The Value of Warm and Fuzzies

The Value of Warm and Fuzzies

           Reading a lot of the consumer ‘research’ these days, you might draw the conclusion that branding is going the way of the dinosaur; that consumers only care about price and savings.
          But consider the following;
1.) Consumers are NOT fully aware of the complex mix of influences that consciously and subconsciously influence their value perceptions and purchase decisions.
2.) When asked in a ‘survey’, of course they’re going to focus on price….do you expect them to say, “I’d like to start paying more for everything”?
3.) What if the price offered by business ‘A’ is competitive with the price of business ‘B’? What’s the tie-breaker consumers’ decision-making process defaults to? 
          I would submit that in a fiercely competitive pricing environment, branding becomes the tie-breaker, making it more important than ever. It’s those ‘warm and fuzzies’ that can make the difference.
          Of course price is important today. And price comparisons are fast and easy to make by shopping or going online. It’s not rocket science for consumers to figure out which product or service is the cheapest.
          Going to the next level and searching for all of the value and benefits a business offers is more complex and takes time consumers generally do not have.
          That’s where branding kicks in. Over time your advertisers can talk about things like their good corporate citizenship, their ‘green’ attributes, warranties and service to build their brand. None of these are substitutes for competitive pricing, but all can be the tie-breaker in a competitive price environment.
          Are you defaulting to the easy, “we’re the cheapest” campaigns for your clients, or are you building their brands in between the price events?