Sitecore: Italian consumers ask for authenticity and empathy
Sitecore
In the last two years, consumers have profoundly changed their purchasing habits, initially driven by the state of emergency, to then benefit from the availability of new digital channels and transform their customer experience, making it more authentic and personal.However, only six out of ten consumers in Italy report that their relationship with a brand has been enriched as a result of online experiences over the last year (percentage that rises slightly for young people aged 18 to 44).
This is what emerges from the new Sitecore Brand Authenticity report promoted by Sitecore, a leading provider in the field of end-to-end digital experience, which with the support of Advanis interviewed over 1,000 people in our country to understand what the evolution of the relationship that binds consumers to brands in the post-pandemic era.
But also what are the new needs and future expectations and how to boost brand loyalty and further improve the customer experience. | ); }
The percentages relating to Italian consumers, when it comes to the willingness to be represented by a brand through a common language and imagination or a greater understanding of the principles that guide the shopping experience, are very high, in particular among the interviewees in the 18-44 age group.
The need for greater empathy and communication for consumers has deep roots and arises from the desire to be represented by the brands from which they are purchased.
79% of Italian consumers believe, for example, that it is important that the brands they choose demonstrate to concretely support and not only verbally the causes embraced by their consumers and 82% of Italian consumers add that brands should make a conscious effort to ensure that its customers feel represented in marketing and communications.
Following also the changes in purchasing habits, today the brands towards which Italians show greater loyalty are consumer goods, electronics and products related to health and well-being.
Unlike consumers in many other countries, Italians show that they appreciate equally digital and in-store purchase. However, those who choose to transform their shopping experience into a totally digital one declare that the latter must be of the highest level, especially from mobile (50% say that this is decisive for the digital shopping experience.)
"Brand loyalty has been severely tested in the last two years, which is why the values that consumers today place at the basis of their experience are stronger and more differentiating than in the pre-pandemic period", comments Federico Tota, Regional Vice President of Sitecore.
"Today, to increase the trust and engagement of buyers, companies must adopt a new approach and improve the customer experience by placing empathy and transparency at the center in order to create deeper and more personal relationships with their consumers ".
" Our research confirms that the main challenge that companies will have to face in the coming years will certainly be knowing how to adapt to evolution of the relationship that different generations of consumers have with brands ", concludes Federico Tota.
" To convey a relevant message to the entire public, they will have to adopt diversified marketing strategies and create new strong and personalized digital experiences . Sitecore will support them in building ever more lasting relationships with their customers and in shaping their business in the light of these new opportunities ".
New Sitecore report highlights need for brands to enhance digital experiences
Dubai, UAE – Amid the challenges of the past two years, consumers in the Middle East have increasingly turned to digital channels to purchase goods and services, but for 63% of them the digital experience has not yet matched the satisfaction of shopping in person, according to a new report from Sitecore®, a global leader in end-to-end digital experience software.
The regional survey was commissioned as part of Sitecore’s global research to assess what an authentic transparent brand looks like today; to investigate what factors influence customer loyalty; and to identify the best and worst digital practices, among other factors.
“Brand loyalty has been put to the test since the onset of the pandemic, but compared to many other countries, consumers in the Middle East have tended to remain loyal to brands and also to their shopping habits,” says Sitecore’s Mohammed Alkhotani, Area Vice President – Middle East and North Africa. “While we have seen an increase in online shopping, it is notable that the majority of people in this region, regardless of age, prefer the experience of in-person shopping. This highlights the challenge for brands to elevate the online experience across all of the customer touch points to replicate the excitement and satisfaction of the instore experience.”
Reviewing purchase habits in 2022, the survey found 50% of consumers had used a mobile device to buy goods, and that three in five ranked improvements to mobile shopping as the most important way a brand could enhance the shopping experience. In this regard, the functionality of websites and apps on mobile devices was viewed as more important than effective personalization or exclusive shopping experiences.
Responding to questions on how online shopping in general had changed after the pandemic, consumers reported that payment processing, page speed, and simplification of the purchasing process had seen the most improvement. At the lower end of the scale, fewer people reported improvements in managing the supply of stock, accurate delivery estimates, and the quality of online chat. Interestingly, 7% of respondents believed the quality of online chat had actually decreased over the past two years
Turning to brand loyalty, the survey found three out of four Middle East consumers were loyal to their favorite brand, with consumer goods, consumer technology, and health and wellness engendering the most brand loyalty. Furthermore, over half of consumers (53%) have returned to a brand after a poor service experience drove them away, with the most common reasons for returning being good service (59%), lower price (46%), the brand taking steps to rectify the issue (35%), and convenience (33%).
With inflation escalating globally, regional businesses will also be heartened to learn that 61% of consumers rate quality and 48% rate transparency and believability as more important than price. However, cost is still an essential consideration as consumers claim that discounts and clear communication are highly valued when brands must change prices. A hefty 93% said it was important for brands to be able to explain or be transparent about price increases. Interestingly, 62% are willing to pay more if that meant that staff are being well paid.
Middle Eastern consumers also have strong opinions about how brands can improve loyalty dynamics. Nine in 10 say brands need to prove that they treat their customers and their employees fairly. The same proportion of people agree that brands should make a conscious effort to ensure their customers feel represented in their marketing and communications. In addition, 85% agree that it is important for brands they do business with to show how they are supporting causes they care about, and not just to say they care.
TRENDS EMERGING FROM THE SURVEY
Consumers want brands to ‘meet the moment’ throughout the buying experience
Over half of the respondents want brands to demonstrate empathy through actions. Initial interactions are deemed ‘very important’ to 66% of customers and this is where brands can demonstrate immediately that they can get important moments ‘right’. Similarly, customer service and support interactions are deemed ‘very important’ for 68% of respondents. In this regard, 86% say they will be more loyal to a brand with customer service agents who have autonomy to solve their problem rather than just following a script.
One-size-fits-all customer experiences set brands up for failure
When it comes to digital experience in particular, the report found that online interactions play a powerful role in driving personal connections, with 78% of respondents wanting brands to connect with them on a personal level. To continue improving the ecommerce experience, brands must keep in mind the variety of preferences from all consumers and create a customized experience that can work for each customer.
Commenting on this aspect, Alkhotani points out that Sitecore offers retailers a cloud-based, composable digital experience platform that enables them to make deep digital connections with their customers. Owing to the composability, retailers can enhance their existing digital platforms or build entirely new ones at their own pace. The Sitecore solutions aim to make the integration of customer experience into every digital brand touch point simple and seamless. Examples include personalization tools to offer a service tailored to individual customers based on their needs and wants, and an integrated commerce system built to simplify the payment process.
They survey also found shopping channel preferences remain fairly split as 30% claim to be digital-only shoppers, and 63% say they live for the experience of in-store shopping. This means that brands must enhance the customer experience across every channel to support every type of shopper.
In assessing brand loyalty, a different approach could be seen among age groups. Those aged under 44 value innovativeness, while those aged 45 and above value reliability more, although both agree on high quality being the most important attribute.
People living in the Middle East are looking for brands that represent their values
It is important for brands to use imagery and language to represent the audience, with 90% of respondents agreeing that brands should make a conscious effort to ensure their customers feel represented in their marketing and communications. Almost half of the consumers say they have chosen to shop at brands with ‘real life’ versus ‘perfect life’ experiences, while 4 in 10 say they chose to shop for brands with values that align with their own. However, fewer customers have taken the time to research this information – relying instead on information they receive passively or from the brand itself.
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About Sitecore's Brand Authenticity Report
Sitecore commissioned Advanis to conduct a survey among consumers in the Middle East reflecting on new shopper behaviors and the ways that brands can enhance the digital experience to align. The study polled 1,006 consumers [462 in Saudi Arabia and 544 UAE] by asking them to complete a survey between April 25, 2022, to May 3, 2022. Consumer data was weighted to reflect the general population (age/gender/country).
