Branding Question: Why Do Millennials View Amazon as a Market 'Leader' but Not as a ‘Favorite’?

Nov. 19, 2012 - PRLog -- New York, November 19, 2012 – What is the branding difference between a “market leader” and a “market favorite?” For  Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/ref=footer_logo), Inc., new research from CultureQ (http://www.onesixtyfourth.com/CultureQ), brand and communications consultancy Onesixtyfourth LLC’s ongoing research initiative to monitor sentiment and cultural shifts among Millennials in the U.S. and the UK, indicates that being a great retailer may simply not be enough.

While Amazon is viewed favorably as a market leader by Millennials for its outstanding ease and customer service – and this age group equates responsive service to reliability, an essential quality of market leaders – the CultureQ findings also demonstrate that Millennials believe businesses must responsibly use their influence and power to improve and enrich their daily lives while, at the same time, positively impacting society.

Anne Bahr Thompson, Founding Partner of Onesixtyfourth (http://www.onesixtyfourth.com/), says, “Millennials prefer brands that make their day-to-day routine easier and that integrate more effectively into their daily life. Although convenience is important and a characteristic of the fast-paced lifestyle of Millennials, it is not the key to brand leadership. While Millennials clearly like Amazon, in order to foster brand leadership and move into the “favorites” sphere, the company needs to connect with this audience more on a socially responsible level.”

Ms. Bahr Thompson adds, “With the recent emergence of brand citizenship, building good social policy into business operations and strategy will reinforce the sincerity of a company’s actions and clearly enhance people’s lives in the long term to make them feel more warmly towards the brand.”

Findings from CultureQ (http://www.onesixtyfourth.com/CultureQ) data show that Millennials favor brands that integrate traditional “do good” activities with everyday marketing and communications. A relatively new concept, brand citizenship is ultimately about how a brand can effectively connect us to something bigger – and, more meaningful.

CultureQ reports are available individually or as a subscription service with opportunities for customization. For more information about CultureQ, visit www.onesixtyfourth.com.

About Onesixtyfourth

Onesixtyfourth is a trend-based, brand and communications strategy boutique that connects brand values with people’s values. Onesixtyfourth specializes in insight, foresight, strategy, and innovation and focuses on making it easier for brands to reach, communicate, and interact with customers.


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Marketcom PR
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