What Customers Really Want: 3 Brand Lessons Backed by Data

For decades, marketers have built brands around models like the 4Ps or STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning). But what if those frameworks are no longer fully serving the people they’re meant to influence?

Recent research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute suggests just that. Their findings reveal that buyers don’t behave the way most brand strategy assumes. In fact, they often contradict it.

Here are three key takeaways from the study, and what business leaders can learn from them.

1. Loyalty is overrated. Availability is everything.


The myth of loyalty has long propped up traditional brand thinking: if you can position your brand as “better,” customers will come — and stay.


But Ehrenberg-Bass found that most customers buy from multiple brands within a category. They aren’t fiercely loyal. They’re practical. Brands grow not through loyalty, but by increasing what the researchers call “mental and physical availability.”


What this means for your business:


  • Make it easy for people to find you, buy from you, and understand what you offer.
  • Consistency, visibility, and accessibility often matter more than novelty or flash.

2. Most value propositions don't work.


The study also shows that perceived differentiation between brands is far lower than we think. Most customers can’t articulate what makes one option better than another because brands often don’t communicate it clearly.


Businesses invest significant time and money crafting mission statements and taglines. But unless the message speaks to real customer needs (and does so fast) it’s likely to be overlooked.


What to do instead:


  • Focus on the basics: What is the product or service? Who is it for? Why now?
  • Avoid overcomplication. If your message needs decoding, it’s not working.
  • Test your messaging with people outside the org, not just internal teams.


3. Customers buy when it’s easy, not when it’s clever.


Another insight? Ease drives purchase decisions. Customers don’t follow a clean funnel or analyze your brand’s purpose. They buy when something is available, affordable, and feels like a safe choice.


This reinforces the need for clarity, not cleverness, in your website content, ads, and sales materials.


Practical takeaways:


  • Eliminate unnecessary steps between interest and purchase.
  • Don’t assume your buyer is “in the funnel.” Often, they’re just solving a problem quickly.
  • Invest in clear UX, helpful content, and messaging that reflects how people actually decide.


Final Thought


Brand strategy isn’t dead, but it’s evolving. Businesses that prioritize clarity, consistency, and convenience will have a clear edge over those still clinging to outdated frameworks. Whether you’re leading a startup or managing a marketing team, these principles are worth revisiting and acting on.

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