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Customer Preferences Are Constantly Changing — You Can Either Listen or Get Left Behind

customer

Customer Preferences Are Constantly Changing — You Can Either Listen or Get Left Behind

Today’s consumers demand more from brands on every level. Millennials and Generation Zers have entered the driver’s seat with a combined $3 trillion in purchasing power, according to YPulse, and they have made their expectations clear.

Offering products at competitive prices is no longer enough — you must also provide a top-tier customer experience. That means creating open lines of communication with consumers, listening to their feedback, and offering products that anticipate their needs.

Customer experience becomes especially crucial during times of crisis, such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This experience is reflected in the values that consumers want companies to hold, such as a move toward more natural, sustainable materials and processes. Companies that empathize with consumers and show compassion by reflecting these values in their manufacturing and logistics can stand out from the pack.

General Motors Co., for example, created and filled a new C-suite position for sustainability earlier this year to show its values to manufacturing partners and customers. When the coronavirus began to spread throughout the country, the company started creating ventilators to help people suffering from the worst cases of COVID-19. This appeals to consumers, as 53% believe brands should get involved in social issues that don’t impact their businesses.

There are countless ways to interact with your audience and gather insights into their preferences, ranging from social media posts to online reviews and email surveys. However, a shockingly low number of companies engage in these beneficial activities. According to a 2019 HubSpot study, 42% of companies say they do not collect feedback from their customers.

Creating products and services without listening to customers is a risky move. A great example of a company making this mistake came in 1985, when Coca-Cola changed its formula for the first time in 99 years. The company had gradually lost market share to Pepsi, so its leaders tried to make a splash with New Coke, which tasted more like Pepsi. Coke’s loyal consumers were blindsided by the change, however. They loved the taste of classic Coca-Cola and refused to embrace the new offering. Sales plummeted, and Coca-Cola reverted to its tried-and-true formula a few months later.

Microsoft made a similar blunder in 2012 with the release of Windows 8. Fresh from the failure of Windows Vista, the company decided to change the look and feel of its operating system completely to resemble Apple’s user interface. The decision backfired. Windows 8 released to poor reviews, and fewer consumers adopted it than Windows Vista. Since then, Microsoft has returned to its traditional look. 

Companies like Coca-Cola and Microsoft can afford to make big mistakes. But for most small and midsize organizations, these missteps can have detrimental consequences.

Follow these tips to ensure your operation remains on par with customer preferences:

1. Leverage CRM technology.

Manually tracking customer feedback is a fool’s errand. There are simply too many simultaneous conversations occurring across a multitude of venues. Instead, companies should use customer relationship management (CRM) software to track their interactions with current and potential consumers and to aggregate customer insights into a centralized location.

I took this exact approach while at my previous company, Schmidt’s Naturals. I was able to read customer reviews and communicate with users more efficiently. This helped us discover that customers wanted a new form of our product, which we delivered.

Most CRM platforms offer mobile access, which has been shown to improve productivity and make it easier to maintain open communication with customers. In light of the ongoing pandemic, some CRM vendors have stepped up to help struggling businesses. For example, Salesforce has gone above and beyond by offering free solutions to help companies communicate with customers during these uncertain times.

2. Reply early and often.

According to HubSpot research, a majority of consumers expect companies to reply to their messages in 10 minutes or less. To meet this expectation, devote team members to monitor your CRM system and social media accounts for questions and comments — and respond to them quickly.

You’ll also want to pay attention to comments on your social media ads, which are easy to overlook. Even if a question seems like a no-brainer, answer it. Chances are, several other customers are wondering the same thing.

Artificial intelligence and chatbots can be useful in this area. Many companies use these technologies on their websites and social media pages to help them interact with consumers, answer simple questions, provide product recommendations, and even facilitate transactions.

Yelp has done this well during the pandemic by offering updated services that allow restaurants and businesses to communicate more easily with their customers. For example, Yelp has added banner alerts to each restaurant’s page to display relevant information in a prominent spot.

3. Make authentic connections.

According to Quick Sprout, consumers are less likely to shop around and more likely to recommend you to friends if they feel an authentic connection to your brand. Chatbots might be able to handle the bulk of your customer interactions, but that doesn’t mean you should become overly reliant on the technology. Research from Sitel Group suggests that 70% of consumers would rather interact with a real person than a chatbot, so you’ll want to balance your use of AI with an authentic human touch.

Zappos is a shining example of a company that interacts authentically with consumers online. The shoe retailer’s social media team routinely — and cheerfully — replies to the majority of comments it receives, with team members signing each message with their initials. Even as Zappos transitions employees to work from home, it’s still focused on “WOWing” customers, vendors, and employees. During trying times, brands must adhere to the core values that have always driven them.

Customer preferences are always changing, and they fully expect the companies they support to keep up with them. This has never been truer than during a global crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. To innovate and stay relevant, you must continually check in with customers, monitor their online conversations, and offer a tailored experience that shows you’re listening.

Modern consumers don’t just buy products — they invest in brands. They care about purpose, transparency, and authenticity. If your company does not deliver those three essential elements, it will not survive.

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Michael Cammarata is the president and CEO of Neptune Wellness Solutions, an innovative wellness company based in Quebec offering high-quality, environmentally friendly, natural alternative products. He also co-founded Schmidt’s Naturals, a fast-growing wellness brand that was acquired by Unilever in 2017.

hemp

Plant-Based vs. Synthetic Ingredients in Consumer Products: Why You Should Add Hemp to Your Ingredient List

For the past 50 years or so, industries across the globe have rushed to synthesize everything as a matter of convenience. Synthetics allow manufactures to mass-produce products to meet rising consumer demand, which exploded after World War II. But as the 20th century ended, consumers began to question the wisdom of that choice and grew concerned about the potential health and environmental impacts of synthetics.

Today, consumer trends show a desire to return to natural products, to connect with the planet, and to buy and use items that contain ingredients people can understand. Manufacturers around the globe have started to take notice, and they have rushed to ditch synthetics and catch up with the plant-based revolution.

Are Cannabinoids the Missing Secret Ingredient?

The problems for companies trying to meet consumers’ demands for natural products are often complex. For example, it’s a challenge to find effective plant-based alternatives to many of the synthetic ingredients in products. However, one potentially overlooked natural ingredient is on the rise — hemp.

For the past 50 years, the growth and use of the cannabis plant in all its forms has been illegal in the United States and many other countries. The legality of the plant is the key reason it has never been integrated into many consumer products.

In the time since the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 passed and legalized the cultivation, study, and use of hemp in the U.S., we’ve learned a lot about the potential applications of the different cannabinoids (i.e., compounds) present in the hemp plant. Because hemp has so many compounds, it has diverse potential applications. For example, some of the phytochemicals naturally present in hemp (e.g., terpenes and phytocannabinoids) can effectively replace some of the synthetic ingredients in household products.

Now that many of the legal restrictions have been lifted in the U.S., Canada, and other countries, industries across the globe finally have access to hemp sources that can be used as natural ingredients in their products.

Imagine disinfectant wipes that are not only as effective as traditional wipes but also made entirely of plant-based ingredients instead of harsh synthetic chemicals. Toothpaste could naturally fight harmful bacteria that cause disease and other oral health concerns without any synthetic chemicals that have harmful side effects. The possibilities of plant-based ingredients are endless, and it’s time manufacturers fully embrace them.

Using Cannabinoids for Plant-Based Products

In the consumer products industry, a growing number of companies are using hemp extracts with cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD). Yet even with the legal freedom to use these ingredients, manufacturers still face significant challenges in switching out synthetic substances for hemp extracts and other plant-based ingredients.

First, they need to choose the right hemp extracts for their products and make sure their customers understand and can track those ingredients. Manufacturers also need to know the implications of including certain types of hemp extracts in products sold in countries with varying cannabis laws. With the following tips, manufacturers can use high-quality hemp extracts to enhance the natural content and appeal of their products:

1. Brush up on the laws in any country where you operate.

The growth and use of hemp extracts with CBD and other cannabinoids are largely legal in North America, which is a hub of international trade for any market. But the specific laws that govern its use —particularly in oral and topical health products — are mostly localized.

Laws governing the use of hemp extracts in these products may differ across states in the U.S., and those same laws can vary significantly from legislation in Canada. As a result, you’ll need to pay close attention to both local and federal laws wherever your customers reside.

2. Research the right extracts, and test repeatedly.

Because hemp has such a wide variety of compounds, you should learn how the different types of extracts can apply to your products. Plenty of research has gone into the cannabinoids of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD, but there are more than 100 other phytocannabinoids in the hemp plant.

Research and test multiple variations repeatedly to discover what works best with your consumer products. With natural, synthetic-free ingredients, you’ll also have to test different methods to perfect your new formulas.

3. Conduct studies to prove the enhancement of your products.

As more outside studies add weight to the benefits of plant-based products — including those with hemp extract and its phytoconstituents — there are plenty of opportunities to conduct your own scientific research to prove your product’s performance.

The best way to do this is through well-designed clinical and consumer insight studies. Research that highlights a product’s day-to-day benefits (such as a natural alternative for a cleaning product or a plant-based body balm to massage into tired or tense muscles) provides the most appealing data to consumers.

4. Understand any marketing challenges.

After nailing down the specific hemp extracts you want to use and then testing your products, revisit the specific regulations in the different states, provinces, and countries that make up your customer base. When it comes to marketing plant-based products that contain hemp extracts, the rules can be tricky.

In Canada, for instance, you’re not allowed to promote brands that use hemp with CBD, and these products are only sold through licensed online or brick-and-mortar distributors. There are various places you can market hemp brands and products in the U.S., however, but you need to avoid making any disease-related claims that would render your product an unapproved drug.

While these might seem like tough challenges to overcome — how are you supposed to showcase your product if you can’t market it? — consumers will put effort into finding brands focused on providing natural, synthetic-free consumer products.

Choosing to go plant-based not only frees your products of potentially harmful synthetics, but it also gives you a much broader customer base. The rush to create “fake,” synthetic products is over. We have now entered the plant-based revolution.

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Photo: Michael Cammarata at the New York Stock Exchange.

Michael Cammarata is the president and CEO of Neptune Wellness Solutions, an innovative wellness company offering high-quality, environmentally friendly, natural alternative products. Michael is also the co-founder and former CEO of Schmidt’s Naturals, one of the world’s fastest-growing wellness brands and a Unilever acquisition. He is on a personal mission to invest in and scale companies globally that will make sustainable innovation and modern wellness solutions accessible to the world.