YouGov-品牌的社交声音（英文）-2019.1-25页_1mb

Summary of "The Social Voice of Brands"

Core Content

This document explores how British and American consumers perceive brands expressing opinions on social and political issues. It uses YouGov data to analyze consumer attitudes, highlighting the importance of brand voice, the risks of controversy, and the effectiveness of communication strategies.

Main Findings

General Consumer Attitudes

• Brand Voice Importance: Over half of consumers in both the US and UK (58% in the US, 57% in the UK) believe that brands should have a point of view on social issues.
• Brand Purpose: A significant portion of consumers (18% in the US, 10% in the UK) believe that brands should reflect their personal values and stand for something.
• Boycotting Risk: About half of consumers in both countries say they would boycott a brand that expresses a view they disagree with.
• Loyalty to Brand Views: In the US, 24% of consumers say they will buy more from a brand if they agree with its stance, while in the UK, this number is lower at 20%.

Risk vs Reward

• Reactive Group: A large portion of consumers (39% in the US, 31% in the UK) are reactive, meaning they may boycott or buy more depending on the brand's stance.
• Indifferent Group: In the UK, 31% of consumers are indifferent to a brand's views, suggesting less influence from brand stances on purchasing decisions.
• No Upside Group: In the UK, 17% of consumers fall into the high-risk, low-reward category, where they are more likely to boycott than to support.

Industry-Specific Views

• Acceptable Issues for Brand Involvement: Both countries agree that human rights, education, and animal cruelty are the most acceptable issues for brands to comment on.
• Industry Differences: The US tends to see more support for brand involvement across all industries compared to the UK.

Brand Exploitation Perception

• Exploitation Belief: In both countries, a significant percentage of consumers (54% in the US, 57% in the UK) think brands are just exploiting social issues.
• Demographics: This group is more likely to be older, male, and hold conservative views in the US, while in the UK, it is also skewed towards older, male demographics.

Case Studies

• Paperchase and the Daily Mail: The brand faced backlash after pulling its ad campaign from the Daily Mail, highlighting the risk of misaligned brand values.
• Nike and Colin Kaepernick: Nike's campaign with Kaepernick was well-received by US consumers, indicating a strong alignment with social values.
• New Balance's Political Tweet: A tweet supporting President Trump led to a drop in positive buzz among liberal consumers, showing the potential impact of political stances.

Key Insights

• Brands need to understand their audience's values and beliefs before taking a stand on social issues.
• Authenticity and honesty are more valued by consumers than being clever or serious.
• The US consumer base is more likely to be influenced by brand stances, whereas the UK consumer base is more indifferent or resistant to brand activism.
• The perception of brands as exploiting social issues is widespread, but varies by country and demographic.
• Certain industries are more accepted in expressing views on social issues than others.

Recommendations

• Brands should align their social stances with their core values and the values of their target audience.
• Communication should be transparent and genuine, avoiding perceived exploitation.
• Brands should consider the potential for backlash and the likelihood of consumer support before engaging in social or political commentary.

Conclusion

The document concludes that while a significant portion of consumers in the US and UK support brands taking a stand on social issues, the perception of exploitation and the risk of backlash remain substantial. Brands must be authentic, understand their audience, and carefully weigh the potential rewards against the risks when engaging in social commentary.

About the Data

• The data is sourced from YouGov's Plan & Track and Omnibus services, which provide detailed audience segmentation and brand tracking.
• The study covers a large sample size, including over 220,000 US and 300,000 UK YouGov panellists, offering insights into consumer behavior across different demographics and industries.