Consumer Engagement Trends to Monitor in 2023

Consumer engagement trends are always changing. To keep your business floating steadily, you'll need to monitor those trends to make sure you change along with your customer's attitudes. 

Here are the top consumer engagement trends to watch out for in 2023, spoken in the voice of the consumer. 

I Need to Trust You

Consumers are unwilling to spend limited or deflated dollars on items from brands they don't know if they can trust. Trust can be built with sample product offerings, through word of mouth, or by offering valued content before a purchase is made. Once trust is established, many consumers will continue to purchase items at higher prices than similar products from other brands that haven't established said trust.

I Will Pay More for Quality

Along the same lines, consumers will pay more for quality products than for those they know are of lower quality at lower prices. Over time, consumers learn they will end up spending more money on lower quality items whether they're food items that tempt them to eat too much or clothing or cosmetics that will need to be replaced sooner because they fail or don't last. 

I Want It Now

Speed has become a defining issue for many consumers that have grown up in an age where Amazon or Walmart can deliver items in 1-2 days. It will be worth your brand's time and energy to invest in priority or overnight shipping options or to make items available at local retailers whenever possible, as many consumers will find different options if they can't get your products quickly.

I Want the Personal Touch

While it's impossible to know all your customers, it's not impossible to address them by name or to personalize their experiences using technology. Consumers appreciate marketing emails that are directly addressed to them, customer service reps that call them by name, and products advertised to them based on their stated desires and preferences. Marketing software can accomplish most of this automatically, giving your customer base the personalized experiences it's come to expect.  

I Want It Everywhere

Smartphones have become the most common tools through which consumers engage with brands, but many now expect omnichannel experiences uniform across all their devices. It's important to test your website on a variety of mobile phones to ensure the browsing experience is robust and fully functional.

If consumers can't purchase products on their mobile devices because of glitches or buttons that don't appear, they won't always go to their tablets or computers. If you expect this, you'll miss out on sales when these problems occur, as a significant percentage of consumers will give up.

For help with your CPG marketing and CPG brand voice, browse all Hangar-12 e-books.