In today’s fast-moving food and drink landscape, consumers want more than just products, they want to feel like part of something bigger. Community has become crucial for brands, far more valuable than one-off transactions. But how can you ensure that you're building the right community? That’s where market research plays a key role.
1. Why Community is More Powerful Than a Transaction
The most successful brands focus on long-term relationships, not just sales. Consumers are values-driven, seeking brands that align with their beliefs on sustainability, ethics, and social impact. Communities allow them to connect with others who share these values.
Example: Innocent Drinks, through campaigns like "Big Knit," builds a community around sustainability and fun, engaging consumers via social media and enhancing their brand values at the same time.
Example: Tony’s Chocolonely connects with conscious consumers by tackling issues like child labour and exploitation in the chocolate industry.
Bold Beans: Have a strong community in their customers but also as an online Facebook community where they share recipes, thoughts, suggestions and mindsets.
2. Market Research: The Key to Knowing Your Audience
Understanding your audience is critical for building a community. Are they early adopters who prioritise sustainability or consumers focused on convenience? Market research provides insights into behaviours and motivations, ensuring you build a community around the right people.
Example: A brand producing organic snacks may assume its core audience is strictly health-conscious individuals. However, research could reveal that their most loyal customers are busy parents seeking convenient, wholesome options for their kids. With this insight, the brand can adjust its messaging to highlight convenience and family-friendly benefits, rather than focusing solely on health.
3. Beyond Demographics: Understanding Values
Traditional demographics only go so far. Psychographics—values, attitudes, and lifestyles give deeper insight into what drives your audience. Understanding whether they prioritize supporting their families, maintaining their health, or reducing their carbon footprint allows you to tailor your messaging to resonate with their core values. Many modern consumers seek brands that help them make healthier choices for themselves and their loved ones.
4. From Data to Action: Building Authentic, Future-Proofed Connections
Market research isn’t just about collecting data it’s about using it to build authentic connections. Consumers can spot when brands aren’t genuine, so regularly engaging with your community through social media, surveys, and events helps them feel heard and valued. This ongoing interaction allows you to adapt your offerings and messaging as consumer behaviours and trends evolve.
Example: Huel leverages its global Huel forum to engage directly with its users, gathering feedback and ideas for new product flavours, improvements, and innovations. By actively listening to its community, Huel ensures that its product development is aligned with consumer desires, creating stronger loyalty and fostering an ongoing dialogue with its audience.
Example: BrewDog has built a cult-like following by positioning itself as more than just a brewery, but as the "Facebook of the beer world." Through their Equity for Punks crowdfunding campaign and an active community of craft beer lovers, BrewDog has fostered a tribe of passionate fans who feel like co-creators of the brand. This sense of ownership and belonging has turned BrewDog into a movement rather than just a beer brand, with a community that is deeply loyal and engaged.
Building a brand community is essential for long-term success. To create a community that resonates, you need to understand who your audience is and what drives them. Market research ensures that you’re not just guessing but making informed decisions. If you want to find out more, please get in touch at hello@groundedresearch.co.uk
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