"Where are we going?" I asked. "Any ideas?" he replied.
"How about x?" I offered. "No." he replied. "What about Y?" I volleyed. "Nah."
"Then you decide." I snipped. "Oh, I don't care." he said.
Most purchases are made from habit. If we stopped to rationally discuss and weigh every decision, nothing would get done. We'd find ourselves in internal and external dialogue similar to the one above. Habitual purchase is convenient and expedient. It's how we navigate life.
Habit is a wonderful "cheat" for marketers. Once our brand becomes a habit, human nature kicks in (and we kick back). But don't confuse habitual purchase with true brand loyalty or affinity or preference. It may just be convenience. Habits aren't even conscious decisions.
Habit may have been born in brand preference. A decision long ago, perhaps weighed carefully, resulted in repeated behavior. But the trap is to assume that this initial brand preference is still active. That they still love your brand. That they are even aware of your brand. I have talked to many consumers that can't name brands that they use regularly. (What brand of toilet paper is in your house? Paper towels? Spices? Air freshener?) If they can name them, they can't tell you why they use them.
The question is....what will happen when the consumer awakens and makes a conscious choice in your category?
As a new brand, half the battle is just getting that unconscious, habitual shopper to awaken and re-examine the category. But it's not easy to do. People are busy and most are fundamentally happy with their habitual choices. How do you interrupt? How do you insert doubt into this happy routine? I personally feel this is one of the primary roles of creative. To awaken, to start a new consideration.
As an established brand, the challenge is diligence and intellectual honesty. Do you know how your consumers really feel about your brand? Is there passion? Is there still a point of difference? Or do they just buy from habit. Most of our biggest brands are over 50 years old. We are on the 3rd or 4th generation of consumers many of whom learned to shop categories from their parents. A habit passed down through generations. I bet that if we compared our parents pantries with our own, we would find many of the same brands. We inherit more than our good looks from our parents. And the same is true at work. Institutional habits are often even stronger, and more deeply rooted than individual behavior.
What's the point? A brand built on habitual purchase is vulnerable. Better figure out where you stand.
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