3 Buying Behaviours Consumer Opinion Surveys Have Revealed

Consumer opinion surveys always seem to reveal a number of interesting statistics and facts when they are conducted. Sometimes however, it is the frequency at which these statistics and facts change that makes them really interesting.

Buying behaviours can change according to the seasons, the weather, the economy, competitors, even recent news stories; and keeping up to date with the latest trends is vital for every business.

Consumer Opinion Survey

There is a lot to be learned from the data produced by consumer opinion surveys. It allows us to identify buying behaviours, trends, preferences and biases. They’re invaluable sources of information.

So many advertising campaigns rely on buying behaviour and consumer trends, we could even say that consumer opinion surveys have the potential to shape and mold the market as they need to; from influencing pricing to promotional deals and distribution.

For just a quick snapshot of these influencing behaviours and how they might be shaping their respective markets, here are 3 buying behaviours that consumer opinion surveys have revealed recently:

1. Loyalty

An Australian consumer opinion survey by the name of “For Love or Money 2013” looked into loyalty programs and how consumers interact with them. It found that loyalty programs can’t guarantee consumer loyalty, but people were more likely to shop with and buy more from businesses with loyalty programs than those without, so a loyalty program , does go a long way towards influencing buying behaviour.

2. Food Safety

Recent news stories regarding food processing and food safety have cast a lot on doubt over processing and safety, at least in the mind of the consumer. The Food Safety Authority revealed the results of their latest survey, which revealed mixed consumer opinion on decontamination treatments as the authority work to reduce food poisoning. The FSA surveyed 2,000 people in the UK on their views on treatments for meat products in the hope these results could help in the development in new decontamination processes after the majority of cases of food poisoning were traced back to food handling processes.

3. Holistic Health

Described as a “megatrend” in South Africa, insight consultancy firm Added Value have noted how consumers are becoming increasingly interested in health and fitness and managing their wellbeing. This appears to have largely occured as a result of the popularity of smartphones apps which are now empowering consumers with greater knowledge and understanding of their health, fitness and dietary wellbeing. Will these types of apps outpace the effect of personal trainers, gyms and diet books in the near future? It could be a very real possibility.

No matter what the industry, it’s clear that decision makers are sitting up and paying attention to buyer behaviours due to the increasing availability of data yielded from consumer opinion surveys. Have your customers developed any new habits lately?

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Read more: Analysis in Measuring Consumer Opinion