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dry jan

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

Marketing’s best kept secret: The game-changer that is employee generated content

You’ve heard of user generated content, right? Well, what about employee generated content?

Defined as any form of content that is created and distributed by your internal workforce, employee generated content is a powerful new vein of brand advocacy, the crossroad where employee advocacy meets user generated content, and the simplest and most accessible form of marketing. Your pool of creators – or colleagues – are on hand at any time to promote your brand… and, of course, they’re experts in your field.

With every new talented professional that joins the team, your brand becomes a household name amongst their friends and family. With every post they share about their career development, they advertise your company as the hot new place to work. With every conversation they have at a bar or party that starts with ‘so, what do you do?’ they disseminate your brand name that little bit further. And, bit by bit, their connections’ loyalty to them becomes loyalty to your brand, too. After all, it’s not just your sales team’s responsibility to drive leads.

So, how can you and your organisation leverage the power of employee advocacy and EGC to take your brand awareness to the next level and transform incidental advocacy into strategic advocacy? Here are the top tips you need to know…

Bulbshare focus groups and online customer communities
Why it works

Authenticity

When 84% of consumers trust the recommendations of family and friends over anyone else, your employees hold a position of trusted influence. Consumers are valuing authenticity at the heart of advocacy as we enter an era of distrust, and when 92% of our insight community are sceptical of fake news and propaganda on social media, never have real voices been so precious.

Your employees are trusted insiders of your brand. Gen-z have lost trust in official messages, and your employees can offer a relatable perspective that is hard to come by. Hootsuite agrees, arguing that consumers trust a regular employee over the CEO. They’re experts on the brand – but they’re also human – and 94% of our insights community said authenticity in branding mattered to them.

As Forbes says, “Real people with actual experience. That’s who we all want to hear from when we’re deciding whether or not to enter our credit card information to purchase that new product or service.”

And when 76% of our insight communities said they’d promote a brand if they liked it enough, the potential for that authentic advocacy is huge.

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

Bulbshare user, Female, 45, 🇬🇧

Traditional focus group vs online customer communities

Amplification

Content is king, it’s a given. We’ve all heard that B2B buyers don’t engage with your salesperson till they’ve read 13 pieces of content, or that a cold lead only becomes warm after absorbing ample newsletters, blogs, and social media posts of yours. In fact, 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of C-level executives use social media while making purchasing decisions [BusinessWire] and according to SpencerXSmith, potential customers do 57% of their research before reaching out to you.

When your colleagues become content creators, you can amplify the amount of content your brand is pumping out. From a TikTok ‘day in the life’ made by your marketing assistant on their social media that shows what they get up to on the job, to a guest blog appearance by the CEO, to a post shared by your Product Director discussing a blog post that resonates with them, your team is a network of influencers in their own right.

This abundant source of fresh ideas from all kinds of minds means you aren’t just making more content, you’re making more varied content. The engineer or researcher that never normally interacts with the marketing processes might have a totally different perspective on how to create content. Tap into that!

Plus, taking advantage of the huge resource you already have within your team takes little to no new expenditure.

Awareness

An ‘everyone sells’ mentality is crucial for your brand. When your employees promulgate your content to their connections, not only do they provide that crucial authentic voice, they provide a whole new audience of eyeballs for your site. On average, your total employee social media reach is ten times that of your brand, with a better chance of engagement [LinkedIn]. When 79% of our insight community think unsponsored advocacy is the future, it’s time to ride the wave.

"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 🇨🇦

Humanisation 

In an increasingly remote world, employee generated content bridges the gap between your brand and its customers. Consumers want to see the human side of your organisation, and your team can do exactly that. By giving a face to your brand, you increase brand loyalty, humanise your offering, and form a meaningful connection between customer and creator. After all, 81% of consumers like to feel connected to the brands they buy from.

“ I like to connect to a brand.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 37, 🇵🇱

“It gives you more of an understanding of the brand and gives you more of a connection to the brand and to the item which you’d be buying.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 18, 🇬🇧

“Because I think that is what fosters a strong brand connection to its consumers, builds trust and builds brand loyalty.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 28, 🇲🇽

Empowering

Alongside all of those other amazing benefits, EGC is an opportunity to reward and showcase your amazing employees. 84% of people want to be involved in the decision making processes of brands, and by empowering your employees to represent the brand, you give them recognition for the impact they’re having.

Community of friends and brand advocates
Best in class examples

EA

Electronic Arts launched their ‘EA Insiders’ programme in 2014, which employees from around the globe used to connect. Within a short period of time, employees were talking about how much more connected they felt with each other and were sent official certificates for membership. With leaderboards and contests to spur friendly competition, it was the perfect forum for global team building. It generated tens of thousands of social shares and reached a network of 1.1M.

Dell

Dell is a pioneer in employee advocacy. They launched a training program for their employees in social media and community, which encouraged them to find and share content relevant to Dell. As the former head of Dell’s program, Amy Heiss put it:

“One of the big tenets of our social media and community training is that we want people to post 80% about topics that are informative, helpful and relevant to our customers or are personally interesting to our employees, stuff that reflects their own interests. Only 20% of the content they share should actually be about Dell.”

The programme drove thousands of clicks back to Dell.com.

Community of consumers using tech

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

HPE’s employee advocacy strategy was successful in extending their social reach. HPE offered incentives for social sharing and guided employees on the best techniques for social networking.

Consumers doing online surveys

Reebok

Reebok encouraged their employees to share their passion for fitness through a provocative hashtag (#fitASScompany), allowing them to track the content employees are sharing. Reebok encouraged real authenticity in these posts, and the results saw hundreds of posts around weight-lifting, running, and cycling primarily through networks such as Facebook and Instagram.

Women working out and keeping fit

Starbucks

For anyone that read our blog on the 10 UGC pioneers, Starbucks’s advocacy initiatives will come as no surprise. Referring to their employees as ‘partners’, they launched their partners program in which they encourage every colleague to pour their heart and soul into the job and live out the Starbucks mission. They allowed these partners to make posts following the Starbucks guidelines onto their very own dedicated Instagram page, starting challenges that could go viral. One example of this is their #ToBeAPartner trend, which began by sharing pictures of employees online. As a result, their staff turnover is at an industry record low.

They also feature an employee spotlight on their site, highlighting key partners making a splash in the coffee world.

BGC

Boston Consulting Group amplified Asian voices during a peak in anti-Asian violence. They shared quotes from Asian employees, empowering their staff to talk about their experiences and look to future change.

MasterCard

MasterCard collaborates with hundreds of its employees through their ambassador program, encouraging them to post text, images and video to their social accounts. It came as a direct result of their ambition to prioritise talent development. It recognises that its workforce is one of its strongest assets.

Adobe

More than 30% of Adobes’s global employees have undertaken training after the head of social realised that one employee’s efforts on social media were driving more success than their branded channels. They launched their Social Shift Program, which educates employees on company social media guidelines, shares best practices and helps them become ambassadors for the brand. Adobe Life, their blog, aims to share behind the scenes of what it’s like to work at Adobe, and their contests around social sharing promote high level engagement.

The power of video for consumer insight
How to integrate employee advocacy into your campaigns
  1. Identify employees who are keen to be involved. As the very first step for EGC, you’ll need to put the feelers out to find out. Don’t force it – it’s not a chore but a team building exercise.
  2. Educate your staff on the brand. Before you unleash hundreds of employees loose on social media, make sure they’ve had training on your brand guidelines and social media conventions.
  3. Guest blogs from colleagues. A powerful way of levelling up your usual thought leadership is to invite experts within your team to get involved. Your employees and colleagues are a fountain of knowledge – they know the brand best. From featuring quotes in your white papers to encouraging them to write an entire piece themselves, your colleague can be your content inspiration, your guru and your muse.
  4. Webinar appearances. Again, your colleagues are experts in your field. Give them a platform and a voice to discuss something they have strong opinions about or knowledge on. Your content and marketing teams aren’t by any means the only ones who can get involved in these activities!
  5. Social posts. It can be as little as a like or as powerful as a share, so long as your employees are engaged in your social media posts, you have a loyal fanbase to guarantee interaction and promote your content to a wider audience. Think of it as a web, with every colleague that presses like on the company LinkedIn post promulgating it to a network of hundreds of potential leads.
  6. Create slack channels for your employees to share their content in. By creating dedicated forums for employees to create, collaborate and share content in, you encourage EGC – and with it, team building. Have dedicated spaces and times for your colleagues to set aside all their other responsibilities and just have fun doing something creative together. EGC is best when it comes from a place of genuine brand love.
  7. Give your employees free reign of your Instagram account for a day. Consider Instagram and Twitter take overs by employees. Let them have complete control of social media for the day, posting updates to stories and talking about both what it’s like to work at the company and what the brand mission means to them. They should start by sharing who they are, what job they do, and a fun fact to humanise your company with.
  8. Meet the team posts. Another fantastic way of personifying the brand and showcasing the talent behind the products and services is to share meet the team posts. Ask your employees some fun and engaging questions about their hobbies and interests and watch as the engagement rolls in.
  9. Recognise and reward. The colleagues who are most active on LinkedIn should be praised for the extra mile they go to promote the brand. You can encourage them through monetary incentives, fun rewards such as experience days or hampers, and verbal praise such as shout outs in team meetings.
  10. Create an employer brand ambassador network. Create momentum for your employee advocacy by gathering all your best EGC creators into a network where you offer training and rewards for their efforts. By bringing them together, you boost team morale and give them an opportunity to collaborate on content creation.
The importance of a brand they can believe in

Employee advocacy only happens if your employees genuinely do advocate for your brand. They won’t do the legwork for a brand they don’t believe in.

This means that before you can start encouraging your employees to shout about how much they love their work on LinkedIn, you need to make sure that they really do love their work.

However, with job satisfaction dropping and The Great Resignation looming post-pandemic, it’s never been more important to check that your employees genuinely love your brand. According to the recruitment firm Randstad, 69% of workers are feeling confident about moving to a new role in the coming year and 24% are planning to change in the next three to six months – which is double previous years. So, how do you ensure your employees really are advocates?

Work / life balance

The worker of today is demanding balance. 2 in 3 of our insights community worked from home this year and half are still remote working – and whilst remote work offers many work/life balance benefits, it can still be a little remote. Our insights community voted that tech issues were the biggest blockade to teamwork, with the lack of human connection and office banter coming in second and lack of workload visibility being the third biggest obstacle. Moreover, 42% feel it is difficult to separate work and home life whilst working from home.

However, 64% hope to work from home in the future, and your brand needs to facilitate this whilst still finding ways to foster EGC and team collaboration. EGC, thankfully, can be used as a way of forging connections between team members who are disconnected by remote work. In this respect, employee advocacy is a self-perpetuating cycle, with staff who love their work creating great EGC, and EGC encouraging staff to love their work.

In order to boost job satisfaction – which, according to our Global Business Development Director Alistair Nel, is at an all time low – you can look to work perks as one of the solutions. 75% of our insight community expect work perks such as great pensions, ample leave, free lunches, flexible work hours, gym memberships and mental and physical healthcare cover. With happy employees comes fantastic EGC.

“Some people’s WiFi may not be that good so they struggle getting all the information.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 15, 🇦🇺

“The biggest challenge is not having human interaction during the working day, other than remotely via the computer screen.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 47,🇬🇧

Diversity and inclusion

Your employees care about the internal makeup of the company – and they want to see diversity championed. 72% of employees believe that brands should champion diversity, and 55% are frustrated by inauthenticity when it comes to marketing around inclusivity. Your marketing, part of which is made up of EGC, can’t purport to care about diversity if your team itself does not reflect that.

Making sure all of your employees are championed and celebrated for their authentic selves is crucial – and EGC can be part of that.

To discover more about how to empower teamwork and brand love in a remote world, watch our Virtual Working Futures webinar with Hewlett Packard Enterprises – and to discover how Bulbshare can fine tune your employee advocacy, go to our solutions page.

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, Influencer, Media, Retail

People Power: 10 brands changing the game with user-generated-content

Community of friends and brand advocates

Who is the best marketeer for your brand? They may not be the colleague with the marketing masters degree. They may not have 10+ years of experience. They may not be in your company, let alone your communications team. Your best marketer isn’t even employed by you. 

Your customer base is bursting with potential to advocate for your brand. And UGC is the perfect tool with which to harness that potential. By welcoming the customer in as co-architect and marketer, you not only empower their brand loyalty, you make your job a whole lot easier…

As The Guardian says, “Advertising is failure. Ideally, a company offers a great product or service that its customers love, talk about, and sell to each other. It’s when that fails that you need to advertise.”

More and more brands are turning to UGC to add zest to their marketing campaigns, build meaningful relationships, and create relatable content that customers love. And Covid-19 only accelerated this: the connection and entertainment that UGC offers made it uniquely popular during lockdowns, with 78% of our customers spending more time online.

The Drum agrees: “Brands have been pushed to find alternative solutions to complex studio setups, huge budgets and high production value – all of the traditional expectations for an impactful advertising campaign. A strategy that’s found success is the clever utilisation of user-generated content (UGC) as it taps into a real desire for human connection, strengthens a community and, in this unprecedented time, has transformed what might have once been local content into global content.”

This new form of content has been lauded for its authenticity. Having a product that your consumers love so much that they’d happily promote it to their friends and online connections is a self-sustaining marketing cycle: the more people promoting your product with UGC, the more people discovering it, loving it, and hopefully endorsing it too. And, when 74% of our global insights community said they’d promote a product to their contacts if the quality was good enough, there’s huge potential for your customers to become the next wave of advocates.

So, let’s look at the top ten brands leading in the advocacy and content space. Here are the brands making a difference with UGC – and what you can learn from them.

User generated content

L’Oréal

Shopping experiences became unrecognisable during Covid – especially for makeup. Testers for lipsticks and in-store swatches of eyeshadows were one of the many losses of lockdown. And in a world where the customer can’t try their foundation before buying it, makeup retailers such as L’Oréal have been presented with an obstacle to overcome. But the L’Oréal brand, NYX Professional Makeup, saw an opportunity in this obstacle. 

NYX Professional Makeup launched Makeup Addyx, their customer insight and product testing community with Bulbshare, amidst the pandemic to roaring success. Within this app of makeup lovers, NYX Professional Makeup co-created their CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP ALL THE OBSESSION tagline for their popular foundation. Hoping to leverage the powerful consumer love for the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation – despite the lack of testers – the makeup brand pursued the route of reviews, UGC, and insights to create authentic buzz. 

To overcome the testers hurdle, NYX Professional Makeup guided consumers to their website, where they could choose their shade based on swatch imagery and a variety of model pictures. Having sent bottles of the product to the community to try, NYX Professional Makeup used consumer insights to inspire the new hook of their campaign – as well as the messaging, look and feel, and imagery. 

The project drove rich UGC, including before and after photos, application shots, final images of them holding the bottle, short video clips of consumers raving about the foundation, realistic images of the wear and tear of longevity after a long day, and creative TikTok style transitions. Additionally, consumers sent in ratings and reviews which could be promulgated in their social media and campaigns. 

Combining the power of UGC and product insights, they moulded a campaign which had the consumer at its core, every step of the way. With hundreds of videos and images to utilise, and a social sharing reach of 70,000+, the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is a resounding example of UGC done right.

“User generated content is a brilliant tool with which to connect to your customers. It invites them in to become a crucial part of the branding process and makes them feel part of something big - which increases brand loyalty. With this campaign, we saw some amazing results and we loved all the images and videos the tribe sent in. We’ll definitely continue to put our customers at the core.”

Meg Grant: Assistant Product Manager, L'Oréal UK & Ireland

“UGC formed a powerful driver for the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop campaign. With rich imagery and video content galore, the Makeup Addyx app fuelled the look and feel and injected some serious authenticity, passion, and fun into the marketing of the foundation. By putting the consumers at the heart of everything, we harnessed the brand love around the product and inspired even more.”

Roxanne Smith: Client Collaborator and lead on the L'Oréal UK & Ireland account here at Bulbshare

Makeup Addyx UGC

Apple

‘Shot on iPhone’ is a shining example of UGC. The campaign started where all great campaigns begin – with customer insight. Having discussed previous efforts to market their phone camera as an alternative to professional cameras, photographers told them they were shooting in the dark. Professionals simply weren’t ready to ditch the extensive collection of tripods and lenses they invest so much time and money in to try their luck with a phone. 

Instead of focusing their marketing efforts on sleek product shots to attract pro photographers, they tapped into a different, more amateur market.

Apple’s campaign for the iPhone 6 displayed the work of 77 iPhone photographers from around the world on billboards in 24 different countries.

Their campaign beautifully highlighted that their phone camera gave the everyday person the ability to shoot like a pro. With this tool, the everyman could take photos that belonged on billboards.

IPhone photography for UGC

LEGO

LEGO Ideas is at the heart of LEGO Group’s UGC. With fun challenges and hundreds of creators, LEGO Ideas is the perfect place for content sharing. This forum isn’t just a social media platform for LEGO creations, though. The goal of the platform is for creators to get to 10,000 supporters. If they achieve this milestone, their idea is reviewed by LEGO itself, where it has the potential to be produced and sold in stores. 

This initiative works on two levels. Not only does it reward brand loyalty, it encourages customers to be pioneers of brand awareness. The customer doesn’t just create original and exciting marketing content, they clamber to get the word out about their LEGO products to get more followers. This is the dual power of UGC. 

LEGO Group have also built their very own Bulbshare community, through which they can get in depth consumer insights and rich UGC. Some of the brilliant content generated from this channel is shown below.

LEGO UGC from the customer community

Orelia

Jewellery brand Orelia invites and rewards UGC by offering a chance to win a £100 gift card to anyone who shares a selfie with their jewellery on Instagram. By incentivising brand love online, they broadcast their brand in an authentic, trustworthy way. Not only is it more likely potential customers will discover their brand when scrolling through photos of their friends on social media, it also floods Instagram with real pictures of the jewellery and its high quality. This e-commerce hack is especially useful since Covid, with reduced access to in-store shopping experiences and the lost validation of seeing what you’re buying in person. Orelia successfully harnesses the power of peer marketing and UGC.

Jewellery selfies for UGC

Starbucks

Starbucks’s White Cup Contest is a classic example of just how ingenious UGC can be. Inspired by the posts on social media of people’s doodles on their paper coffee cups, they launched the #WhiteCupContest. With 4,000 entries in just three weeks, the contest took off to huge popularity. The winning submission was selected and made into a reusable cup that could be bought by anyone. 

The winner, whose limited edition reusable cup was sold for a year after the competition, was given a $300 gift card. But, most importantly, she used the online momentum to start her own sticker business on Etsy that is still thriving today.

Starbucks associated their brand with creativity, expanded their presence beyond just the world of coffee, and showcased how important it is to observe the trends and behaviours of your consumers. The contest only arose because Starbucks paid attention to what its customers were already doing.

Starbucks white cup contest ugc

Walkers

The ‘Do us a Flavour’ campaign was brilliant for more than just its name. From Cheesy Beans on Toast to Chip Shop Chicken Curry, Walkers’s contest attracted over 1.2 million entries, which were whittled down to 6 finalists by a judging panel which included David Walliams and Marco Pierre White. 

Pulled Pork in Sticky BBQ Sauce was selected in top place, with winner Paul Rothwell receiving a million pound reward. The five runners up were awarded with £10,000 for their efforts – and their flavours were sold for a limited time in shops. 

Walkers’s campaign was impactful because it blended product innovation with the creativity of UGC to drive sales.

Walkers Do Us a Flavour UGC

Snug Sofa

A quick glance at Snug Sofa’s Instagram will reveal the extent to which they rely on UGC to fill their feed. With pictures borrowed from their customer’s home accounts, they both give back to their customers by promoting their Instagram pages and have ample access to content to keep users engaged. True symbiosis.

Snug Sofa Advocacy images

Citizens of Humanity 

Premium denim brand, Citizens of Humanity, made UGC into a powerful charity initiative with their #WEAREALLHUMANITY campaign. For every photo posted with this hashtag, $10 was donated to the UN refugee agency USA for UNHCR.

This campaign was a hit because it relied on people’s need to feel good about their purchases. This initiative highlighted the ‘Humanity’ ethos behind the brand, but also instilled consumers with a positive emotional association to purchasing from Citizens of Humanity – and promulgating their brand mission. To make someone feel they are affecting change in the world is more powerful than simply giving them the $10. 

When 72% of our insights community think that brands need to have a social purpose, Citizens of Humanity channeled the millennial and gen-z instinct to #bekind in their UGC.

Denim jeans from We Are Humanity

Monsoon

Monsoon introduced UGC to e-commerce in a new, dynamic way with #MyMonsoon.

Monsoon’s UGC initiative begins, as you might expect, on social media. However, the application of it is much more inventive. Monsoon makes UGC shoppable on their site by supporting their product descriptions and images with pictures of real people in the item being sold.

Monsoon user generated content on their e-commerce site

Fortnite

Gaming is all about UGC. From the YouTube community flooding the internet with tutorials, play throughs and reviews, to TikTok being inundated with dances, no game has been so rushed to eminence like Fortnite. From mods to cosplay to Twitch, Fortnite’s secret weapon is UGC – and its 350 million players is no coincidence.

For more information, download our webinar with L’Oréal UKI’s Helena Osborne to unlock even more UGC and advocacy advice.

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, 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

Alex Tasiopoulos
In Advertising, Brands, Bulbshare blog, Business, Influencer, Media

Forecasting the future of social media: why 77% of consumers believe brands should have online customer communities

Across social media, brands clamour for attention in a vast, dynamic space where the challenge of deciphering the ever-changing attitudes and trends of billions of users worldwide is one faced daily.

However, COVID has driven more people online than ever, and opportunity is ripe for brands to answer these hungry calls for connection. With people spending more time online and social media becoming a substitute for the interactions that were no longer possible in the pandemic, brands are discovering new ways of connecting with their audiences. 

As we slowly escape the pandemic, the future of social media and the role brands play in it is hazy. To help us decode the fickle nature of social media, we asked our global Bulbshare community. Here’s what our insight community have to say about how brands need to adapt to an evolving online landscape…

Brands are welcome! So long as they follow the rules…

First, some good news. 88% of Bulbshare users responded positively when asked if brands should use social media to establish a connection with customers. Whether users may actively follow brands or not, there is an expectation that brands will enter these online spaces. However, consumers do have certain lines that they expect brands not to cross. Among the most critical concerns cited by users was privacy. Brands are welcome so long as they respect users’ data and privacy. 

“I'm okay with it. Unless they ask for a lot of data.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 20 🇬🇧

“I do not want any information given to brands.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 69 🇬🇧

“It's okay so long as privacy is maintained.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 39 🇬🇧

Keep people up to date

Among some of the most popular reasons cited for following brands is a desire to stay updated on what’s new with the brands they love. For brands consumers already enjoy, following them on social media is an opportunity to be the first to know about new deals and offers, as well as being part of competitions and other brand initiatives. Unique interactions and exciting content from brands can be enjoyable for consumers and is important for building awareness, but when it really comes down to it, consumers often just want to be in the loop! 

"I feel much better since I can obtain information that I want on certain brands.”

Bulbshare user, Male, 25 🇺🇸

“I'm one of those people who love to be the first to try new products.”

Bulbshare user, Female, 46 🇬🇧

“I like to follow brands to get promotions, discounts, competitions and giveaways."

Bulbshare user, Male, 39 🇬🇧

Are influencers truly the answer?

Brands have often made influencers the focal point of their online strategies, but with only 8% of Bulbshare users reporting that they primarily follow influencers – whereas 12% primarily follow brands – it begs the question whether influencer marketing is the sole strategy for reaching audiences. Instead, 84% of our insight community preferred the recommendations of family and friends and 85% believed in the power of consumer advocacy. Word of mouth advocacy and customer communities, then, are the future of social media. Check out our blog on influencer marketing vs word of mouth for more.

Social purpose is key

It should come as no surprise that for consumers, social purpose is critical. Brand activism is important to the modern day consumer. And let it be noted that there can be consequences for brands who flout this unwritten mandate in the form of backlash and rejection.

To find out more about the importance of brand’s being involved in these conversations, read our blog with L’Oreal UK & Ireland on diversity and inclusion.

“I like to see they are doing something beneficial for the country and giving back to their customers when they’ve made profits."

Bulbshare user, Female, 50 🇺🇸

“I want them to promote their products as well as send out positive message to the society."

Bulbshare user, Female, 34 🇺🇸

“If companies behave irresponsibly I tend to unfollow them."

Bulbshare user, Male, 39 🇬🇧

Focus on building online communities

Ultimately, users seek online communities with brands more than just benign social media comms. While being on social media is valuable for a brand in increasing awareness and engagement, a holistic online marketing strategy is incomplete without engaging the consumer in an online customer community. In fact, 77% of respondents believe that all brands should have online customer communities going forward and 71% believe that the brands that do are better for it. 

For more information on the power of customer communities, head to our blog.

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, 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 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 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

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