Consumers Want Brands to Listen (More)

“Active listening” can help companies better engage with consumers in today’s fragmented world, a new survey by Ruder Finn (New York) has found. Called “Collaboration & Consensus: Do Consumers Feel Heard?”, the study looked into whether shoppers felt listened to by brands, and how much consumers wanted to hear from brands on public issues.

Key findings include:

 * Consumers want to be heard: Most consumers (57 percent) actively engage with brands either through online commenting or direct outreach.

* Engagement breeds positivity: Consumers are four times more likely to express positive feedback than negative and seven times more likely to feel more positive about a brand after engaging with them.

* People want brands to show that they’re listening: 93 percent of consumers believe that brands should react to public opinion.

* Listening doesn’t mean agreeing: 43 percent of consumers would feel that a brand listens to them, even if the brand took an opposing stance on a public issue, as long as the company demonstrated that it heard their point of view.

“The results of our survey indicate the importance of an empathetic leadership style that demonstrates listening when engaging today’s consumer,” said Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, a communications agency. “This research also found that leaders and companies need not take sides on polarizing public issues, but suggests they should allow discourse between all voices, honoring both negative and positive views. It’s more important to show that you’re listening than it is to speak out. This has significant implications for today’s leadership style and determining how leaders engage with groups with different opinions.”

The survey’s sample consisted of 1,000 U.S. consumers ages 16 and above, who were surveyed during December 2022. The survey was conducted and analyzed in collaboration with Full Spectrum Insights, with the sample procured using the Pollfish survey delivery platform.

The survey sample was screened based on whether the respondent had engaged with any brands in the last six months, with a qualified engagement considered to be any of the following actions:

* Writing an online review.

* Contacting/reaching out to a brand.

* Boycotting a brand.

Click here for more on the survey.