2023 Consumer
Trends Index
GLOBAL CONSUMER ATTITUDES AND TRENDS IN
PERSONALIZATION, PRIVACY, MESSAGING, ADVERTISING,
BRAND LOYALTY AND THE RISING COST OF LIVING
In conjuction with
1 In the past three years, consumers and marketers alike have seen more disruption and
transformation in their habits and behaviors than probably in the past two decades. In 2023,
Executivea global pandemic thankfully seems to be slipping slowly into the rearview mirror, but the effects
will be felt for years to come. As we publish this year’s Consumer Trends Index, our fourth
consecutive annual report, a potential recession hangs over the globe, threatening to bring
Summary more uncertainty to purchasing behaviors and, ultimately, the brand/consumer relationship. A
now year long conflict between Russia and Ukraine has dealt a blow to Europe and beyond via
strife and economic hardship. A presidential election cycle is kicking off in the U.S., which may
also shake the confidence of consumers as interest rates climb in an effort to combat inflation.
In all, marketers across the globe have a rough road ahead as they try to grow revenue and build
long-lasting relationships with their customers.
These factors make our report even more important to the planning and forecasting marketers
have to do each year. The voice of the consumer is one of the most important signals a brand can
consider when building a roadmap for success. Supply chain, labor force and other components
certainly can help or hinder a brand’s ability to prosper, but ignoring the needs and sentiment
from consumers can be an arrogant misstep that’s easily avoidable. Our goal is to arm you not
only with the statistics that matter when it comes to aligning with consumer needs, but also bring
perspective and guidance in the key areas that are crucial to relationship marketing.
Building long-lasting relationships is the key to increasing customer lifetime value and fostering
brand loyalty that helps grow your business. The science of relationship marketing is simple:
you need to acquire, engage and retain customers in order to drive revenue on a recurring basis.
The art of relationship marketing is a bit more nuanced and requires your brand to take a more
human approach to the way you interact with your audience. Listening to consumers is more
2important than marketing to them. Understanding them as individuals and meeting conversations with new contacts and getting them into your database. Customers
their unique needs in the right moment is core to developing trust and loyalty for the have shown they are open to spending more on the brands they love, but a strong
long term. Technology has finally caught up to consumer demand in this respect, loyalty offering is required to achieve that result. You will find great statistics to help
and that’s exactly why Marigold exists: to help marketers build better relationships you ideate on how to provide value, both to simply retain a customer while also
and scale their ability to personalize their content and offers, leading to mutually fostering true brand loyalty. Brand trust, as well as privacy issues and concerns on an
beneficial relationships.impending recession are also explored to give you a well-rounded understanding of
consumer attitudes as the 2023 buying season unfolds.
The value of this report is to give you the insights to make better investments that
align with consumer needs. To get you closer to your customers. It will dig into To summarize, marketers have yet another amazing opportunity to take this year’s
the trends behind consumer purchase behavior, so you can align your products report and revamp, or even start, their relationship marketing strategy. Understanding
and services to meet consumers’ needs. We will look at the ways in which your the best of what is working in their existing efforts, coupled with guidance from a
audience wants to be communicated to across the purchase cycle. We will show strategic technology partner that helps them deliver on these new trends, would be a
you what engenders loyalty and ways you can increase market share. The data sensible and surefire approach to growth. At Marigold, we pride ourselves on our deep
within this report can help you build the case for new strategies, new technology industry expertise matched with our technology’s ability to execute for the SMB up
investments and, hopefully, keep you ahead of your competitors while creating loyal through the global enterprise organization. We are excited to offer up this year’s data
advocates who help grow your business organically.from over 10,000 global consumers and provide guidance to help you understand the
opportunity at hand. If you’d like to dig in deeper and understand how you can better
Topically, we see some positive trends continuing to give marketers strong signals align your relationship marketing efforts to your audience’s needs, we’re here to help.
on where they can win. Messaging trends continue to point to email and SMS/MMS
as the go-to channels to drive revenue. Lacking algorithms, heavy censorship and
being ubiquitous, these channels should continue to be the mainstay for marketers’
efforts. They are also the easiest to personalize. Advertising continues to wane
when it comes to impacting sales directly, but it can be meaningful in starting
3 Key Takeaways
Email remains the most effective channel for driving Brand loyalty is on the rise, with 59% of consumers Consumers are loyal by nature, but take them for
sales, with over half of consumers (52%) purchasing prepared to pay more to purchase from their preferred granted and they will shop elsewhere. A third of
a product directly as a result of an email they receivedbrands. Over two-thirds of consumers (67%) cite the consumers have switched away from a favored brand
in the last 12 months. This is a 4% uplift of 2022, andloyalty program of their favorite brand as critically in the last 12 months, citing a poor loyalty program,
108% higher than both SMS and banner ads. important to winning their lasting loyalty.the online customer experience and data privacy
issues as core problems.
The majority of consumers want to receive personalized Consumers are incredibly concerned about current globalAs privacy regulations become the norm and third-party
content and offers from trusted brands and will readilyeconomic uncertainty, with 60% very pessimistic about tracking cookies edge closer to curtailment, the vast majority
share personal data in return for it. However, consumersboth the rising cost of living and economic outlook. Half of of consumers (67%) are cheerily unaware that Google will
are clear that they prefer brands that use data that hasconsumers are doing less impulsive purchases with most soon cease tracking activity online in this way. However 31%
been explicitly shared directly with the brand. A sizable doing more research (50%), waiting for sales (47%) and are glad about this change, and a further 35% are optimistic
61% of consumers feel cookie-fueled ads are a creepy relying on loyalty benefits (46%) when purchasing from it will improve their relationship with brands.
marketing tactic and definitely not cool. their favorite brands.
4 Marigold, in conjunction with Econsultancy, conducted its 2023 Consumer Trends Index
of global consumers. This latest report builds on insights from previous years and helps
Research understand the latest trends impacting consumer purchasing behavior. The insights are
based on 6,833 consumers across eight countries (Australia, France, Japan, New Zealand,
Republic of Ireland, U.K., U.S. and Spain), covering a nationally representative sample
Parametersacross age and gender, and includes responses from consumers representing different
househ