Brands in the know are always on the lookout for a way to stand out from the crowd. And over the past two years that drive has reached a fever pitch. Ecommerce and online promotions are booming thanks to an explosion of new entrants to the online space thanks to COVID. Brands are finding that unique product combinations are catching consumers’ attention – dollars – and we’re going to share how to find both (unique ideas and the consumers who love them)!
Here are some consumer behavior stats to keep in mind:
- 95% of consumers’ purchase decisions are made based on emotion.
- Seventy-one percent of people prefer purchasing from brands whose values align with their own.
- 73% of millennials say they’d be willing to pay more for ethically produced goods.
As anyone who has spent time online can attest – oddities equal eyeballs. But beyond that. – they also translate to purchases. At the very least, they create a relevant touchpoint that resonates with an extremely distracted consumer base – one that will stay with them and keep a brand top-of-mind when said consumers search for that next purchase.
And consumers love unique combinations – that’s important to note as well. Below, we see emotions they’ve shared over the past two years about unique combinations of their favorite products. From January 2020 through January 2022, we see brands creating “perfect” combinations, and consumers have nothing but kudos to share them, along with some clues as to what makes these items irresistible.
But how does this look with actual products and partnerships Let’s explore at few combinations that historically hit it off with consumers. And we’ll also share ways that any brand can find these opportunities to create their own unique offerings and partnerships!
Capturing Consumers’ Evolving Food Palate
Unique and unexpected partnerships speak to consumers when they address a deeply held value or belief. It shows that the brand is listening and that it cares enough about its consumers to create unconventional offerings that meet this need.
In the food space, nothing captures this more completely than quick serve companies rapidly expanding their offerings to include plant-based options. Showing they hear and respect consumer worries about the environment, sustainability and creating a healthier, happier and more mindful environment for all, making a move that may inevitably replace meat was huge – and wildly popular.
And expanding on its plant-based offerings and continuing its charge to be a great listener, McDonalds is devoting time to creating and promoting popular fan-created food hacks at the end of this month. The four hacks will be on its app for users to order, including:
- Hash Brown McMuffin – In a breakfast-only exclusive, this order combines a sausage McMuffin and a hash brown for “an extra crunch.”
- Crunchy Double – An order of 6-piece chicken nuggets, inserting them into a double cheeseburger.
- Land, Air and Sea – This sandwich combines a chicken sandwich, a Big Mac and a Filet-o-Fish all on one bun.
- Surf and Turf – This puts together a double cheeseburger and a Filet-O-Fish and is only available on the app or through delivery.
Interesting combos, for sure – and a response they’ll be sure to monitor closely on social media to inform future efforts.
Taco Bell is keen on reconnecting with people who have been stuck at home for extended periods. This was a challenge for every brand over these last two years, in fact. They approached it with a bit of irreverence by throwing something fun into the mix. Hearing that people needed a release, Taco Bell came up with an unexpected – and much appreciated – offer for its fans. Tacos and wine.
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But innovations aren’t only for food items – any category can get in on the fun.
Luxe Life & Fashionable Fun
Not to be outdone by a plant-based burger, the land of luxury has a knack for winning combos as well. We see Louis Vuitton channeling its consumers love of everything luxe, including art, to create purses with artist, Jeff Koons. “Each bag featured select artists and their work like Van Gough, Da Vinci” and the collectibles were quickly scooped up by eager fans.
And then a fashion/art combo can be accessible and fun for all as well, of course – just ask LEGO and Levis! They “partnered to create an entire collection. The launch included hoodies, jeans, denim jackets, beanies, t-shirts, and more. Each piece has a patch where you can actually clip in your lego pieces to create your very own design. Wearable art, pretty neat, right?”
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Finding Fabulous Ideas
How did they come up with these ideas – and how can you? It’s all in the analytics. Consumer and market intelligence have to much to offer brands, and those in the know are benefitting from it greatly, while competitors are left scratching their heads wondering how in the world they came up with these combos.
For example, exploring associated interests in the fast food space, we see consumers who are also interested in shopping, politics, the outdoors and so on:
And when switching that up and examining the overarching conversational clusters that are associated with the topic, we can dig in to reveal “outlier” conversations. These are areas that may not feel entirely relevant to the topic but are very relevant to those talking about it. And we can see some themes emerge that connect back to consumer interests found above:
Specifically tying this back to politics, it may do a brand well to try out some local candidates loving their food. The new celebrity endorsement may be your local school board representative! It’s something to explore regardless and see how consumers might feel about the sort of thing. It’s not like it hasn’t come up before . . .
It all comes down to understanding consumer needs and wants – and it is crucial intel for any brand, It should be used to inform every aspect of an organization, and is particularly relevant when considering innovations, new product launches, partnerships, and sponsorships. And it goes well beyond tracking the loudest consumers. Brands require a nuanced understanding and the ability to rapidly filter and analyze relevant consumer and market insight.
It’s something your business intelligence must have at the ready – and in use daily. Reach out for a demo and we can show you endless reasons why, along with use cases that will change the way your brand operates forever!
