Brand bias is more real than ever: new research reveals what marketers can actually influence

I just came across a piece of research that stopped me in my tracks, and made me smile a little too. An analysis of more than a million purchase journeys by WPP Media and Oxford shows that consumers make their purchase decisions before they even start considering. Brand bias, the tendency to choose a familiar and safe brand, is stronger than ever.

In consumer electronics, for example, 93 per cent of consumers choose a brand they were already leaning towards, and in soft drinks the figure is 88 per cent. On average, 84 per cent of purchase decisions are made before the customer is even actively considering a purchase. Visibility alone is no longer enough: a brand has to be on people’s minds before they ever see an ad.

I have been lucky enough to build brands over the long term together with our clients. When client relationships last for years, you see first-hand how brand perceptions are built slowly and almost imperceptibly, and why a single campaign is rarely enough to change direction.

A strong brand cuts through the noise

The research is also a reminder that not everyone is equally open to influence: around 23 per cent of consumers are almost immune to marketing messages, while a small group responds to everything but switches brands easily. What’s more, choosing the right touchpoints can almost double the chance of influencing a purchase decision. Owned, shared and earned channels have nearly three times the impact of paid media alone.

At the same time, we face a staggering flood of content every day. Channels shout louder and louder over one another, and the volume of messages is endless.

In all this upheaval, long-term, consistent work matters more than ever. It is the only way to build the kind of brand bias that outlasts passing trends and the whims of algorithms.

If 84 per cent of your customers make their decision before they even notice your ad, where will you invest next?

Meri Manner, Director, Digital & AI