Study shows online and offline conversations have different outcomes for brands

Source: © Tim Douglas pexels A consumer study by Engagement Labs shows net sentiment of consumer conversations continues to be positive for everyday categories such as beauty and personal care, children’s products, food and home

American Family Insurance holds the top position for the most loved brands in online talk, while Lush moved to the number two spot.

This analysis ranks the most loved brands based on net positive conversations happening online (via social media) and offline (via face-to-face conversations as well as phone, emailing, texting, IM’ing, video chat – in other words, via any channel other than posting on social media) to determine its annual TotalSocial Brand Awards winner.

“The TotalSocial most loved brands this year showcase the enduring, strong emotional bond between consumers and the brands they love,” Steven M Brown, president of Engagement Labs.

“Consumers are passionate about brands, and this generates brand talk. Our total social data reveals the importance of earning positive talk and recommendations from consumers goes beyond connecting with them and delivering great experiences – brands that deliver become beloved,” explains Brown.

“Our work with Fortune 500 brands has consistently emphasised the importance of cultivating brand love to maximise marketing ROI, and this focus will continue throughout 2023,” adds Brown.

Positive consumer conversations for everyday categories

Net sentiment of consumer conversations continues to be positive for everyday categories such as beauty and personal care, children’s products, food and home.

Consumers tend to place a significant emphasis on these categories as they directly relate to their daily lives and well-being which generate consumer conversations.

Brands that can successfully generate positive conversations and engagement with consumers in these categories are likely to see increased sales and brand loyalty.

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Consistent winner

Trader Joe’s is a consistent winner on the TotalSocial Most Loved Brand awards with a sentiment score of 91 and the retailer enjoys a significant competitive advantage.

Other supermarkets lag behind at quite a distance earning scores well below Trader Joe’s, including H-E-B (77), Aldi (68), Food Lion (63) and Publix (61).

Engaging with consumers online

American Family Insurance does a great job engaging with consumers online. The company itself, employees and agents share helpful tips to protect your home and in the company’s words “protect your dreams".

Charles Schwab’s improvement in offline brand love grew the most last year than any other top brands with 126 rank change.

While Sam’s Club rank change increased by 65 moving up to the fourth position for online most loved brands.

Online and offline conversations impact business differently

From the research, it is clear that the impact of online and offline conversations on business outcomes are distinct from one another and usually have no correlation.

Despite both types of conversations having an impact that leads to sales and business outcomes, they do so in different ways, necessitating different marketing strategies.

According to Engagement Labs' data and analytics, these consumer conversations drive 19% of all purchases.

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"The adjusted lifestyles and return to normalcy in 2022 are reflected in the brands that appear on our 'most loved' list, and in the brand landscape of those that have earned the most positive recommendations and talk from consumers," explains Brown.

"In the offline space, Olay, Lysol, Doritos, Charles Schwab, and Bath & Body Works have seen the biggest surge in popularity, while Sam's Club, OshKosh B'Gosh, and Urban Decay have gained the most significant positive attention online.

“Trader Joe’s, Lego, Dawn, Dove, Dove Men+Care, American Family, Lush, Express, Clean & Clear, TripAdvisor and Clinique continue to demonstrate what consumers have engaged with and spoken about with great sentiment over the past year and the prior year,” says Brown.

Marketers aim to achieve more positive conversations, both online and offline, to become "conversation commanders," which are the most successful brands in both conversation arenas.

To accomplish this, marketers require two distinct measurement and marketing strategies to ensure that these separate, yet equally important conversations are optimised.

By utilising data and social intelligence, marketers can gain insights into consumer behaviour and preferences, which can help drive business goals, such as increased sales and brand