TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New word-of-mouth (WOM) research from COLLOQUY shows a significant increase in the number of Canadians using social media for discussions about favourite brands.
In a recently completed COLLOQUY survey, 38% of Canadians said they’re using social media to make brand recommendations. That’s up from 28% when COLLOQUY asked the same question in a 2011 study of WOM consumer habits, representing a 36% jump.
In previous WOM research, COLLOQUY coined the term “WOM Champions” to describe the select group of consumers who are most loyal to, engaged with and willing to recommend brands. COLLOQUY is the research arm of LoyaltyOne, a global provider of loyalty and marketing programs.
The 2013 research shows that despite growth in brand recommendations on social media across the general public, the actual number of WOM Champions in Canada has decreased to 24% from 31% in 2011 among the general population.
However, the number of young adults classified as WOM Champions has remained steady, about one-third (32%) of the population, across the same time period.
In another key finding in the research, just more than half (55%) of the general population believes social networks are an appropriate way for brands to interact with customers. But that sentiment isn’t uniform across all segments. The research shows that 74% of young adults (ages 18-25) said social media communication by brands is appropriate.
“Brands that want to spread the digital word should engage WOM champions found in their loyalty programs via social media,” said Jeff Berry, COLLOQUY Research Director. “That will be done most effectively by focusing on young adults, who remain the largest segment of WOM champions, and the most open to that communication channel,” he said.
COLLOQUY’s 2013 WOM study is based on a June 2013 survey conducted among a representative general population group and five other segments. The segments are affluent consumers, young adults, seniors, core women and French Canadians. Results are based on responses from 2858 Canadian survey participants.
About COLLOQUY:
COLLOQUY is a publishing, education and research practice that brings together more than 50,000 loyalty practitioners from around the world. The go-to resource for loyalty intelligence since 1990, COLLOQUY engages and educates loyalty marketers with its magazine, weekly e-newsletter, and timely and comprehensive loyalty-marketing website, colloquy.com. COLLOQUY delivers industry-leading loyalty benchmarking reports and educational workshops, webinars and speeches. The COLLOQUY Summit is the premiere annual loyalty event where innovative loyalty strategies worldwide are recognized with the COLLOQUY Loyalty Awards. Advertising, sponsorship and publishing opportunities are available via the COLLOQUY Network, a global partnership of loyalty service providers. COLLOQUY is an independently operated division of LoyaltyOne. To learn more, visit www.colloquy.com.
About LoyaltyOne:
LoyaltyOne is a global leader in the design and implementation of coalition loyalty programs, customer analytics and loyalty services for Fortune 1000 clients around the world. LoyaltyOne’s unparalleled track record delivering sustained business performance improvement for clients stems from its unique combination of hands-on practitioner experience and continuous thought leadership. LoyaltyOne has over 20 years history leveraging data-driven insights to develop and operate some of the world's most effective loyalty programs and customer-centric solutions. These include the AIR MILES Reward Program, North America's premier coalition loyalty program and a working partnership with Latin America's leading coalition program, dotz. LoyaltyOne is also the owner of COLLOQUY, a group dedicated to research, publishing and education for the global loyalty industry.
LoyaltyOne is an Alliance Data company. For more information, visit www.loyalty.com.
