Thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, we’ve seen evidence of shoppers trying to reduce their household bills by taking all sorts of action. It seems that supermarket swaps are prime real estate for saving some pennies, with own-brand ranges now holding a record 51.6% of the market. 

So far in our blog series, we’ve talked about consumers being on a voyage of discovery. How they’ll switch a habitual product purchase out for something new that delivers either tangible or perceived additional value to their usual choice. Of course, not all brands lose their appeal – some big household names are very much retaining the hold on their army of unwavering loyalists, no matter how expensive their products are in comparison. 

“There are no strangers here: only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats 

This month we’re taking the concept of discovery one step further. It’s all well and good that consumers are finally giving new brands and own brands a chance, but how do we get them to pick a new favourite?  

In most FMCG cases, customers prefer to be habitual. It takes the ‘thinking’ out of the equation which allows their brainpower to be used on better things. Therefore, let’s take a look at the scenario that happens when a customer is looking to permanently replace a product, and explore how to make it yours that they crown as their new favourite. This model assumes that your product does do what it says on the tin, or tastes as good as it looks. 

We’re going to use an analogy around the fact that all of your friends were strangers to you once. You’ll have gone through a process of sorts to determine whether you would start or respond to an initial interaction. You’d have very quickly worked out within a few minutes whether this person was someone you’d be compatible with. 

Applying this logic to shopper behaviour, we can learn some lessons. By understanding the answers to each of the below questions, the chances are that your brand could be the one that a consumer might trial. 

Step one 

The first step to assessing whether a person (or in your case, a product!) is friend-material is all about the aesthetics.  

• Do you look approachable?
• Are you eye-catching?
• Are you relatable? 

Whilst it seems a bit judgemental to look at a fellow human in this way, it’s a subconscious process that we follow every time. And it’s something that we do even more so when looking at a shelf full of products. Consider how your branding, packaging and general presentation compares to your competitors. Are you standing out from the crowd in an appealing way?  

Step two 

Ok, you’ve got the shopper’s attention and they’re looking right at you. What can you say to give them some confidence? Ask yourself: 

• What do you know about this person's needs?
• What do they want (from your product)?
• What are their priorities?

Think about the way you can communicate your answers to this prospective new ‘friend’. Is on-pack enough? Do you need some additional marketing activity in the store? Or online? 

Step three 

Consider how you compare to your competition from a value-based perspective. Look at practicalities such as price, weight or size, and durability. If you’re not ‘winning’ in any of those categories, think about how else you can pitch yourself as ‘better’ than the rest.  

• Can you offer a try-before-you-buy experience?
• Can you use things that other people have said about you to make your case?
• Is there a legitimate 'reason' that you are the superior choice? (tread carefully with this one, being too confident/sassy/arrogant may have the opposite effect!)

Step four 

So, let’s say this shopper has agreed to trial a friendship with you. It’s now that you’ll need to remain authentic to those first impressions you’ve just aced. Then, in order to actually solidify this new relationship, you’ll have to keep fulfilling on these qualities you’ve presented.  

Finally, don’t put the upkeep on them. Make sure that you are playing your part too:  

• Offer a way to stay in touch regularly across a range of communication channels.
• Listen when your new friend has something to say. And take it seriously.
• Find subtle ways to remind your new friend why you're their favourite.
• Anticipate behavioural and situational changes that could affect your relationship and consider how to combat these.  

The crux of your future with this person will come down to whether you can consistently meet their needs, be those functional or emotional (or both!). If you can do this, then your perceived value will far outweigh those brands who are solely relying on the race to the bottom. And who knows, if you do it well enough, perhaps you too could create a customer base of loyalists who will name you as the brand that they’d never give up.