No. 1 dealbreaker that causes most people to ‘break up’ with their favorite brand

A whopping 54% of consumers would stop using a brand after just one bad experience, with millennials in the majority (57%).

A recent poll of 2,000 U.S. adults found inconsistent or obsolete online product information to be the No. 1 dealbreaker (24%) for consumers to “break up” with a brand they use.

However, half (51%) also said a great online or social media experience, such as fast replies to their questions, funny posts, and detailed how-to videos, would convince them to give the brand another try.

Two-thirds (67%) said they would be willing to switch brands if their initial experience with a new one is a cut above in a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Propel Software.

In fact, 58% have recently switched from a brand they used to love to its competitor. Almost half (47%) said they were enticed by an enhanced product experience, such as the availability of accessories, an online community, or how-to videos.

Of the items people were most willing to switch brands on, smartphones topped the list at 37%, TVs and kitchen appliances were second with 36% each and cars third at 35%.

Forty-seven percent of consumers were drawn in by the competitor brand taking a similar stance on issues that are meaningful to them, such as workforce diversity or environmental compliance.

“Our results show an increasing need for more brands to understand the customer experience isn't limited to the point of purchase,” said Ray Hein, CEO of Propel Software. “Two-thirds of consumers now expect brands to engage with them well after the sale, anticipate their needs, and rectify bad experiences quickly. Companies that get this right are on the fast track to gain and retain more customers than their slower competitors.”

Most respondents associate an enhanced brand experience with high quality (42%), affordability (39%) and innovation (36%). But are brands delivering on these promises?
Among a list of well-known brands, Apple was the most associated with superior quality (26%), Amazon with affordability (41%) and Google with innovation (42%).

“Unsurprisingly, 63% of consumers said the pandemic has greatly altered their expectations when purchasing products. Brands need to become better listeners, reevaluating how they develop their products based on consumers’ needs, from finding innovative ways to increase affordability to offering subscription-based add-ons,” Hein added.

The survey also revealed seven in 10 (69%) remain loyal to the brands they used growing up.

People’s favorite brands that often carry into adulthood, include kitchen appliances (65%), recreational products such as sporting goods or camping gear (63%), electronics (60%) and office or school supplies (51%).

People listen to their spouses more than anything else when it comes to what brands are good (39%), beating out third-party reviewers (31%), celebrities (30%) and influencers (29%).

Recent changes in brand loyalty were most common for office or school supplies (53%), packaged goods such as soda, snacks, or cereal (52%) and recreational products (52%).

Some are willing to go the extra mile for a lifetime supply of their favorite brand’s products or services.

Forty percent said they would give up social media for a month, 39% would endure household chores for a year and 36% would literally run a marathon. A third would even shave off all their hair or break up with a romantic partner.

Even though people love their favorite brands, that doesn’t mean they won’t consider competitors, especially if they turn out to be better listeners.

PR STUNTS THAT WOULD EARN LIFELONG BRAND LOYALTY

• “A brand that remembers my birthday, has a customer care representative that knows me by name and gives me customized products.”
• “I appreciate it when a company makes a large charitable contribution with every purchase.”
• “If they promise to give a premium service that is only accessible for a few people for the rest of their life to test every of their new products 2 months before it is released.”
• “Availability of detailed product information.”
• “Being swift to make changes when complaints are made.”
• “Double my money back if the product fails to work as advertised.”
• “Supporting the community and people around it.”