The Power of Understanding: Using Consumer Behavior and Psychographics to Forge Brand Affinity

In today’s world, creating impactful campaigns isn’t just about reaching an audience, it’s about making a personal connection with the right people. Gone are the days where a single idea can effectively communicate across every platform. In a digitally-driven world, creating customized experiences that tap into the psychographics of target audiences has a direct correlation to the effectiveness of a campaign. Hit the emotional side of a consumer and recall, frequency, etc., become easier to achieve. Without that consideration, marketing becomes a game of who can spend the most – and most brands don’t have that capability.

Start with “why?” Why would someone want a product or service? Why are the product or service even relevant to them? Why would they start looking for it in the first place?

When we look at consumer segmentation, we aim to take affinity to another level. We know that certain people index higher or lower than others in specific categories, but the why doesn’t always reveal itself this this data. Defining those individuals and coloring in the other aspects of their lives gives us an idea of how interconnected their decision-making is. Persona development should be deep in achieve that understanding.

For example, at Agency Squid we do a lot of work in the consumer goods space. Take functional beverages as an example. Recently we were asked by a client to bring a new brand to market that would compete with Olipop and Poppi, the leaders in the functional soda space. For that new brand to win, we looked at the emotional connection consumers have to the category. Health and wellness decisions often are emotionally charged and complex. There’s consideration for ingredients, how the product will make someone feel, how the brand is portraying its target audiences, what the consumer is trying to solve for in the moment, and what they’re looking to solve for in the future. This emotional framework that goes into choosing a “better for you” option helped us frame up exactly who are target audiences were, and why they look for these types of functional products in the first place.

This is just one example of how breaking down the emotion behind decision making can help create a framework for the brand.

Consumer behavior encompasses the actions and decision-making processes that people go through when considering, purchasing, and using products or services. It's crucial for marketers to understand these behaviors to create compelling campaigns.

Segmentation: The world is more complex than ever. Consumer interest and behavior has become even more niche, that without an understanding of who they are, what they do, and what they like, campaigns can fall flat on their face. Defining audience breakouts beyond interests and affinities help brands get to the core of what makes a person tick. From there, developing effective messaging that punctuates what is important product functionality, as well as what is emotionally engaging for each segment will help drive trial.

Personalization: Gone are the days where a single creative output can be effectively applied across all platforms and audiences. Personalization is key to driving recall and brand affinity. As creative is planned, it needs to do so with flexibility, addressing each audience as if the brand is speaking directly to them. While it might seem like overkill and unnecessary to some marketers, those little tweaks add up quickly to developing advocates and engaging consumers.

Consumer Journey Mapping: We believe engaging a potential consumer respectful of their natural daily routine rather than disrupting that rhythm is most effective. Therefore, understanding this behavior when defining their persona informs ideal communication opportunities.

When the upfront work is done correctly the rest falls into place a lot easier. It’s up to the brand to find appropriate and interesting ways to keep their story going and do so in a way that feels unique to each audience segment. Value structure, brand identity, customization all play a role in carrying that message to the audiences we reach.

In today's marketing landscape, success hinges on the ability to connect with consumers on a personal level. By understanding consumer behavior and psychographic traits, we can create marketing campaigns that not only reach your audience but also forge deep brand affinity. This connection fosters trust, loyalty, and advocacy, ensuring that your brand stands out in a crowded marketplace and leaves a lasting impact on your target audience.