New Approaches in Consumer Education - A Marketing Tool

SALT LAKE CITY, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry research shows many companies may be missing a critical piece in their brand and product strategies: consumer education. A necessity with today's information-driven buyers, contemporary consumer education strategies center on providing consumers with objective, useful information to foster loyalty, brand differentiation, and improved sales.

Drawing on results spanning several industries, Allen has identified three consumer education emphases that correlate with strong business results: messaging, brand perception, and user experience design. In an education series entitled the New Brand Landscape; Allen provides the latest industry research and a review of evolving best-practices.

Controlling Messaging

In today's markets, consumers actively "pull" information to support purchasing decisions and evaluate competitive differences. To account for this, organizations should invest in education before the moment of purchase. Research from Next Century Media suggests that companies who invest in targeted, educational assets, foster consumer bases who are 29 times more likely to buy.

Improving Brand Affinity

Consumers are actively seeking out product messages. As a result, contemporary brand strategies deliver educational content to the consumer through online applications and tools, rather than ads alone. When executed correctly, such strategies improve brand perception and sales. According to Next Century Media, consumers who encounter valuable educational tools freely are:
• 97% more likely to tell friends about their experience
• 94% more satisfied with their purchase

Designing the User Experience

Lastly, industry analysis points to online user experience as a shaping force in the way consumers think about brands and products. The shift in online culture has created a context in which consumers want to engage with products, through meaningful, bite-sized education.

"Strong consumer education assets are creating measurable competitive advantages for our partners," notes Ron Zamir, Allen CEO. "Allen therefore advises its partners to implement proven strategies and create prime customer education assets quickly, since these assets will increasingly inform buying decisions in the new brand landscape."

Follow Allen's discussion of the New Brand Landscape here:
http://bit.ly/brandscape
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About Allen Communication
Allen (www.allencomm.com) offers award-winning expertise in brand education and instructional design. We provide innovative educational strategies focused on improving human and business performance.

SOURCE Allen Communication Learning Services