Measuring consumer perceptions, and what businesses can learn from it

Whilst we've always known that bad behaviour can effect consumer attitudes, it's still interesting to see just how much. And even more so when they can be measured so accurately by new technologies and tools.

Last month it emerged that Starbucks paid no corporation tax in the UK over the past year, despite making sales of almost £400 million. When exposed, it was met with public outrage, with newspapers condemning the behaviour, governments calling them to question and interest groups planning large protests. Whilst these groups have always shouted the loudest, it's perhaps more interesting to see how the alleged tax avoidance fared  in the eyes of the common consumer.

Research from social media agency, Yomego, & research company, YouGov, was able to shed some light on this matter. Yomego found that the popularity of Starbucks fell drastically from October to November, with 95% of comments on social media containing references to the tax issue. And YouGov's BrandIndex showed similar results. Buzz, which looks at whether people are hearing positive or negative news about the brand, found that (Starbucks’) scores dropped from 0 to -25 in October, and brand perception scores were also shown to fall from +1 to -11. The data therefore presents a picture of a consumer group that also cares about, and actively condones, this sort of behaviour.

As we see more stories like this appear, with measurement tools clearly showing the effect on brands, it’s only a matter of time before we see businesses realise the importance of meeting society’s expectations as key to successful enterprise.