Beyond Classroom

Building Brand Habits

The author speaks on why building brand habits are important for businesses

Armed with a double layered cotton automatic behaviour in a particular make consumers habitual buyers, going mask and a bottle of sanitizer in context, formed over a period of time, a step ahead from just loyal buyers. To my pocket, I set out for shopping at with repeated usage, forming a routine. achieve this, it is essential to understand the friendly neighbourhood grocery the cues that can lead to habitual store. I picked up all essential kitchen Understanding how habits are formed behaviour and the types of cravings requirements like pulses, rice, atta, Strong habits are formed as a normal that may crop up associated with their masalas etc. and lots of biscuits of process in humans when an activity products. For example, Dairy Milk and different varieties. The consumption of is repeated on continual basis, first Dark Fantasy biscuit advertisements biscuits of my family has increased hugely knowingly and later unknowingly, over promoted the products as something post lockdown and now it has become a period of time till it becomes almost sweet post meal, is an attempt to inculcate a routine to consume biscuits over an automatic through associative learning. habits in consumers. A toothpaste brand evening cup of tea. Within psychology, ‘habits’ are defined promoting brushing after dinner is trying

Over the last few months, three as those actions that are triggered almost to build a habit of brushing at night. prominent behavioural changes have automatically in response to certain Another fine example which always taken place among consumers; and contextual cues that are associated with strikes my mind is the brand habit are transformed into habits now. One, them. For example, in COVID times creation attempt by Coke via their earlier the consumption of data and online most people have developed habit of advertisement campaign “Thanda matlab content through various OTT platforms using sanitizer after touching anything or Coca Cola”. A series of advertisements available; two, the consumption of home wash hands often. released, created the impact of brand cooked food along with packaged foods The act of going outside of home habit. Another impactful campaign was and snacks like noodles and biscuits; prompts many people to carry a bottle by American Express that said, ‘Don’t and three, focus on health, fitness and of sanitizer in their pocket besides the leave home without it.’ And today it’s boosting immunity and consumption of face mask, and sanitize their hands a strong habit to carry debit/credit related products. These findings are based after every time they come in contact cards along. These slogans are a simple on empirical research conducted by us on with something external. Thus a mere yet powerful everyday persuasions to the consumption habits of people during repetition of a simple action in a certain consumers with a strong stimulus for the pandemic. context, over a period of time, leads to habit formation.

The interesting thing is not the habitual behaviour formation that is Strong brand habits could be built by increase in consumption of these automatically repeated in that context being customer centric. During COVID categories of products, but the fact that in the future. According to research times, most people have developed this consumption will become a habitual published in European Journal of Social newer patterns of consumption habits consumption. And it’s good news and Psychology it takes a minimum of 21 days because of the changed circumstances. a big input to the industry for strategy to start forming habits and on an average People are habituated to consuming formulation. Agreed, the consumption is about 66 days for habits to become more noodles and homemade snacks. due to free time available at the disposal automatic. Nestlé has witnessed a rise in its ‘in-home of people and the non-availability of According to habit expert Charles indulgence’ segment of products. Being certain categories of products, like readyDuhigg, habit formation goes through customer centric and to seal these habits, to-eat snacks, which normally came from three stages – cue, routine and reward. Nestlé introduced new products under nearby restaurants or fast food joints. A cue could be any stimulus that builds ‘MAGGI- Cooking Made Simple’ service. However, the demand is real and here pressure or creates a craving and makes Google, for instance, continuously to stay. Continuous consumption of any someone to take a particular action researches and innovates to give the product leads to habit formation and because there is a reward associated with latest and best experiences to its users. some of these behaviours (habits) will be the action. And when these actions are Thus customer engagement through continued in the future, as well as after repeated often it leads to habit formation. customer centricity is essential for brand the COVID times are normalized and the Habitual behaviour could be triggered by habit building. Building brand habit COVID scare is completely gone. Just as any of the following cues – time, location, involves continued efforts on the part the people that once used desktops for preceding event, an emotional state or of the organization. Organizations must all their computing work, have shifted to other people. For example a craving identify relevant cues, encourage creation laptops and now to mobiles and onward could be triggered for a cup of coffee the of routine and offer a meaningful reward to wearables, the routine usage of these moment it is 4 pm or a craving for a fruit to the consumer in using the product. mobile devices have shifted leading to or something sweet may be triggered It helps to observe current behaviours newer habit formation. What do we do post meals. Boredom may take you to and habits of consumers for developing today when we are uncertain about a Facebook or Instagram or just consuming new interfaces for better engagement particular aspect? We Google the query online games and so on. It’s all habitual in future. Use of creative taglines that on our mobile. It’s a strong habit. What do behaviour and consumption. are ‘habit’ focused will work better. For we do when we want some motivational Habits are important for businesses example, Nike’s tagline, ‘Just do it’ works stuff? We go to YouTube, and play the Marketers should strive to create ‘brand well. Telling a compelling brand story video of our choice. It’s a habit. It is an habit’ among its consumers.They should gels well with the modern consumers.