••• brand research
Moved by Apple – and Walmart?
The 25 most inspiring companies of 2012
Atlanta research company Performance Inspired Inc. has released the results of its 2012 Most Inspiring Companies survey, a consumer-centric read on the perceptions of leading organizations. An inspiring company was framed for respondents as: affirming (causes me to feel valued, appreciated as an individual), credible (stands on its principles no matter what), servant attitude (seems to genuinely care about people’s needs above profit), visionary (has a compelling vision for making the world a better place), story (is easy and fun to talk about with friends), progressing (is highly innovative and causes me to feel empowered to reach new potential) and authentic (is transparent and consistent in its actions).
Apple topped the list for the second year in a row, followed by Walmart, Target, Google and Microsoft. Some consumer comments on what makes Apple so inspiring include, “Apple makes me feel more creative” and “Apple makes me feel entrepreneurial.” Words to describe this company and others ranked high on the list included friendly, innovative and easy (to use, work with, etc.).
Respondents were also inspired by Apple’s ability to continue to innovate even without Steve Jobs at the helm. Perhaps more interesting, language over the last three years has dramatically shifted from talking about Apple as “they” to Apple as “we.” Apple has done what very few tech companies have been able to do, tying imaginative innovation with warm and passionate human interaction.
Fifty-four percent of respondents think about their most inspiring company at least weekly and 28 percent actually talk positively about their most inspiring company every week. Twenty-nine percent of respondents think and/or talk about that company daily.
Inspiring brands meet the noble emotional aspirations of customers. Some examples are: Apple: “They inspire me to be my best.” Target: “I know and love the people who work there.” Starbucks: “It’s the best part of my day. They make me feel special.” Walmart: “Every time I walk in I feel welcome and important.”
A most inspiring brand also appears to have the capacity to go wider on its product portfolio. Respondents seem to assume a quality product but they are more appreciative of the inspiring experience that had. For example, of all the reasons why people gave for Chick-fil-A being their most inspiring company, nothing was ever mentioned about how good the food was but rather about the way they made respondents feel important. This suggests that a company is better served to focus on the experience versus just the product and process.
Corporate social responsibility is driving an inspirational perception, especially when the contribution was given for local impact. Walmart, Target, McDonald’s and Starbucks topped the list in that order for contributing the most to their local communities.
This was the first year respondents were asked to identify themselves as a present or former employee of the companies they mentioned. Twelve percent of respondents met that criteria, making it possible to see the link between an inspiring employee culture and an inspiring customer culture. The companies represented by these employees were Chick-fil-A, Whole Foods, Costco and Apple. Several respondents actually commented how much they are inspired based on how a company treats employees. The No. 1 word used to describe an uninspiring company was “rude.”
For the first time this year, the survey asked respondents: “Who is most likely to make the world a better place: business, charities, church/synagogue or government?” Thirty-nine percent of people said charities, 39 percent said business and 22 percent said church/synagogue. Zero respondents gave their confidence to government in helping to make the world a better place.
The companies that round out the top of this year’s 25 most inspiring companies are:
- Apple
- Walmart
- Target
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- Chick-fil-A
- Starbucks
- McDonald’s
- Coca-Cola
- Macy’s
- Costco
- Nike
- Disney
- Kohl’s
- Ford
- The Home Depot
- TOMS
- JCPenney
- Whole Foods Market
- Best Buy
- Johnson & Johnson
- Goodwill
- Trader Joe’s
- Pepsi
••• automotive research
Deciding before the dealership
Online research via various devices shapes car-buying process
Influenced by the phenomenal growth of accessing the Internet via mobile devices, tablets and smartphones are being used by one-fifth of new-vehicle buyers who use the Internet in the automotive shopping process, according to a study from J.D. Power and Associates, a Westlake Village, Calif., research company.
The 2012 New Autoshopper Study analyzes how new-vehicle buyers use digital devices (i.e., computers, smartphones and tablets) and which Web sites and apps are used to gather information prior to purchase. Overall, 79 percent of new-vehicle buyers use the Internet (also referred to as automotive Internet users or AIUs) to research their vehicle purchase.
While almost all (99 percent) AIUs use a desktop/laptop computer at some point in their shopping process, nearly 30 percent use multiple devices, including desktops, smartphones and/or tablets. Twenty percent of AIUs use a smartphone to gather information while shopping for a new vehicle and 18 percent use a tablet.
The majority of shopping among AIUs still occurs at home. However, tablets are not as mobile as they may seem. Most AIUs who use a tablet for shopping do so at home, while those who use a smartphone are more likely than tablet users to do so outside of the home, as smartphones are always within reach. Among AIUs who use a smartphone, 59 percent do so at the dealership, accessing vehicle pricing, model and inventory information, as well as comparing vehicles.
“This interplay between the dealership experience and digital information has become more intertwined with the availability of shopping content on mobile devices,” says Arianne Walker, senior director, automotive media and marketing solutions, at J.D. Power and Associates. “Now that buyers can easily access information right from their pockets, it is essential that the dealer body is as well-versed as the shoppers in order to provide consistent information both online and in the dealership.”
Buyers go online nearly as soon as they decide to buy a new vehicle and 59 percent of AIUs narrow their consideration list to one model during the final week before the actual purchase. With such a high volume of buyers deciding on the model of purchase so close to the actual time of the sale, the digital experience and dealer interaction are more important than ever.
The vast majority (98 percent) of AIUs visit manufacturer Web sites during their shopping process, followed by third-party Web sites (81 percent), dealer Web sites (73 percent) and social media sites (5 percent). AIUs rely heavily on manufacturer Web sites for researching specific models and utilizing build tools, while they more frequently rely on third-party sites for comparing vehicles, reading vehicle ratings and reviews and learning about vehicle trade-in values. AIUs use dealer sites primarily for inventory and dealer-specific information, such as directions/location, hours and contact information.
Digital automotive research continues to have the most impact on brand and model selection, followed by price, which is relatively unchanged from four years ago. As a result of having product information accessible through Web sites and apps, new-vehicle buyers have more tools to help define their consideration set. Although mobile apps are still used by a minority of AIUs, the same shopping tools are being used across the two types of digital properties, albeit at different rates.
www.jdpower.com
••• social media research
What motivates a Like?
Facebook users appreciate tangible and intangible benefits
Five years ago, the term “like” was just another word used to describe one’s preferences. In today’s digital universe, Liking is one of the primary ways people exert their tastes and preferences online and it has created a new type of conversation between consumers and brands. Eighty-seven percent of Facebook users say they Like brands on Facebook and among them, 50 percent say a brand’s Facebook page is more useful than its Web site, according to a study from Chicago research company Lab42.
Among those who Like brands on Facebook, 82 percent say Facebook is a good place to interact with brands; 75 percent feel more connected to brands; and 69 percent have Liked a brand because a friend has done so. Unfortunately, among the 82 percent who say Facebook is a good place to interact with brands, only 35 percent believe brands listen to them
When Liking brands on Facebook, most people want something in return, such as promotions and discounts (34 percent) and giveaways (21 percent). Fourteen percent of social media users who Like brand pages say they do so out of loyalty to the brand. The top three ways consumers interact with brands on Facebook are by printing coupons, Liking a comment on a brand page or learning about new products.
Over three-quarters of social media users who have Liked a brand on Facebook have saved money after doing so, with 66 percent saving $20 or more in the previous year and 17 percent saving $100 or more. Nearly one-half of social media users have Liked a brand without ever intending to buy from it. Among those 46 percent, more than one-half say they were motivated to Like the brand by a freebie and 46 percent simply wanted to associate with the brand, even though they couldn’t afford the brand’s products.
Seventy-three percent of social media users have un-Liked a brand, citing a high frequency of brand posts, no longer liking the brand or a bad customer experience as reasons for doing so. Among those social media users who don’t Like brands on Facebook, 47 percent cite News Feed clutter as a key reason, one-third don’t want to be contacted by brands and 30 percent avoid Liking brands because of privacy concerns.
www.lab42.com
••• financial services
Ambivalent about banking
Customer loyalty increases but majority remain underwhelmed
While a few U.S. banks have won over their customers with excellent service and benefits, others are in imminent danger of losing up to one-third of their consumer clients, according to a study from Nuremberg, Germany, research company The GfK Group.
The study, which covered 10 major U.S. banks, revealed that USAA and Citizens Bank showed the highest year-over-year increase in overall customer loyalty (LoyaltyPlus) scores, with gains of six points and three points, respectively. Overall, four of the banks studied registered loyalty scores at or above the average of 79 points.
The LoyaltyPlus analysis takes into account current and intended behavior (i.e., likelihood to recommend, plans for future use, etc.), as well as emotional and rational ties. The study also looked at four key segments of customers in terms of their loyalty: Loyal Advocates, Hostages (troubled by sources of dissatisfaction), Ambivalent (generally satisfied but still at risk of being lured away) and Exit Bound.
In general, all four segments have been stable year to year, with a slight increase in Loyal Advocates. Close to half (46 percent) of all banking customers are in the Ambivalent category – about double the percentage of Loyal Advocates (25 percent). USAA (62 percent) and Sun Trust (30 percent) ranked highest in Loyal Advocates but 18 percent of all bank customers are Exit Bound, with eight of 10 banks scoring at or above the average. In two cases, roughly one-third of the bank’s customers are strongly dissatisfied and very likely to switch institutions.
The research also found that 29 percent of bank customers who own a wireless handheld device have downloaded an app from their primary bank and that 62 percent of this group use the app at least weekly.
www.gfk.com
••• health care research
Love the doctor, hate the system
Consumers pessimistic about health care but fond of physicians
Seventy-nine percent of consumers who visited their family doctor or primary care physician (PCP) at least once in the past year said they were very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the visits, according to a survey conducted by Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive on behalf of The Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit organization.
Survey respondents, who visited their doctors an average of 3.5 times in a 12-month period, cited factors related to personalized care, time spent with their doctors and empathy as the main drivers for overall satisfaction. Specifically, respondents made such statements as “s/he cares about my health” and “s/he takes time to listen to me and address my concerns.”
Similarly, physicians also expressed the critical importance of the physician-patient relationship, with 80 percent of physicians indicating that the patient relationships are the No. 1 most satisfying aspect of practicing medicine, according to a separate Foundation study of U.S. physicians.
Despite the high level of satisfaction with their physicians, consumers are considerably more pessimistic about the direction of health care. A majority of respondents (53 percent) are negative about the future of health care in the U.S., compared to 22 percent who are positive. This level of pessimism is consistent across demographics but is particularly noticeable among females (53 percent negative vs. 19 percent positive) and those ages 55+ (60 percent negative vs. 22 percent positive).
Consumers are also pessimistic about insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Approximately three-quarters of respondents who have a family doctor or PCP said that insurance companies and pharmaceutical/drug companies are very or completely responsible for rising health care costs and 55 percent feel the insurance companies are negatively impacting the quality of care.
Other leading factors consumers contributed to rising health care costs include people’s failure to take responsibility for their health (64 percent) and the cost of malpractice insurance (62 percent).
www.physiciansfoundation.org