Marketers Must Engage Consumers with the Right Message

BY Kathy Crosett
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As consumers begin to emerge from the negative impact of the most recent COVID-​19 variant, they’re ready to engage with each other, their favorite activities and brands. To make the best connections, marketers must engage consumers with the right message and the right media format. A November 2021 survey of around 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by Attest shows the mood of today’s consumers.

How to Engage Consumers with the Right Message

Consumers know all about advertising, and they don’t appreciate the hard sell. After nearly two years of bad news and worries, they are ready for change. The messages they hope to hear from marketers are:

Brands may feel they’ve been scolded by consumers for not using inclusive messaging. In this survey, only 18% of consumers listed that element as key for advertising. The rate was much higher for Gen Z consumers. Your clients should keep that detail in mind if they are targeting young consumers.

We’ve also heard consumers want to do business with marketers that take a stand on issues which matter to them. What are those issues? In this survey, poverty (36%,) racism (36%) and climate change (31%) came out at the top of the list.

With climate change likely to remain at the top of consumers’ concerns, your clients can emphasize the steps they’re taking in their marketing campaigns. For example, 25% of consumers plan to use less plastic, 21% will increase their consumption of plant-​based foods, and 34% hope to consume less in general. If your client has significantly reduced plastic packaging as part of a sustainability initiative, they should be promoting it.

Use the Right Ad Format to Connect with the Target Audience

Brands love email. It’s a less expensive form of outreach than other marketing formats. And if your client is using their in-​house list, they know they’re reaching a receptive audience. But could they be overdoing a good thing? Not all consumers are equally happy to see emails from their favorite brands on a daily basis. Overall, about 17% of consumers are okay with a daily email. However, 26% say they’re happy to get a weekly email. Researchers found that Gen Z consumers don’t love email. About 18% don’t want brands to reach out to them at all through email.

However, Gen Z has a dramatically different attitude about social media. 45% of these consumers “have connected” with a brand on TikTok. In the past year, the popularity of Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest have not enjoyed the surge of interest that TikTok has. Your clients should know over half of Gen Zers continue to use Instagram and YouTube. Nearly 60% of these consumers spend over three hours a day on social media. If your clients haven’t perfected their social media ad strategies, you can pitch them on your services.

On the other hand, while baby boomers use social media, 54% spend three hours a day in front of live TV programming. To understand which shows they prefer, check out the AudienceSCAN profiles in AdMall by SalesFuel. Millennials (43%) and Gen Z (44%) consumers are far more likely to watch three hours a day of streamed programming.

Growth Industries

Your clients can also increase their revenue by promoting products and services that connect to today’s hot sectors. Consumers received the important message about wellness during the pandemic. They continue to work out, either at home or at the gym. And they’re buying products to help them meet fitness goals. Consumers also invested in pets while they were in lockdown. As they return to work and spend more time away from home, they’ll be paying for pet services. And, as every pet owner knows, the trips to the vet and to the pet supply store are a must. Remind your clients to engage consumers with the right message, using the right media formats, and they’ll find success in 2022.

Photo by Tracy Le Blanc from Pexels


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