In marketing, the influence of the factor “trust” on purchasing decisions always plays a central role. But in Germany, consumers are on average even more inclined to buy from brands that manage to convey trust.
A research agency conducted a purchasing behaviour study and interviewed 10,000 consumers and compared data of 11 countries. It revealed that German consumers trust the opinions and ratings of family and friends who have already purchased the product they are looking for (48%) higher than consumers in other countries.
This consumer behaviour also comprises that, in international comparison, the factor “trustworthiness” of a brand or a retailer (37%) is of very high value.
This is why brand building is so important when it comes to marketing your product.
Besides word-of-mouth through social environments, evaluations of products and services by journalists and experts in the media (24%) play a significant role throughout the customer decision journey. This can include expert interviews and reports in on- and offline blogs/magazines as well as crowd-based reviews on online rating portals.
On the other side, this behaviour is also reflected in the effectiveness of personalized advertising. Recommendations based on personal (online) shopping and surfing behaviour, only has limited influence on German consumers: Only 8% state that personalized advertisement influences their purchase decisions whereas the international average of 18% is much higher.
German consumers seek for trust before they buy from you.
Make sure you dedicate a good share of marketing resources towards means that foster your customer’s trust. This can be achieved through valuable content, social media engagement, great customer service and being transparent and open.
To sum up, if you want to meet the implications of this behaviour (trust seeking) the right way, consider to
- promote word-of-mouth activities
- promote objective reviews by experts as well as the crowd on- and offline
- not expect as much from personalized advertisement as in other countries
- build a brand and build strong relationships to your potential customers
You want to know more about the Germans as your potential future customer and their purchasing behavior? Follow our blog and social media for upcoming posts: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.