Trust is fundamental for any relationship, whether it’s with another individual or with an entity such as a brand. The deeper the connection that consumers feel with a brand, the stronger and more beneficial those relationships can be. In fact, according to Amazon Ads research in the 2023 Higher Impact report, 81% of consumers are more likely to purchase products or services from brands whose values align with their own (a 2% increase year over year).
For consumers, trust in a brand is a combination of both values-driven efforts and product-suite benefits (good value, low price, etc.) and reliability. They expect brands to deliver on the goods and services they offer, with consistent quality, as well as commitment to values-led initiatives such as being active in communities, becoming more sustainable, and prioritization of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their advertisements and company practices, to name a few.
While there are increasingly more options for consumers, as a consumer myself, I always come back to the adage “You are what you eat” but with a different take: “You are what you buy.” This adage is ultimately about what people “consume,” and how their shopping and viewing choices can reflect them. Brands should take those intentional choices to heart and work to build loyalty by reflecting their values across their company efforts—as these everyday consumer purchases reflect far more than a mere transaction.
Driving change through collaboration
Even amid competing priorities, consumers are supporting brands that donate money or supplies to causes that are important to them. According to our Higher Impact study, seven in 10 consumers will support these values-driven brands (+11% YOY) through their purchasing power. More and more, consumers worldwide are looking to support companies that are working to leave a positive impact on society and the environment.
A great example of these efforts is how during Earth Month this year, General Mills worked with Amazon Ads and Fire TV to raise money for the National Park Foundation (NPF) through Fire TV’s Stream It Forward program. This cause-marketing initiative incentivized audiences to stream environmentally focused video content and helped raise funds for NPF. The Press Play for Nature campaign included a tailored landing page that featured details on the program, as well as information and discounts on General Mills products; an Amazon Fresh in-store event; and promotional ad placements on Fire TV.
In addition, Amazon donated $1 for every hour of featured nature content streamed on Fire TV, and internal data saw a 30% increase in streaming for the nine titles that were selected. Stream it Forward reached its goal of raising $100,000 for the NPF, with General Mills matching that donation. I’m inspired by collaborations such as this and how brands are working to meet the evolving expectations of consumers around the globe.
Scaling business growth and impact
Sustainability has been growing in importance to consumers, and this is something I’m very passionate about personally, especially the environmental impacts of brands. Globally, 78% of consumers are tired of brands acting like they are exempt from environmental responsibility (+7% YOY), and while more than half of respondents (58%) trust the credibility of sustainability messaging, there’s work to do in earning more consumer trust.
Sarah Ribner, co-founder and CEO of personal hygiene brand PiperWai, knows firsthand the importance of these key issues—for the past 10 years, Ribner has worked to develop clean-ingredient body products like body washes, underarm oils and deodorant creams. With a mission to bring clean wellness products to consumers, PiperWai looked to scale their reach and business growth by selling their products on Amazon in 2017. They quickly began testing and learning more around their Amazon storefront and the messaging found there, finding success through the use of Stores and Sponsored Display.
As PiperWai, a brand that leads with its values, has grown, its focus on wellness has expanded to sustainability as well. The brand’s ideal vision has been to mitigate its carbon footprint as the business has scaled by having products, from production through delivery, do the least amount of harm to the environment. Brands that have these visions for a more sustainable future, and take authentic actions to enabling them, may not only achieve them but also earn the trust of consumers who hold those values dearly.
Innovating that can serve the greater good
These consumer values extend to businesses of many sizes and, in particular, small and medium sized businesses (SMBs), as 82% of consumers say it’s important to support or buy from small-business owners during times of economic uncertainty.
Brands are looking to do their part in this as well, like the recent Volkswagen Veicoli Commerciali Italy and Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab collaboration on a documentary highlighting ways small businesses in Italy can leverage their newest electric vehicle (EV): the ID. Buzz Cargo. The film “Charge Your Brand” explores how the newest EV supports the ambitions of three small businesses from the Made in Italy program around preserving tradition, embracing sustainability and innovating to scale growth.
The documentary shows someone from each small business taking a drive in the ID. Buzz Cargo, and noting how the large storage space and features speak to their business needs, as well as commitments to sustainability. The launch of “Charge Your Brand” on Sept. 25 is supported by a variety of display ads across Amazon Alexa, Amazon DSP, Fire TV and Prime Video, seeking to maximize the reach and touchpoints with SMBs across Italy. This collaboration shows how brand values, combined with innovation, can have a significant ripple effect across businesses of all sizes.
Inspiring efforts by brands to lead with their values and meet consumers’ expectations cannot be overstated. At Amazon Ads, we believe there is greater opportunity—more than brands have ever had—to develop and nurture long-lasting consumer relationships by demonstrating a customer experience that’s rooted in the essentials: values and trust.
About Amazon Ads
Amazon Ads helps brands design ad experiences that delight customers and deliver meaningful business results. With hundreds of millions of global active customer accounts, and first-party insights into shopping, streaming and browsing, brands can craft relevant campaigns that enhance the customer experience. Our solutions on Amazon.com, services like Twitch, Freevee, Alexa, the ad-supported tier on Amazon Music and associations with third-party publishers and exchanges make Amazon Ads an amplifier that enables brands to reach customers wherever they spend time, across the Amazon store, plus thousands of apps and websites.
