The Importance of Engaging Your Consumers

This stark reality should make every stakeholder within an FMCG company pause and reflect. How does your company handle consumer feedback? Are you effectively engaging with your consumers to ensure satisfaction and loyalty? In an age where word-of-mouth can make or break a brand, the importance of consumer feedback cannot be overstated.

Additionally, it’s said that “for every customer who complains, there are 26 more unhappy customers who have remained silent” (2), highlighting that addressing concerns promptly and proactively is crucial, as silent dissatisfaction can significantly impact your business

Though these insights aren’t directly from the FMCG world, they are highly applicable. Engaging with consumers is about more than addressing complaints; it’s about fostering a dialogue that drives engagement and innovation. In the competitive FMCG industry, where product life cycles are short and consumer preferences change rapidly, listening to and adapting based on consumer feedback is crucial. By valuing consumer input, FMCG companies can reduce negative word-of-mouth and build an engaged community:

Foodback is an innovative tool designed to help FMCG companies bridge the gap between consumer preferences and product offerings. Leveraging Foodback’s expertise in gathering feedback within the restaurant and food service industry, Foodback extends these proven methods to the FMCG industry, providing a new level of insight and engagement.

Tom Fishburne’s cartoon “Inside the Mind of the Consumer” (3) humorously depicts marketers overestimating their brand’s importance in consumers’ lives, showing that even loyal consumers have many other priorities. Brands should focus on being top-of-mind and accessible when needed, instead of expecting constant attention.

Research supports the need for tools like Foodback. Byron Sharp’s “How Brands Grow” (4)  emphasizes the importance of maintaining high mental and physical availability. Sharp’s principles highlight that brands grow by being easily accessible and memorable to consumers. Let the consumer help lead the way. Foodback helps brands achieve this by ensuring they are constantly engaging with consumers and staying top-of-mind.

Sharp’s rules for brand growth provide a framework for this engagement, with Foodback aligning with several of these key rules:

1. Continuously reach all buyers of the category: Foodback ensures brands remain present and relevant to potential buyers through continuous consumer engagement and feedback.

2. Get noticed: By enabling brands to gather and act on consumer feedback quickly, Foodback allows them to create products that stand out in the market.

3. Refresh and build memory structures: Foodback provides insights that help brands consistently refresh their messaging and product offerings to stay relevant.

4. Be consistent: Foodback facilitates a steady stream of consumer feedback, allowing brands to maintain consistency in their product quality and marketing messages.

By integrating these principles, Foodback supports the rules of growth, providing FMCG companies with a practical tool to stand out and thrive in a competitive market.