Dubai: Consumers anywhere and everywhere are in no mood to let brands stay on the sidelines … especially when politics or taking stances on social issues are concerned. Ford Motor Company has the proof.
In its latest Trend Report, the carmaker finds that neutral will not cut it any longer — 45 per cent of adults it surveyed wants brands to take a stand. And this the interesting part, consumers would not mind paying double for a product or service rather than buy a brand that is harmful to society. Fifty-six per cent subscribe to this extremely activist perspective. On both counts, it is the younger ones who feel most passionately.
So, what are brands supposed to do? “There’s no doubt we’re living in interesting times,” said Sheryl Connelly, Ford’s Global Consumer Trends and Futuring Manager. “Shifting global priorities, rampant political upheaval, and a spotlight on social inequity have upended the status quo and left many feeling disoriented.
“But out of the chaos and conflict, a new energy and creativity is motivating people like never before.”
With so much of energy unplugged among consumers, brands will have a tough time selling plain-vanilla messages. “Thanks to the culture of polarisation, consumers are being jolted out of complacency,” the report notes. “Conventional wisdom and expectations are being toppled as individuals debate the change we need.”
The main feedback from the Trends Report include:
* 68 per cent of adults are overwhelmed by suffering in the world today, and 51 per cent feel guilty for not doing more to make the world better.
* 81 per cent of adults say they are concerned about the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
* 52 per cent of 18- to 29-year-old adults say they expect brands to take a stand on political issues.
* 73 per cent of adults say they should take better care of their emotional well-being, and 57 per cent say they get less sleep each night than they should.
* 39 per cent of adults claim they do not mind sharing their personal information with companies, but 60 per cent report being frustrated over how much of their personal information has become public.
* 52 per cent of adults believe artificial intelligence will do more harm than good, but 61 per cent say they are hopeful about the future of autonomous vehicles.
Brands using personal data has been at the receiving end of consumers’ ire over the last year or so, and more so when high-profile hacking of businesses lead to the same data getting out there. But what the Ford report has to say about perceptions over A.I. is interesting.
“Virtual reality, artificial intelligence and autonomous technology — long far-fetched notions — are here and already being embedded into our daily lives,” the report says. “Worldwide, humans are wondering what the onslaught of intelligent technology will mean for society, and if it will have a more positive impact than many forecast.”
