SAN FRANCISCO, June 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today released its "2016 Connected Consumer Goods Report," surveying more than 2,000 adults ages 18 and older in the United States to better understand their preferences on how they research, buy and communicate with consumer goods brands.

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Changes in customer expectations across all generations are forcing consumer goods brands and retailers to move beyond simply selling products to offering compelling and personalized experiences through direct engagement with consumers. Technologies, such as social channels, mobile apps, online ads and comparison websites, are adding more opportunities and complexity in the way consumer goods companies engage with their customers. The Salesforce "2016 Connected Consumer Goods Report" found that brands that are able to understand their customers and connect and engage with them in more personalized ways are setting themselves up for success.

The study was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Salesforce from May 9-11, 2016. To download the Salesforce "2016 Connected Consumer Goods Report," click here: https://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/industries/connected-consumer-goods.pdf.

Key Report Findings


    --  Despite ease-of-use and lower prices when online shopping, consumers
        prefer shopping overall in brick-and-mortar stores.
        --  A majority of consumer goods purchasers (55%) say they find the best
            prices when shopping for a product at an online-only retailer.
        --  But when it comes to customer service, 53% say that they have the
            best experience at a brick-and mortar store, compared with just 22%
            who say they have the best shopping experience at an online-only
            retailer.
        --  There is a generation gap, as 63% of Baby Boomers would rather
            purchase a product in a store if prices were the same, compared to
            just 40% of Millennials.
    --  Consumer goods companies need to understand generational gaps when
        determining optimal marketing channels.
        --  Millennials are five times more likely to rely on social media
            interactions when researching a brand (25%) than their Baby Boomer
            (5%) counterparts.
        --  Sixty-nine percent of adults who have purchased a consumer good in
            the past 12 months use online product reviews to research a product
            before buying.
        --  Forty-five percent of consumer goods purchasers have a negative
            reaction when seeing an online advertisement or social media
            promotion of a brand that is related to something they just searched
            for online, primarily because it's invasive (61%), it's annoying or
            interrupts what they are trying to do (57%), or they don't want
            their feeds filled with advertisements (56%).
        --  That said, brands and retailers who place ads on websites and social
            channels would be best served targeting Millennials, as only 38% of
            these younger consumer goods purchasers have a negative reaction to
            these online ads.
    --  Millennials lead the way when it comes to brand loyalty.
        --  Millennials are more likely (44% to 26%) to be members of brand
            loyalty programs than Baby Boomers. Millennials are also more likely
            to publicly praise or complain about a brand (49% and 33%,
            respectively) than Baby Boomers (32% and 22%, respectively).
        --  Younger consumer goods purchasers prefer that brands understand
            their personal preferences based on previous purchase history
            compared to older generations. Sixty-five percent of Millennials
            would like brands to understand their personal preferences from
            shopping history compared to 48% of Baby Boomers.
        --  Forty-one percent of Millennials would be willing to share personal
            info with a brand in exchange for more personalized service and
            discounts, compared to only 22% of Baby Boomers.

Comment on the News


    --  "A significant number of traditional consumer goods companies believe
        that the moment of sale is the culmination of the relationship with the
        customer. That's a short-sighted approach in today's customer-first
        economy," said Cindy Bolt, SVP, Salesforce Industries, Manufacturing and
        Consumer Goods. "With everyone and everything connected, companies that
        harness technology to move beyond the sale, deliver a seamless
        experience and build stronger relationships will be the ones that not
        only succeed, but also foster lifelong customers as well."

Additional Resources


    --  Download a full copy of the report from the Salesforce Consumer Goods
        Team at:
        https://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/industries/connected-consumer-good
        s.pdf
    --  Like Salesforce on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/salesforce
    --  Follow @salesforce on Twitter

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Salesforce from May 9-11, 2016 among 2,095 adults, ages 18 and older (1,988 purchased consumer goods in the past 12 months). This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Joel Steinfeld. To download the Salesforce "2016 Connected Consumer Goods Report," click here: https://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/industries/connected-consumer-goods.pdf.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Salesforce, Salesforce1 and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. © 2015 salesforce.com. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE Salesforce