Consumers: between reason and convenient
In 2007, Karen Fraser – research consultant and founder of Fraser
Consulting in London – conducted a study – published in the magazine
Harvard Business Review (February 2007) – on the behavior of
consumption of 1,363 adults, between men and women in the United Kingdom.
The survey identified, among brand-loyal customers,
consumers who despite consuming certain brands considered the
ethics of these companies are bad or terrible. Fraser designates these customers in
“conflict” as an invisible segment, as they are “apparently
faithful, but who have ethical reservations about the company and want to
abandon it as soon as a viable alternative emerges”.
To illustrate and summarize the main reasons why
one in four consumers consumes products from companies that
considers ethics questionable, according to the survey:
Exploit workers;
Insufficiently take care of the environment;
Manufacture harmful products;
Exercising excessive control over public policies;
Inappropriately treat animals;
Manufacture products harmful to children;
Use false advertising.
Despite understanding these reasons as being negative in relation to
the reputation of a company, this same customer continues to buy because
does not know ethical alternatives; does not get information on how the company
in fact, it operates; family, children, and/or social networks like the
products; and feels powerless in the face of the supplier’s behavior.
In light of these facts, companies should become aware of the
existence of consumers who value ethics, as they are usually
influencers who discuss with others about the background
of companies and have access to the internet in search of information almost
non-existent that only add to the doubt. 44% of respondents
in that survey had discussed business ethics for months.
prior to the questions.
One of the companies cited in the survey is McDonald’s, in which 8% of
customers are in conflict because they believe the products have a
negative effect on children’s health. Only words are useless, it is
need attitude, clarity in the preparation of the ethics contract with the
society and take into account the fears of the majority of consumers,
suggests Fraser.
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Given the above, I believe in good ideas, concrete and sustainable,
in turn, companies must use offline and online tools to
inform corporate attitudes and values, avoiding conflicts in the mind and
in the perception of consumers. It is necessary to create a symbiosis, that is,
a mutually beneficial relationship between the customer and the brand, so that
buy with emotion first, then reason, but never for
convenience.
