DIGITAL
If consumers are demanding integrity and authenticity, brands should not rely on influencer marketing alone to engage their valuable customer base. Distrust of influencers’ motives for recommending particular brands or products is driving consumers to do their own due diligence on where to shop.
FAKE VIEWS: FRAUDULENT CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS Even if the face behind a product is instantly recognisable, all may not be as it seems. Recently, big name celebrities, such as Robbie Williams, Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughby, have taken steps to fight against online advertising scams. Teir faces and names have been superimposed onto fraudulent adverts, often in a highly sophisticated and convincing manner.
When high-profile cases like these make the news, consumers begin to question the legitimacy of celebrity endorsements in general. Tis presents new challenges for brands, as the so-called influencer seal of approval can actively turn consumers off an advertising campaign.
Te study found that even among the ‘digital generation’ of 18-24-year-olds, influencers and celebrity endorsements only make their mark on 12 per cent of consumers, with the percentage sharply declining further with age. Concerns about Instagram and TikTok influencers promoting fake brands – unwittingly or otherwise – could also be driving young consumers to switch off on influencer marketing.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE THE TRUE INFLUENCERS Shoppers are significantly more likely to trust their peers, family, and friends for advice when making a purchasing decision. In addition, well-known department stores retain the highest levels of trust (90 per cent) among consumers, followed closely by brand stores (87 per cent) and a brand owner’s website (83 per cent). Tis highlights the crucial role familiarity and trust play in building and strengthening consumer-brand relationships.
71 per cent of consumers rate customer reviews as an effective trust signal, while 72 per cent have confidence in endorsements from family and
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friends. At a time when many brands are turning to online influencers to add sparkle to their marketing campaigns, these figures suggest their efforts would be better invested in more authentic and credible consumer experiences and ensuring that genuine customer reviews are easily available for consumers to find. Tis could entail partnering with an expert third-party in the consumer review space to offer an additional mark of integrity to reviews.
THE PERSONAL TOUCH When it comes to building consumer trust, brands need to look beyond the quality and price of their products as drivers for this. Te report found that almost four in five consumers (79 per cent) are more likely to shop with a brand that shares their personal beliefs. Shoppers are implicitly expecting the brands they favour to align with their own core values.
What are these values? 87 per cent of consumers base purchasing decisions on a brand’s treatment of its employees, while nearly a fifth (18 per cent) believe that demonstrating a transparent and ethical supply chain is the most effective way for brands to build trust. To maintain this consumer trust, brands must find ways to demonstrate that they are serious about their social corporate responsibility and sustainability practices. A crucial element of this will be in open and transparent communications about supply chains and processes, with today’s savvy shopper no longer always taken in by blatant ‘green-washing’.
It's clear that while influencers still have a place in the marketing landscape, consumer trust and loyalty is now shaped by more fundamental factors. Brands must be proactive in ensuring customers have a strong personal awareness of their official channels. Tis is especially true for social media: brands need to take responsibility for making it a safer channel for consumers to use.
Building consumer trust takes time and dedication. Enlisting the services of a brand protection partner is the first step to ensuring authentic brand experiences for customers. Te right fully integrated, end-to-end solution will safeguard a brand’s reputation and revenue by providing robust protection from the threat of counterfeiting.
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