% of our global community expressed a positive perception towards brands who ‘co-create with their customers’ – with anecdotal responses telling us this lent a sense of a brand that cares about its customers’ thoughts, opinions and ideas.

For more information about brands excelling at co-creation, read our blog ‘Meet the customer advocacy pioneers: Five brands doing all the right things when it comes to customer collaboration’.

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, request a free consultation now...

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media

The return of the Roaring Twenties? The reality for consumer trends over the next 12 months…

After months of restrictions, lockdowns and uncertainty, the world is yearning to open up once again. And in the UK, the coming months signal that long anticipated freedom – as well as a whole new breed of consumer trends.

If all goes ahead as planned, the next month will see an end to all legal limits on social contact and a reopening of clubs and theatres. With such a momentous day approaching – one that, for many, symbolises a victory over months of turmoil – we wanted to pulse check our UK community’s feelings about reopening.

Would they be returning to normal life and all that involves? Would they be eager to socialise, party and spend? Or would they be cautious and concerned about safety?

And what of the predicted ‘Roaring Twenties’? Will we really see a time of exuberance, decadence and hedonism? Will it be spend, spend, spend after nearly two years of restrictions? Or will frugality, caution and concern continue to characterise the remainder of the decade? Here’s what our UK community had to say… 

Spend, spend, spend

Our UK community are loosening their purse strings this summer, with 36% admitting they’ll spend more than they did over the last few months post-lockdown, and 21% saying they’ll spend more than they did in lockdown.

Their money will be divided across travel, socialising, drinking, eating, spending time with family, partying, shopping (online and in-store) and beauty appointments. Amongst all this celebration and bacchanalia, there was little money left over for gym memberships and exercise, with 74% confessing their money would not be going on keeping fit.

“I spend money on clothing and food when meeting up with friends.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 16, 🇬🇧

“People are now used to shopping online for almost everything; even older generations have been shopping online. I see more click and collect and deliveries to lockers. I see more store closures happening. I think the upward use of contactless payments will continue and some stores will refuse to accept cash or limit the number of cash desks where you can use it.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 53, 🇬🇧

A flight to nowhere 

The travel industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, with the UK’s stringent traffic light system leaving little room for hope for a holiday. That being said, 56% of the community were still keen to travel. 18% are hoping to jet away, and 31% are considering a staycation. 18% are holding out for a last minute booking and 33% are staying firmly on home ground this year.

“I’ll be spending it on a holiday as it is long overdue.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 55, 🇬🇧

“Definitely a well earned break!”

Bulbshare User, Female, 38, 🇬🇧

“I would prefer to do a staycation or break - just one without the added cost of having to pay for Covid test results!”

Bulbshare User, Female, 20, 🇬🇧

“I already have two staycations booked. Going abroad isn’t worth it at the minute as the government never gives a clear answer on quarantine. Plus the holiday experience won’t be worth the money with all the local restrictions in the destination. Better to spend local and save the economy.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 18, 🇬🇧

Booze is back in business

After months of closure, the hospitality industry is hungering for clientele again. Thankfully, our community are willing to oblige. 73% will be dining and drinking out. 62% said they will be going to bars and pubs and 54% are headed to restaurants and cafes. For 11% a bottomless brunch is even on the menu!

“We are having a London pub crawl to see each other again.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 39, 🇬🇧

“I’ll be splashing the cash on food and drink out in restaurants and pubs.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 18, 🇬🇧

“I'll most likely be socialising, seeing as everything will be reopening and the weather has been nicer.
I also want to get new clothes seeing as I’ll be going out more.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 19, 🇬🇧

A return to commutes and suits

As offices reopen and flexi-working becomes the norm, the food-to-go category can finally claw its way back from obscurity. With 59% saying they’ll buy lunch on the go again, the meal deal can make a return. Despite this, our community are reluctant to invest in seasonal train tickets, with only 30% intending to purchase any tickets.

"I think people will have less time as we all return to work - but will spend more."

Bulbshare User, Female, 20, 🇬🇧

The health craze is a distant memory

With reopened restaurants, flowing drinks and celebrations, there was little time for the gym and exercise. Instead, community members are happy to spend their money on bottled beer and BBQs. Only 26% are going to buy a gym membership and 73% still intend to get takeaways.

Are we washing our hands of hand sanitiser?

In order to facilitate this new and wild lifestyle, our UK community still felt the need to maintain safety measures. When asked if they’d still be investing in sanitiser post-restrictions, 73% said yes – and half are still going to purchase masks. Many of those sampled said that they imagine masks are not gone for good, with mentions of winter foreboding more restrictions, and others saying that they will keep some measures in place till they are fully vaccinated.

What is the true meaning of freedom day?

68% said they will be socialising more and 65% said life will be irrevocably changed after lifting restrictions. Despite this relative optimism, only 30% think the UK has reached the finish line for the pandemic – and the other 70% think anything could happen. 32% still feel cautious about rushing back to normality and 35% feel life won’t get better after this date.

“I'm not sure June 21st will happen yet; I think there will be a further delay, but either way, I'm happy just to be getting back to normal.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 50, 🇬🇧

“I think people will relish the enhanced freedom.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 39, 🇬🇧

“Life won't change for me; I will still exercise caution.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 53, 🇬🇧

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Business, Infographics, Retail

Why 50% have said goodbye to spontaneity and hello to pub reservations…

As the UK begins to reopen and cities blossom with life once again, we checked in with our community to see if they were excited for the return of the hospitality industry. 

Here’s what they had to say…

Though there was eagerness to return to a life that isn’t defined by masks, working from home and zoom quizzes, there was consternation over safety.

That being said, half of the community were willing to try a bar or pub that had a lively atmosphere and a lot of customers. 

The industry should anticipate customers ready to spend on premium products, and prepare for the digitalisation of service. 

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Bulbshare webinars, Retail

Key Consumer Trends as we Return to Coffee Shops, Bars and Pubs

The key insights around the future of socialising…

Join us for an hour of insights examining emerging consumer behaviours as we return to eating and drinking in public spaces like coffee shops, restaurants and bars.

We’ll look at consumer perspectives on how the service industry has reacted and chart the key consumer trends impacting the future for brands.

Featuring industry experts:
👉  Rhys Humm: New Business Development, Costa Coffee
👉  Elizabeth Davies: Senior Category Manager, Budweiser Brewing Group
👉  Louise Hughes: Collaboration Director, Bulbshare / Retail Strategy Expert, Boots, Reckitt Benckiser, AB InBev
👉  Sebastian Szczukiewicz: Client Collaboration Lead, Bulbshare

Request our webinar recording now to unlock all the insights…

Request our webinar recording now to unlock all the insights. Just share your details below and we’ll email you with a link…

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Infographics, Retail

Why 84% of our community crave a holiday…

Travel

The UK’s new traffic light system has everyone eagerly hanging on for the green light for holidays abroad. So, we approached our global insight community and asked them if they’re desperate to be relaxing on an exotic beach somewhere – or if they prefer the safety of home this year.

Here’s what they had to say…

Travel infographic on holidays and staycations.

“Because, after having so many obligations and duties during lockdown, I would like to relax and be treated. But above anything else, travel is good for our economy.” – Bulbshare user, Male, 43, Italy

Despite restrictions, ambiguity and costs, there is a shared enthusiasm for travel amongst all communities. 78% of our Polish users, 84% of our Italian users, 92% of our Malaysian users and 64% of our UK users all have their fingers crossed for a holiday this year. Whether that translates to bookings and plans is another question, so travel agencies will have their work cut out for them in converting desire into determination…

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media, Youth

Super League: A ‘caution’ary tale on what happens when you don’t listen to your fans

Football stadium full of fans

If ever there was a lesson in the chaos that results from not listening to your audience, the Super League is it. Within moments of discovering the plan to launch an exclusive European league of only the richest and most powerful clubs, fans had already shown the Super League the red card.

After unheard of commotion and protest within the football community – from fans, commentators and broadcasters – the biggest clubs in the continent returned with their tail between their legs, forced to apologise.

With no risk, dynamism or democracy, fans prophesied that this would be the end of the beautiful game.

So, how can we all learn from this carnage and find meaning in the rubble of this plan? The answer is, of course, listening to the players on and off the pitch – the fans, the audiences, the real investors.

We asked our global insight community for their reactions to this league. This is what they had to say…

What is it and what went wrong?

As the Financial Times explains, ‘Twelve of Europe’s top clubs planned to shake up the sport. Instead, the project collapsed spectacularly in just 48 hours’.

The radical project was spearheaded by billionaire and president of Real Madrid, Florentino Peréz. As time progressed, a dozen clubs had signed on to the programme – and effectively signed their own death warrant in the eyes of their fans. The plan, which was revealed on Sunday 18th April, cast doubt over the future of the Champions League, the Premier League and the European Championships.

After a seismic week, fans were ready to say RIP football.

We asked our digital community for their opinions on the Super League. 72% were vehemently against it – and 54% expressed a negative emotional reaction. Had the organisers considered the reactions of their fans, they may have discovered that over half of people disagreed with it, and acted accordingly.

‘It undermines other teams and football will lose its meaning.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 24, 🇬🇧

“We can’t just let the ‘big six’ dictate what happens in football. The smaller teams will not get a look in and at the end of the day it’s all about money, not the love of the game.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 34, 🇬🇧

The humiliation of hindsight

In this whirlwind of humiliation that could have been avoided, one truth becomes evident: foresight is more powerful than hindsight. As chairmen and owners have been forced to apologise, we can conclude that there actually is such a thing as bad publicity. This scrambling to win back fans is a prime example of what happens when you act first and think second.

German teams got this right. With their 50+1 and ‘fan on the board’ rules, private investors cannot push through measures that prioritise profit over the wishes of supporters. And according to BT Sport, German football boasts “top-quality play, the highest average attendances in world football, low ticket prices and a great fan culture”.

“The German spectator traditionally has close ties with his club,” Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said in 2016. “And if he gets the feeling that he’s no longer regarded as a fan but instead as a customer, we’ll have a problem.”

So, it was no surprise when Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund rejected this plan.

Our ‘fans on board’ agreed. 48% of our insight communities said that this league could precipitate the end of football as we know it and, crucially, 44% said their opinion of the teams in it has changed for the worse. 65% of our respondents claimed that their team was one of the 12 involved in the plan and a significant 52% said they feel disappointed in their team as a result.

When 44% of fans now feel negatively about the teams involved and 52% are turning their backs on the team they normally advocate for, is there any salvaging the reputations of these clubs?

“I personally think it’s absolutely disgusting.”

Bulbshare User, Female, 43, 🇬🇧

Empty pitches in lockdown

Super fans – not super league

Though money is power in football, ultimately, the fans and the media had their say. The big players here aren’t just the ones kicking the ball for a hefty salary but the ones watching behind the screen, cheering them on.

As Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG says, “Football should be built on community, not built on mutiny”.

There is no football without the entire team; not just team members on the field, but the ones in the terracing. The eeriness of empty stadiums in lockdown left no effect on the organisers of this league, clearly. The power of the customer spoke loud and clear – if only they had listened.

“It’s the rich ruining the beautiful game.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 39, 🇫🇷

“It was done in the wrong way. A smaller tournament which didn’t affect the big ones like the premier league might have worked.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 23, 🇮🇹

The merit of meritocracy

The frustration of our global insight community came mainly from the removal of relegations. Without the risk of losing, winning becomes nugatory. 

Furthermore, our global community members were confused as to why some teams were included – and why others weren’t included. Questions over why Tottenham were involved and Everton weren’t, and as to why there wasn’t more representation of a wider scope of European teams.

62% of our digital customer communities argued that the lack of dynamism or movement would result in a boring and repetitive viewing experience. Furthermore, 61% said that it would prevent smaller teams rising in the ranks – and 65% described it as ‘unfair’.

Overall, the general reaction of our insight community was staunchly against the league – information that could have been vital in preventing the blunder that consumed the last fortnight.

“It's for elite teams only and doesn't support grassroots football.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 44 🇬🇧

“I think that it is not fair for the rest of the teams.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 32, 🇵🇱

“It's all for the big clubs, meaning other clubs and domestic seasons will suffer.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 40 🇬🇧

Football protests

Manchester Dis-United

This lesson in collaborating with the people that matter most comes to its denouement in Manchester.

The third of the recent protests against Manchester United’s owners happened in Old Trafford on Sunday 2nd May, with fans spilling onto the pitch, damaging property and raising a furore. 

Fans brandished signs saying ‘you can buy our club but you can’t buy our heart and soul’ and ‘never to be forgiven’. The 1,000 protesters were releasing the anger they claim has pent up over the last 16 years, ever since the US Glazer family bought out the club. As the BBC say, ‘Indeed, to those fans, it merely underlines their view that the owners of their football club only care about money and that they have no affection for the world-famous 149-year-old institution they are in charge of.’ In the initial shockwave of this takeover, some fans felt so betrayed that they broke away to form a new club, FC United.

The Premier League responded with the statement that, ‘We understand and respect the strength of feeling but condemn all acts of violence, criminal damage and trespass, especially given the Covid-19 breaches’.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, when asked, said the fans’ voice “needs to be heard”.

This protest may represent, in all its violence, the pent up anger that overflows when left ignored. Unheard voices find new ways of expressing their anger – and this time that new vessel was an uprising. To avoid the mutiny, beware to the rumblings that preempt it. 

Simply put – listen to your fans.

“I support Man Utd and they have already priced the average fan out of the game. It’s greed and money orientated and unnecessary.”

Bulbshare User, Male, 49, 🇬🇧

Brand take outs… 5 tips for building fan engagement and trust:

  1. Build ‘fan’, ‘consumer’, ‘audience’ communities. Listening to your fans is essential. The failure of the Super League taught us that. Building a community of fans can prevent repetition of this and ensure the crowd goes wild every time.
  2. Insight driven decisions to ensure quality. When communicating with your fans through these communities – using AI software, heat-mapping, sentiment analysis, UGC and hyper-niche segmenting – you can better understand what it is they are looking for from football and deliver that. That’s an easy goal scored.
  3. Targeting hyper-niche segments. Want to know what women over 45 think of football? Perhaps you want to delve into the minds of gen z? Maybe you want to know if southerners feel different to northerners on matters surrounding the game? Or do you want to understand how race, class and income affect support for different teams? Whatever it is you want to know, our technology supports an intimate understanding of your fans as individuals, not just as a conglomerate group.
  4. Video is the MVP. Video allows your users to create unique and in-depth qualitative content that showcases attitudinal responses in an infinitely more nuanced way.
  5. Always on for rapid insights. The future is digital. One of the key advantages to having your own online community is the sheer ease and speed of turnaround. The convenience is superior for both you and your fans.

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Bulbshare webinars, Retail

People Power… Why customer communities are the next step for future-facing brands

The key insights around the future of brand advocacy

Join us for unmissable insights around the power of customer communities – and why they are shaping the future for brands. Just request our webinar to discover the importance of building online customer communities, the power of customer advocacy, the role of user-generated content for businesses and the changing idea of ‘authenticity’ for modern audiences!

Featuring industry insiders:
👉 Gordon Glenister: Head of Influencer Marketing, BCMA
👉 Louise Hughes: Collaboration Director, Bulbshare

Request our webinar recording now to unlock all the insights…

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Infographics, Retail

Why 59% find it harder to switch off when working from home

Working from home

Working from home has become the new normal. And with the world’s transition to remote working well under way, we are all wondering whether a full return to the office will ever be a possibility.

So, we checked in with our Bulbshare community to gauge their thoughts and feelings on working from home, burnout, and digital fatigue. With all this time online, we wanted to know if the blurring of work and home is making them more tired and less productive – or if they are loving this new homebody lifestyle!

Check out our digital fatigue infographic below to discover the insights…

Zoom fatigue

“The boundary between work and home is often much blurrier” – Bulbshare user, Female, 34, UK

When 59% of our digital communities said they found it harder to switch off mentally after work and 39% take fewer breaks, it is clear that our focus groups are feeling burnt out. With such heightened anxiety, loneliness and exhaustion from all the time away from reality and colleagues, it’s time to look to new ways of forming connections and fostering togetherness.

There is no better way of simulating that sense of companionship in these remote and isolating times than through virtual communities.

To find out how these insights could benefit your business, get in touch at info@bulbshare.com.

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Retail, Trend reports and toolkits

How to build and get value from customer communities: A ten step guide

Group of smiling friends - a customer community.

Consumer insight communities are fast becoming an indispensable part of brand strategy when it comes to building connections and truly understanding your customers.

More and more leading global brands are investing in these types of direct relationships and with 88% of Bulbshare’s global insight communities reporting they are eager to be involved in brand decisions, the desire to connect is clearly reciprocated by consumers.

So, what are the secrets to building and maintaining these communities, and how can you best utilise them to be truly customer-led and turn your customers into friends, followers and fans? 

Unlock the answers with Bulbshare’s ten-step toolkit. Just fill in your details below then check your inbox…

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Bulbshare webinars, Retail

Future High Streets Part Two… The changing face of grocery shopping post Covid-19

As our idea of the highstreet evolves over the next 12 to 18 months, how will shopping be affected, and what does this mean for brands, supermarkets and retailers? 

Featuring an industry expert panel:
– Simon Betts: Client Director, Bridgehead International / Ex Head of Customer Proposition, Tesco
– Louise Hughes: Collaboration Director, Bulbshare / Ex Category Controller ABInBev / Boots

Request our webinar recording now to unlock all the insights…

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Digital Trends, Trend reports and toolkits

Customer Advocacy Toolkit: A five step guide to turning your customers into brand ambassadors 

More and more brands are rethinking their strategies when it comes to digital marketing. While influencers used to be the first point-of-call, many are now looking to a new army of advocates when it comes to shouting about their products and services online… Their customers. 

With a growing scepticism towards influencers among younger audiences, (only 4% of consumers still trust influencer posts according to a recent report by YouGov), turning to real customers to promote your brand adds a sense of authenticity that is lacking in sponsored content. And the smart brands are exploring new ways to unleash the peer-to-peer power of their customers at scale.

So, how does consumer advocacy work? And what are the steps to turning your customers into friends, fans and loyal brand champions? 

Unlock the answers with Bulbshare’s five-step Customer Advocacy Toolkit. Just fill in your details below then check your inbox…
Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media

Unlocking the power of your customers: Why 85% of brands believe in consumer advocacy

Busy market

It’s no secret that the ‘influence’ of influencers is dwindling. With a growing awareness of influencer marketing meaning 96% of us now mistrust influencers [YouGov], what once seemed like a covert ‘cool stamp’ has now become more like a paid celebrity endorsement. And as gen Z consumers become increasingly savvy to the realities of sponsored content, the smart brands are looking elsewhere for promotional content with cut-through.

So then, if we really are seeing the beginning of the end of influencer marketing, what’s next?

In the race towards a post-influencer world, the answer lies in customer communities. According to a recent study by CMX Research, 85% of brands believe building their own online communities is a direct route to improving brand experiences and fostering consumer trust. These customer communities don’t just act as feedback loops for brands, but can be utilised for advocacy and brand promotion – with the inherent benefit of peer-to-peer authenticity, as opposed to paid promotion via influencers.

We asked our global Bulbshare community where they go for endorsements that count. Whether they think influencers are still relevant and what authentic brand advocacy means to them? Here’s what they had to say…

Real-life advocates

Who are the most powerful influencers of all? ‘Your friends and family’, say our global communities. 76% of our users said their purchases are affected by their family and friends’ opinions – compared to only 38% who were affected by influencer opinions. Moreover, 86% reported being more likely to make a purchase based on the recommendations of family or friends over that of an influencer.

"If a brand is talked about and recommended by friends and family, I'm much more likely to buy it. I would also offer my opinion of brands I've had a good experience with to my loved ones."

Bulbshare user, Female, 45, 🇬🇧

"I never take notice of influencers at all and prefer to make my own purchase decisions or take recommendations from family."

Bulbshare user, Male, 25 🇨🇦

Trust and authenticity sadly lacking

Our consumers felt they could trust people they related to more than they could influencers: 30% thought influencers couldn’t be trusted at all and 36% could only see them as authentic under certain conditions. Furthermore, 51% expressed a negative emotional reaction when asked about trust and influencers. 

Similarly, when asked what they thought about influencers in an open question, a fifth of our research communities mentioned money. Evidently, perceptions of materialism and greed polluted any faith our users had in influencers. Hence, the transparency and sincerity of peer opinion reigns supreme.

"I trust some of them - but not all because I think brands 'buy' their opinions..."

Bulbshare user, Female, 19 🇦🇺

“As long as they are being paid they will promote anything.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 32 🇫🇷

“Influencers are not objective.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 35 🇬🇧

Shopping mall

Influencers during Covid: masking reality 

This disdain at paid ambassadors was heightened during the pandemic. When asked whether influencers used their influence well during lockdown, our research communities answered that they felt the flaunting of wealth and flouting of rules was inappropriate. Terms such as ‘false lifestyles’ and ‘unrealistic images’ arose, as well as concerns about travelling despite restrictions. 

Some respondents mentioned that there were still good examples of influencers, with themes such as ‘spreading positivity’, ‘keeping [followers] company’ and ‘distracting’ them from ‘the real world’ coming up.

“They are being paid to promote unnecessary things that not everyone can afford. They have also been going abroad when it's not deemed as essential travel and claimed ignorance when challenged about it. They brush it off as if the pandemic is nothing and does not affect them or their ‘work’.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 25 🇨🇦

“Generally, influencers do not influence me - they only entertain me. They can be good company.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 30 🇬🇧

“It can be refreshing to see positive content during a difficult time. However, I dislike some of them as they try to pressure people into buying things at a time when many have struggled with financial difficulty over the past few months due to coronavirus and wage cuts.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 27 🇬🇧

“I don’t follow influencers as I feel most of them give a false image of a lifestyle that is not reality. Sadly, young people look up to them and think this is how they should behave, rather than being themselves. I think the pandemic has just highlighted to people what’s important and therefore influencers are not so influential any more.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 22 🇬🇧

Cut through with quality

74% of our digital communities said that quality was the most important factor when it came to them recommending products – not the influencers associated with it (3%). They would happily promote a product that was made to a high standard. A genuine peer advocate talking about the quality of a product they have actually used is seen as the ultimate recommendation. 

"To me, brand advocacy is having a great feeling about a brand because of who they are and sharing that with others."

Bulbshare user, Female, 30 🇬🇧

"I feel like it means someone fully supports a brand, their actions, beliefs and most importantly, their products. And they actively spread information and try to sell people on their brand."

Bulbshare user, Female, 27 🇨🇦

Getting it right with co-creation

Our communities noted Nike, Apple, JD Sports, The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry’s, The Meatless Farm Company, Oh Polly, Budweiser, Lush and PlayStation as brands they would like to work with and advocate for. When asked why, they all stated high quality products as the reason.

Notably, though, the brands our users were most enthused about were the ones that considered their customers with compassion: 92% of our global community expressed a positive perception towards brands who ‘co-create with their customers’ – with anecdotal responses telling us this lent a sense of a brand that cares about its customers’ thoughts, opinions and ideas.

"I care about brands that care about their customers! I love brands like Apple and everything they have to offer - and Body Shop, who are all about using natural products and sustainability."

Bulbshare user, Female, 23 🇬🇧

The solution to a post-influencer world

So, how do we harness the power of family and friend recommendations? The answer is consumer communities: everyday people reviewing products, sharing ideas and shaping brand decisions.

The future of brand advocacy means cutting out the middleman and getting straight to the consumers: invite them into your brand, become their trusted friend and give them a say in the products they consume. 

“I enjoy having the ability to give my opinions and shape the brand’s future products.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 57 🇬🇧

Real life, relatable brand champions

88% of our communities were enthusiastic about collaborating with brands and 76% said they enjoy reviewing products. When the average consumer has such capacity to become a brand ambassador, it leaves a question mark over the future of paid influencer marketing. With authentic, trusted, unendorsed voices shouting about your brand in customer communities, there is little need to pay for false, paid-for voices.

“The customer is the boss - we pay for the products or services, so we should be listened to.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 46 🇬🇧

“Products developed with customers in mind are better because the consumers can come up with ideas the brand hasn't thought of to improve their product!”

Bulbshare user, Female, 56 🇦🇺

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business

Product development in a locked-down world: Why 88% of consumers still want to be involved in your brand decisions…

Agile, customer-led product development amid the challenges of the last month 12 months has been all but impossible. With connecting to consumers being harder than ever, many in the R&D world have struggled, and a lack of traditional research methods such as focus groups has put product development and launch very much on the back burner. 

Research firm Mattson tells us that 84% of food and beverage professionals found developing new products more difficult amid lockdown and 50% were tentative about releasing new products at all. So then, how do you connect in a remote world? And when social distancing doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon, what is the future for product development informed by robust customer insight? 

Overwhelmingly, our global research communities have told us they want to be involved in the product development phase: 88% of our global users said they want to be included in the decisions brands make, 76% said they enjoy helping product development processes, and 86% said that products developed using consumer collaboration were better. 

So, with this transition to an increasingly online and remote world, how can your brand connect with your audiences, bake online customer communities into your model and embrace the changing face of consumer insight? Here’s our five-step guide…

1) Online customer communities: The time is now

With millions of people tuned in online – and with more time on their hands than ever – now is the perfect moment to take advantage of consumer insights. When 84% of those surveyed told us they prefer online focus groups to in-person ones, your audience has never been so receptive to providing you virtual feedback.

Building an online consumer community will allow you to unlock the power of your buyers, helping you to understand their wants and needs and giving you actionable insights. When navigating the challenges of product development in a pandemic, your digital research communities can develop ideas for your business, ensuring customer-centric plans and customer satisfaction.

“Businesses listening to their customers makes us feel appreciated and more likely to stay involved with the brand”

Bulbshare user, Female, 28, 🇬🇧

"It is much easier to connect via an online site rather than travelling to a particular location and spending half the day there. Also, being a shy person, I am more likely to give an honest opinion online without being concerned about what others may think about my opinion or being influenced by the majority”

Bulbshare user, Female, 57 🇨🇦

“I enjoy having the ability to give my opinions and shape the brand’s future products”

Bulbshare user, Female, 54 🇬🇧

“It’s inspiring that my opinion contributes to something important”

Bulbshare user, Female, 24 🇺🇸

2) Connect with always-on relationships for rapid turnaround insights

One of the key advantages of digital communities – as opposed to in-person focus groups – is the sheer ease and speed of turnaround. Not only are they more convenient for your consumers, they are more convenient for your brand too! Unlike in-person focus groups, you can access customer insight at any time with an always-on, mobile research community. Bulbshare’s work with consumer goods giants, Kimberly Clark, around the attitudes and behaviours of young Russian women towards feminine hygiene products, is a case in point. Bulbshare built a community of 600 Russian women who tested products via physical samples and through in-app concept-test heatmapping – gaining insight around key attributes, user-experience and packaging. We also conducted online ideation workshops allowing us to speed-test design concepts for ultra-fast turnaround insight. Discover more about how our real-time insights helped Kimberly Clark to be agile and customer-led here. 

“I’m always online, especially these days!”

Bulbshare user, Female, 19 🇦🇺

“Online focus groups are so much more convenient and environmentally friendly as there is no need to travel.”

Bulbshare user, female, 54 🇫🇷

“Online market research is more accessible and safer during Covid”

Bulbshare user, Female, 53 🇲🇾

Group of consumers sitting together.

3) Target segments within those digital communities

Use technology which allows you to segment your digital communities into specific demographics in order to target separate customer groups. Bulbshare’s customer community technology allows for the auto-tagging and targeting of niche segments based on granular demographics around attitude and behaviour, buying patterns, tastes and interests – as well as core themes like age, gender and region. Responses can then be easily analysed based on these breakdowns. 

“Companies need input from a wide cross-section of society so they have mass market appeal. That process begins in the early stages of development, and I think I can offer opinions that may benefit the company and the product.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 40 🇨🇦

4) Video: The Holy Grail

The ‘holy grail of insights’, video allows your users to create unique and in depth qualitative content – showcasing attitudinal responses in an infinitely more nuanced way. The opportunity to use video enables creativity in your users and introduces you to your customers on a more personal level. Our Customer Connect tool enables remote, online workshops, while our media-capture functionality means your user-communities can upload thousands of images and videos on a daily basis. Bulbshare also utilises AI for auto video response analysis that includes sentiment and key word tracking, as well as auto-translation on foreign language responses. 

“It’s fun to give my opinions about new products, especially when I can upload a picture or a video”

Bulbshare user, Male, 33 🇺🇸

Group of friends reviewing a product together

5) Heatmap concepts… At scale

Empower your customer communties to feedback on your products at scale through virtual product testing technology. Our image-highlighting function allows users to interact with products through their phone; they are able to comment on what they like and dislike about the product, which is then turned into a heat map of the zones that attracted the most interest. Their comments can be filtered via key sentiments, allowing you to turn emotional reactions into hard data.

“The customer is the boss - we pay for the products or services, so we should be listened to”

Bulbshare user, Male, 46 🇬🇧

“Products developed with customers in mind are better because the consumers can come up with ideas the brand hasn't thought of to improve their product!”

Bulbshare user, Female, 56 🇦🇺

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business

Is the tap running dry for alcohol? No-low boom sees 50% turning down the tipple…

Smiling man sips on low-alcohol beer drink.

With more people than ever trying Dry January this year, record sales of no and low alcohol already being reported, and the emergence of a new generation that’s shunning the pub, are we seeing a gradual shift towards a booze-free future?

It’s not unusual for January to be a time of abstinence. Fresh starts and a ‘New Year, New You’ attitude always see a collective detox. But with the pandemic precipitating a new wave of health-consciousness, will this year’s dry Jan be more long-term than usual? With record numbers of people turning to no and low alcohol alternatives over the last 18 months (the category saw a 32.5% uplift in early 2020 [Nielsen]), and a new generation of consumers that drink less than any that went before them (only 15% of Gen Z drink weekly, compared to 36% of boomers [Lombardo]), are we beginning to see a major shift in behaviours around drinking?

We asked our global insights community about their changing attitudes and behaviours towards alcohol, the impact of the pandemic on their approaches to health and whether or not they’ll be doing dry January this year. This is what they had to say…

To drink or not to drink…. That is the question

With Covid-19 triggering a new urgency around health-conscious consumption, exactly half of our community have committed to Dry January this month. Their reasons? 70% wanted to take better care of their bodies, 30% wanted to save money and 38% attributed their decision partly to the pandemic, saying coronavirus affected their choice to attempt an alcohol-free month. Anecdotally, we’re seeing a rise in a ‘It’s lockdown… I can’t go out anyway. I may as well use this time to not drink’ attitude, combined with the virus increasing a focus on health. 

“I find Dry Jan really great for my body and my mind"

Bulbshare user, Male, 23, 🇬🇧

"I find it to be a good option. It’s overdue as we all drink far too much anyway"

Bulbshare user, Female, 50 🇬🇧

Putting the lid on the bottle?
With only 25% of our global community having tried Dry Jan before, and 50% doing it this year, we can see a big rise in those wanting to get healthy and ditch the drink. In addition to the half of our audience who are going dry this month, 30% said they knew someone else attempting a sober January. Anecdotal responses also reported an increase in those extending their period of abstinence into February too – with frequent mentions of ‘carrying it on as long as they can’. 

"I find Dry January to be very interesting, fun and challenging"

Bulbshare user, male, 25 🇦🇺

"I’m more inclined to drink non alcoholic drinks 99% of the time, even after dry Jan"

Bulbshare user, female, 19 🇬🇧

Locking down the alcohol cabinet?
Quarantine also contributed to the community’s decisions regarding Dry January and a move towards no-low options. With the closure of pubs and bars, our community saw this month as the perfect time to give sobriety a go! 44% said the pandemic affected their decision to do dry Jan.

“Not drinking is easier this year as pubs are not open"

Bulbshare user, Male, 32 🇬🇧

"The pandemic has made me more health-conscious"

Bulbshare user, Male, 44🇬🇧

“We are spending so much time at home currently that it’s the perfect place to start. When we do get more social (eventually!) it would be nice to have an alternative to a full-alcohol drink"

Bulbshare user, Male, 42 🇨🇦

No-low rising… Last orders for full alcohol drinks?
Our community is excited about this sober revolution – and a future filled with more and better no and low alcohol options. 40% of our global community stated they were more inclined to try low-alcohol drinks this year as opposed to other years, and half said they would drink them at home, in a bar, or with a meal out.

"I think they are a great way to maintain low alcohol intake whilst still enjoying it"

Bulbshare user, Female, 75 🇬🇧

"I enjoy the lighter taste"

Bulbshare user, Female, 61 🇨🇦

"I think they have a good taste and are much better for your health"

Bulbshare user, Female, 30 🇬🇧

The everywhere drink…
When asked where they would consider drinking low-alcohol alternatives, our community responded that they would drink them anywhere and everywhere. Be it the pub after work, a business lunch or a child’s party, the benefits of not drinking beverages with high alcohol content were evident. With the inconvenience of tipsiness removed but the full flavour retained, people were keen to drink these options at any occasion.

"I would drink a low or no alcohol beer if I was out somewhere but had to drive or had a long journey home the next day, but still wanted the taste and feeling I get when drinking beer."

Bulbshare user, Female, 53 🇬🇧

"I would drink low alcohol drinks when entertaining friends and family at home. I particularly enjoy low alcohol mojitos in the spring/summer. I would also drink low alcohol drinks at a restaurant for a nice dinner out with my husband and friends."

Bulbshare user, Female, 41 🇨🇦

"I would definitely drink them at a baby shower, events involving kids or a business lunch / event"

Bulbshare user, Female, 37 🇺🇸

But it’s not just alcohol people are consuming less of…
Food was also a big topic for our Bulbsharers, with 89% claiming they want to eat more healthily this year, 72% aiming to cut down sugar intake and 83% intending to eat less processed food.

"I am trying to be more healthy in terms of eating, reducing alcohol, walking, meditating and finding new hobbies"

Bulbshare user, Female, 29 🇺🇸

Mind, body and soul…
With many people claiming that limiting alcohol was an important step towards better mental health, we also observed an increased determination around self-improvement and self-care. When 62% of people struggled with their mental wellbeing in 2020, the resolve to have a happier year was palpable. 83% of audiences intended to use mindfulness apps, 56% of people hoped to speak to a professional about their mental health and 83% wanted to institute better routines for exercise and sleep.

"I am coping and trying to stay positive by finding ways of engaging myself in activities that I find enjoyable, maybe by just walking in the park, visiting the mountains and admiring the general beauty of nature"

Bulbshare user, Male, 37 🇨🇦

"I am doing my best to avoid negative thoughts. I listen to happy and energetic music, sometimes I meditate and do yoga. I also watch a lot of motivational videos"

Bulbshare user, Female, 19 🇬🇧

"'What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'. I believe we all are going to have a stronger, better year in 2021, taking into consideration the fact that everyone was forced to spend most of the time at home and weren't able to enjoy life the way we used to. This next year will be a better year for happiness."

Bulbshare user, Male, 46 🇨🇦

2021: Health is wealth
With a noticeable trend of saving money and looking after one’s physical and mental health, the crucial brand takeaway is that this will be a year of sensible decisions, cautious spending and health consciousness. Our customer polls informed us that 50% of people want to save more money than last year, 33% want to get out on more walks and 89% want to make more home-cooked meals – on top of a big drive toward drinking less. 

"Last year was a big missed opportunity when it came to saving. So this year I need to save more"

Bulbshare user, Male, 27 🇺🇸

"2020 has shown the importance of saving as much as possible. You don't know what's around the corner"

Bulbshare user, Male, 35 🇺🇸

woman drinking water

Brand tool-kit:

  1. Healthy, happy, positive branding. Repurpose your branding and product towards this collective vision of a year of mental and physical wellbeing. Can your brand mission promote this better future of healthy bank accounts, minds and bodies?
  2. Show your caring side. With so many of our community members reporting an increased interest in self-care, your brand voice can tap into this need for compassion.
  3. Sobriety rising. Our customer surveys showed that no-alcohol drinks are on the rise. So, with these insights in mind, promote low-alcohol and healthier options where you can. Your audience has never been so receptive.
  4. A year of austerity. With so many in our community telling us they are looking to budget and cut back this year, and with one of the few reservations around low and no-alcohol options being the cost, brands should be promoting value, low-cost and budgeting options for what is set to be a tough financial year for many.

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

Nina Glynn
In Brands, Bulbshare blog, Media

The 10 key consumer shifts of 2020… And what they will mean for your brand this year

There’s no denying it, 2020 was a year like no other. 12 months ago, who could have predicted a New Year’s Eve spent at home or Christmas shopping being done in masks?

In a time of widespread isolation, the idea of ‘community’ has never been more important and online connections have been the life-blood of families, friends and colleagues all over the world. Our global online communities provided hundreds of thousands of responses over the course of 2020 – and from a year that saw so many shifts in consumer attitudes and behaviours, we’ve compiled our top 10 insights, along with how they should inform your brand’s plans for 2021…

Benevolent branding

1) A social conscience reigns supreme. 

Our online focus groups – particularly Gen Z – showed an appreciation for brands that demonstrated an interest in social causes. Whether this was taking an interest in sustainability, improving diversity in ad campaigns or showing altruism during the pandemic, Bulbshare users reported a preference for socially aware businesses. Many noted Pret’s NHS discounts, Dove’s body confidence campaigns, and L’Oreal’s sanitiser donations as worthy examples of brand compassion. 

And this concern for magnanimity isn’t going anywhere; this year has changed the landscape of activism indefinitely. When 62% of respondents said brand diversity impacts their perception of a company and 34% said they have stopped shopping at brands because of a lack of representation, your brand should listen and take note for 2021, a year of a more conscious consumer. 

“When I go to buy something I research the company to find out how much it is involved in social causes.”

Bulbshare user, 41 🇧🇷

Brand takeaway for 2021:

Consider how exhibiting a philanthropic and charitable attitude could help your brand, as well as people in need. Remember, authenticity is important rather than jumping on a bandwagon: back up your words with real actions and sincerity.

2) We shopped locally till we dropped.

With our global insight communities reporting over 70% participation in more locally-sourced food shopping, it’s evident that buying local is a major priority. Sustainability, supporting the local economy, ethics and price all played into this decision.

“Due to the current pandemic I have chosen to support the local economy and buy from new and small businesses.”

Bulbshare user, 21 🇲🇽

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Focus on marketing to consumers in the area and highlighting the need to support the local economy. Shout about your locally sourced products, how you support local producers and invest in initiatives that support local communities.  

3) Sustainability sells 

This year has proved that consumers have an appetite for ecologically ethical products like never before. In conjunction with having a social purpose, consumers are overwhelmingly demanding more sustainable products and services in every market – with the virus’s impact on travel only serving to highlight the affects of reducing food miles and carbon footprints. 

Companies like Patagonia have cultivated a massive following over the years because of their commitment to helping the environment. However, promoting your eco-friendliness includes being completely transparent in your brand’s practices and processes: the consumers of 2021 will not be fooled by greenwashing. Find out more here.

“I would like to see more content regarding waste reduction, social security and environment issues.”

Bulbshare user, 42 🇲🇾

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Consider how your service impacts the environment. Can you pledge to contribute to a greener future or source your products more ethically? Make sure you’re vocal about your efforts to protect wildlife and workers.

4) We love self-love

One of the prominent themes we see emerging in the post Covid-19 world is the need for self-improvement – mentally, emotionally, and physically. With restaurant closures catalysing more home cooking, consumers have been more health-conscious when it comes to food. Similarly, home workouts have dramatically increased in popularity, whilst jogging and walking have provided an excuse to get out the house for fresh air. And when 70% of our global community have reported an increase in anxiety levels this year, the focus online has shifted to ‘mental health days’, ‘self-love’ and ‘meditative introspection’. As 51% of the users on our customer insight service intend to exercise more next year, and mental health has been prioritised more than ever, this trend of self-care is erupting into 2021 with vigour.

“I don't really take time for myself, so I think one thing I will start doing is taking more care of my health. So exercising more on a regular basis and really making that impact on my lifestyle to stay healthy."

Bulbshare user, 28 🇬🇧

Brand takeaway for 2021:

Can you market your product towards a vision of a healthier, happier life? Emphasise self-care (mental and physical) and shout about your healthy, happy benefits.

Community Spirit

5) Influencers lost their influence

The year of clapping for the NHS and checking in on neighbours had little patience for social media influencers. Our digital research communities reported that influencer marketing is falling out of favour and trust in sponsored posts is diminishing. When a social conscience has been more in vogue than ever, ‘vapid’, ‘avaricious’ and ‘superficial’ influencers were seen as a blight on social media. In fact, after the doom and gloom of the year, 36% are looking to cut down on social media and 10% intend to stop completely. Instead of listening to paid endorsements, 84% of Bulbsharers preferred the recommendations of their friends, family and local community. Read more on our ‘Death of the influencer’ blog.

"I never take notice of influencers at all and prefer to make my own purchase decisions or recommendations from family."

Bulbshare user, Female, 19 🇺🇸

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Authentic voices and advocacy via real customer content will be the route to meaningful consumer connections and commercial success in 2021. 

6) Quality and care above status and luxury

When so many people are separated from loved ones, messages around family, community, time and quality had more meaning during Covid-19 than those focused on status and luxury. With much less disposable income, most consumers want to make a purchase feeling that it is going to better themselves or their family’s lives, not that it was unnecessary. When 45% of users suffered from more stress this year, your brand can do its bit to ease that tension. Even though the future bodes better times, consumers will remember which brands made an effort.

“… It should be mandatory for organisations to recognise the importance of mental health awareness.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 33 🇺🇸

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Take inspiration from Krispy Kreme’s initiative, in which they doubled the donuts people ordered so customers could give a sweet treat to a neighbour, or do a giveaway for loyal customers. Consider using comforting words in your advertising to connect with consumers. At a time when building digital communities and remote customer connections has never been more important, it’s crucial to engage your communities in ‘always-on’ relationships and ongoing dialogues. 

Consumer Behaviour

7) Last orders?

‘When pubs and bars are being forced to close, 78% of consumers expect to go out less this festive period vs. last year, and only a quarter of audiences anticipate any kind of office party…’ When asked about attitudes and behaviours towards drinking socially this Christmas, our customer intelligence community painted a fairly bleak picture for the drinks industry. 

But that wasn’t the whole picture: 89% of our users will buy alcohol this Christmas because, well, a nice glass of Buck’s Fizz sparks joy. Similarly, 28% of users plan on buying their main alcohol shop online, 20% intend to spend more on premium beers, and 54% want to try new drinks. With 2021 heralding new hope for a better year, there will be lots to celebrate, which inevitably means we will be hearing the sounds of clinking glasses again.

That being said, in a more health conscious society post-covid, 41% have cut down on the number of days drinking and 64% tried a non-alcoholic drink, with 43% intending to spend more on non-alcoholic products. Furthermore, people opted for quality over quantity: in a shift away from little and often, our users preferred premium products. Rather than regular excessive drinking, the trend is moving towards special occasions, cherishing a rare glass, and enjoying a ‘one-off treat’. Discover more about whether the tap will run dry for the drinks industry in our Last Orders webinar: The impact of Covid-19 on the drinks industry this Christmas.

"I’ll buy Bucks Fizz because it has always been a tradition in my family so I want to carry that on as it feels like a time to celebrate"

Bulbshare user, Female, 44 🇺🇸

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Consider branding your alcohol products for specific occasions such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentines or Easter. Festive packaging may tap into the desire to have a ‘normal’ Christmas. But when this festive season comes to a close, consider non-alcoholic alternatives for Dry Jan as part of your brand. Can you cut the sugar or calories in your drinks to advertise to health conscious consumers? Can you take advantage of the rising trends for non-alcoholic options? Can you premiumise your product to exploit the need for quality over quantity?

8) Online sales swam while the high-street sunk.

In March, 40% of our respondents claimed that Coronavirus affected the way they shop, saying they will be avoiding supermarkets and shopping online. Now, it is reported that around 75% of shoppers will purchase their Christmas presents online this year. This steady move towards online shopping is proliferating continually, so expect more in 2021.

Since this shift, the UK has seen the closure of Arcadia and Debenhams is in danger. Online shopping continues to grow, with the likes of Amazon and eBay enjoying growth while the highstreet suffers. Read our Post Covid-19 Consumer report to uncover changing attitudes towards shopping in the wake of Covid.

“I am stocking up online on food and on other consumables, such as cleaning materials and toiletries, that I wouldn’t want to be without. My aim is to be able to get by for a month without having to go shopping in person – if it becomes necessary for me to stay at home.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 41 🇬🇧

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Channel your efforts into online marketing if you haven’t already. Establish your presence on social media and set up shop online. Remember, user experience still matters online: according to Super Office, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

9) The most popular restaurant in town? Your own kitchen.

Food trends that arose this year (and aren’t going anywhere next year) were: the rise of flexitarianism, home-grown produce and eating-in. With financial woes and health concerns troubling the 2020 consumer, an amplified interest in food took hold. What we are eating, where it comes from, and how to DIY it were the themes of the year.

“I do fear that the restaurant industry may not be able to recover, partly because they were closed and could not survive, and partly because people have changed their eating habits over the last few months and they may stick to it. I think a lot of people realized how much money they saved eating at home, and people will eat out less in the future.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 40 🇬🇧

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

Now our covid-consumer knows how to cook, you and your brand should consider branding your service towards that. Whether that translates to a switch towards a more DIY product or a marketing campaign that appreciates the new knowledge gained this year, your 2021 plans should bear in mind the new savvy and health-conscious customer you’re targeting.

10) COVID Consumption

49% of our users said they were spending less during lockdown – and attributed that reduction in spend to eating out less, diminished travelling, pubs and bars being inaccessible, and fewer excursions and days out. As well as cutting back due to concerns about an uncertain economy.

“I have less income and money to spend compared to the last year”

Bulbshare user, Female, 29 🇺🇸

Brand takeaway for 2021: 

The brand takeaway is that people love takeaways – and see them as a cheaper alternative to eating out! Messaging around value, cutting back and sensible pricing will gain cut-through, while an occasional ‘treat yourself’ stance, will also be important among consumers seeking an ‘affordable’ break from austerity living. 

To find out how Bulbshare could benefit your organisation, please contact Michael Wylie-Harris on michael@bulbshare.com

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