4 in 10 Consumers Go Out of Their Way to Talk About the Brands They Like

Crowd Science has released its newest findings on the topic of consumer attitudes and brand loyalty. The company's latest JustAsk! survey research reveals demographic & psychographic insights about how consumers feel about the brands they use, their likelihood to try new brands,and their propensity to stick with or recommend brands to others.

Gen-X Most Influential on Brand Opinion

Four-in-ten adults voluntarily share brand preferences and opinions with friends and family. Those ages 30 to 49 are the most influential in sharing brand opinions, with 50% of them providing recommendations and sharing preferences with people they know, compared to 42% of those under thirty and 40% of those over fifty. Similarly, among those aged 30 to 49, over one-quarter (27%) are sought by others to provide their opinions on brands; versus 22% of those under thirty and 16% of those over age fifty.

Consumers with higher incomes also show more influence when it comes to evangelizing brands. Almost one-half of households (47%) earning more than $50k a year agree they often tell friends and family about brands that they like or dislike -- 5 percentage points higher than those earning less than $50k. Over one-quarter of those with incomes of more than $100k (28%) agreed with the statement "People regularly ask my opinion about brands", 10 percentage points higher than those who earn less than $50k, and 5 percentage points less than those earning $50k to $90k.

Brands & Social Media

Respondents were asked if they regularly follow brands on social media. Overall, just 8% of respondents indicate they do. However, using social media to follow favorite brands is slightly more popular for younger age groups, with 10% of those under thirty and 9% of those aged 30 to 49 following brands on social channels like Facebook and Twitter. Conversely, just 5% of those fifty or more years old report following brands on social media.

The proportion of those agreeing that they "regularly follow brands on social media" was higher in households with children (11%) compared to those without (6%), indicating children may have influence on a family's level of engagement and preference when it comes to particular brands.

Most Brand Loyal: Gen-X

Of those who participated in the Crowd Science survey, 38% say they stick with a particular brand once they find one they like. This proportion was consistent across both males and females. However, brand loyalty differs across age groups, with brand loyalty being highest among those ages 30-49 (42% agreeing "when I find a brand I like, I stick with it"). Brand loyalty is lowest for those under 30, with 33% indicating they would stick to a brand they like, as compared to 38% for those over fifty. Furthermore, almost one-quarter (24%) of those under thirty report that "they always like to try different brands" compared with just 15% of those thirty years and older.

Consumer Brand Affinity

Brand affinity is more common among males in the Crowd Science study, with greater numbers agreeing they are willing to pay more for a brand they trust, or that they only buy brand name products when they shop: 13% of males agreed they only buy brand name products and services, compared to just 8% of females.

Consumers with high affinity for a particular brand often demonstrate a personal connection to them. 16% of those surveyed agreed with the statement "the brands I use say a lot about who I am", with males slightly more likely to agree compared to females (17% male vs. 15% female).