How To Cultivate Brand Advocacy

11-country survey defines true brand advocates using the Net Promoter Score® methodology

Identifying Social Media’s Global Brand Promoters

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Followers are important. But it’s the rare promoters who will carry on your brand voice and influence others.Brands around the world are devoting time and money to turn “likes”

into leads on social media. However, not all consumers who follow

brands are true advocates. So what distinguishes those who simply

“like” brands from those who will actively promote products and

services on social media?

To find out, Social@Ogilvy and SurveyMonkey ran a global, 11-country

survey of more than 5,500 social media users to distinguish supporters

and sharers from promoters, and identify what it takes to seek out true

brand advocates.

Companies often track their Net Promoter Score® (a metric used

to determine customers’ likelihood of recommending a product or

service) and their social media usage in silos. The following research

examines the intersection between the two by highlighting a specific

group: social media brand promoters.

Social media users across all markets universally engage with brands:

84 percent report they “like” or follow a brand or product, and 58

percent proactively share both good and bad brand experiences.

But authentic brand promoters—respondents who self-identified as

extremely likely to recommend brands and products to friends—make

up only 19 percent of all respondents.

The following research profiles these promoters, reveals why they

interact with brands, and uncovers the behaviors that distinguish them

from more passive social advocates.

84%

58%

19%Promoters

Sharers

Followers

11 countries 5,500+ social media users

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1. Followers

Many consumers support brands on social media. In the 11 countries

surveyed, 84 percent of respondents reported that they “like” or follow

a brand, product or service on social media—and the percentage is even

higher in emerging markets.

Why do consumers follow brands? Many (63 percent) want to express

their satisfaction with a brand or product. What do they think they’re

getting out of it? Consumers feel that, for the most part, brands are

responsive—79 percent say they receive a response to their comments,

with Indonesia (90 percent), India (87 percent), and Brazil (81 percent)

ranking highest. On the flip side, the French (34 percent), Americans

(28 percent), and Japanese (27 percent) say that brands do not respond

to their comments.

84%Like

Follow

KEY TAKEAWAYS Consumers are actively engaging with brands on social

media. Most do so because they like a brand or product,

and they see that companies are listening and

responding to comments.

FOLLOWERS

Followers support brands with “likes” and comments

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AVID BRAND FANS

“Like” or follow brands:PLAYING HARD TO GET

Never “like” or follow brands:

Have you ever followed or liked a brand or product on social media?

Responses Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Japan UK US ALL

Yes 76% 94% 82% 96% 78% 84% 93% 91% 80% 73% 75% 84%

No 24% 6% 18% 4% 22% 16% 7% 9% 20% 27% 25% 16%

Section 1: Followers support brands with “likes” and comments

China 96%

Brazil 94%

India 93%

Indonesia 91%

Germany 84%

UK 27%

US 25%

Australia 24%

France 22%

Japan 20%

96%

27%

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While “likes” and follows are important, brands are starting to pay

more attention to social sharers, those who go beyond following a

brand to actively sharing their experience with a brand on social media.

Sharers can be either positive or negative, and represent 6 in 10

respondents (58 percent). They’re hooked on social media—in a typical

day, nearly all visit Facebook (84 percent), half visit YouTube (51

percent), and 4 in 10 visit Twitter (40 percent). Not surprisingly, they’re

even more likely to “like” or follow a brand (91 percent), and 69 percent

do so to hear about products, offers, and news.

Most sharers (90 percent) talk about positive experiences with brands.

This is even true in Japan (93 percent), whose participants in this study

are largely averse to brand feedback on social media.

However, 7 in 10 sharers (71 percent) use social media to air their

grievances with brands.

84%51%

40%

KEY TAKEAWAYS Sharers do more than just “like” or follow brands.

They actually post about brand experiences, both good

and bad. They’re an engaged group, but are not true

brand advocates.

SHARERS

visit daily

visit daily

visit daily

2. SharersSharers are more engaged but lack advocacy

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Most likely to share great brand experiences

Most likely to share bad brand experiences

Among Sharers

Responses Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Japan UK US ALL

Shared a great brand experience 85% 95% 85% 88% 87% 96% 94% 93% 84% 90%

Shared a terrible brand experience 76% 73% 70% 64% 62% 70% 72% 77% 71% 71%

Section 2: Sharers are more engaged but lack advocacy

Brazil 78%

UK 77%

Australia 76%

Canada 73%

Indonesia 72%

China 97%

India 96%

Brazil 95%

Indonesia 94%

Japan 93%

97%

78%

80%

48%

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While brand promoters are similar to sharers in some ways, they’re

much more rare and a far more influential group. By applying the Net

Promoter Score® methodology to social media users across the globe,

we now have a better understanding of who brand promoters are—those

who identify themselves as extremely likely to recommend any brand or

product to a friend or family member.

So who are the true brand promoters? Out of all survey participants, only

two in ten (19 percent) respondents qualify. Top countries include Brazil

and India, where 42 and 33 percent of respondents identify themselves

as brand promoters.

Brand promoters rank high in following brands and products on social

media (95 percent). Why? They want to hear about products, offers, or

news (77 percent), followed closely by wanting to give direct feedback

(53 percent) and wanting to interact directly with an organization

(52 percent).

KEY TAKEAWAYS Brand promoters are extremely likely to recommend

products and services to friends and colleagues, making

them valuable partners in advocating for brands and

getting others to take action.

19%PROMOTERS

3. PromotersPromoters are true brand advocates

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Profile of a promoter

On a scale of 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (extremely likely), how likely is it that you would recommend any brand or product to a friend or family member in the next month?

Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Japan UK US ALL

Extremely Likely (9/10) 15% 17% 25% 14% 14% 33% 15% 15% 19% 19%

Section 3: Promoters are true brand advocates

“Likes” and follows brands regularly (66%)

Does so primarily to hear about products, offers, and news (77%)

Most active on Facebook—83% check their profile at least once a day

Interacts directly with brands (77%) to express satisfaction (76%)

Trusts brand recommendations from friends on social media (36%) rather than in person (27%)

35% have made a purchase after a friend or follower positively mentioned a brand on social

31% say an online review is most influential in their decision to try a new product

More likely to be female (54%) than male (46%) and between the ages of 30 and 44 (41%)

More likely to be from an emerging market (Brazil 42%, India 33%, China 25%)

PROMOTERS

1%42%

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While promoters and sharers have many similarities, some critical

differences emerged between the two groups, particularly in regards

to their interactions on social media, with brands, and with their

friends and followers.

Interacting on social mediaPromoters are inherently active followers of brands. Nearly all

(95 percent) “like” or follow brands, similar to sharers (94 percent).

But here’s where promoters step ahead: two-thirds (66 percent)

follow brands on a regular basis, compared to only half of sharers

(52 percent). Half of promoters follow brands to interact directly

with them, but only 42 percent of sharers say the same.

PromotersActively follows brands on a regular basis

SharersActively follows brands on a regular basis

PROMOTERS SHARERS

China 80%

Brazil 78%

Indonesia 76%

India 74%

India 70%

Brazil 67%

China 65%

Germany 64%

4. Promoters vs. SharersKey differences between promoters and sharers

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Interacting with brandsWhen it comes to following brands to be associated with them, promoters (39 percent) do so at a higher rate than sharers (28 percent).

Nearly half of promoters (46 percent) also believe a brand’s reputation is important, compared to only 36 percent of sharers. And promoters prefer

to link a brand to their own personal identity, with 45 percent saying they feel better about themselves after using a brand; only 35 percent of

sharers say the same.

Which of the following are reasons for following/liking brands or products on social media?

Promoters Sharers

To be entertained 42% 41%

To interact directly with the organization

To give direct feedback 53% 46%

To hear about products, offers, or news 77% 69%

To be associated with the organization’s brand and values

To show my friends what I care about or want associate with 41% 33%

Because my friends follow the brand 15% 11%

Other 2% 3%

Section 4: Key differences between promoters and sharers

Indicates difference between promoters and sharers of 10 percentage points or more.

52%

39% 28%

42%

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Interacting with friendsFriends and followers of promoters also tend to follow brands on social media. Many promoters (59 percent) see their networks regularly mention

brands and products, compared to only 47 percent of sharers. Perhaps most importantly, promoters are much more likely to respond to the

interactions their friends have with brands—35 percent would purchase a product if it was mentioned by a friend versus just 24 percent of sharers.

Promoters say friends are largely positive when they talk about brands

Promoters take action when they hear about a brand from a friend or follower on social media

91%


69% Go directly to the brand’s website

66% Research the brand

52% Ask their friends about it

44% Follow the brand on social channels

35% Actually purchase a product

PROMOTERS

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Brand quality is keyQuality is paramount, with virtually everyone (91 percent) saying this is why they would be extremely likely to recommend a particular brand or

product to friends or colleagues. And quality is the main reason why 61 percent of promoters would not recommend a brand or product.

Customer support is another top reason why promoters (54 percent) and sharers (47 percent) would recommend a brand or product.

Cost is the lowest priority among both groups.

Why would you give these brands or products a rating of 9 or 10? Select all that apply.

Promoters Sharers

Overall quality

Customer service 54% 47%

Cost

Using or purchasing it makes me feel better about myself 45% 35%

Its reputation with my friends or colleagues 46% 36%

Other 3% 5%


33%41%

91% 80%

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Advice to brandsPromoters and sharers have one trait in common: While they’re

overwhelmingly likely to share great brand experiences, they’re also

not afraid to share bad ones. 71 percent of sharers and 60 percent of

promoters have also discussed terrible brand experiences online.

Brands should focus on what sets promoters apart from sharers


Overall quality of brands, products, and services

The brand’s reputation among friend and colleagues

That intangible, but so important, sense of worth that comes from

using or purchasing a product

SHARERS

PROMOTERS

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Promoters across culturesMost promoters live in emerging markets like Brazil (42 percent)

and India (33 percent). Japan is home to the smallest percentage of

promoters (1 percent), followed by Germany and France (14 percent

each), and the UK, Indonesia, and Australia (15 percent each).

However, take note of important cultural nuances. For example, Indonesia

has a low number of promoters even though 70 percent of respondents

say they share great brand experiences on social media.

This could suggest that the more passive approach of advocacy via

social sharing may be more popular in Asian countries.

Since promoters are great at making recommendations to others, the

ways they hear about brands is also important. In emerging markets,

promoters tend to trust online recommendations more than their

counterparts in mature markets. Promoters in Indonesia (59 percent),

China (52 percent), India (43 percent), and Brazil (37 percent) all

say brand recommendations from friends on social media are most

trustworthy while Australian (52 percent), American (51 percent), and

British (45 percent) promoters rely on in-person recommendations.


The only country where the majority (36%) felt that social and in-person recommendations are

equally trustworthy?

Canada!

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*Due to the scarcity of Japanese promoters, no values were provided for this chart.

Among promoters, which is most trustworthy when considering a brand or product?

Australia Brazil Canada China France Germany India Indonesia Japan* UK US ALL

A recommendation over social media

from a close friend17% 37% 24% 52% 36% 35% 43% – 19% 22% 36%

A recommendation over social media

from an acquaintance

5% 15% 9% 8% 10% 16% 14% – 6% 5% 13%

A recommendation in person 22% 31% 9% 24% 32% 16% 9% – 45% 51% 27%

All recommenda-tions are equally

trustworthy26% 26% 8% 31% 24% 26% 18% – 29% 21% 24%

Promoters across cultures

59%

31%

52%

36%

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Using the Net Promoter Score® methodology, social media users were

asked to identify brands they were both extremely likely and not at

all likely to recommend to friends or colleagues. Across all global

markets, respondents felt strongly about technology companies, in

particular, Apple and Samsung. And reflective of the rivalry among

brands and their passionate consumers, both appeared on the unlikely

to recommend lists as well. Not surprisingly, mature markets tended

to favor the more expensive Apple brand, while emerging markets

championed the more affordable Samsung brand.

Additionally, sportswear brands Nike and Adidas battled for favor

among all countries. Although Nike outperformed Adidas, it was also

more likely to appear on the “not likely” lists. Other brands likely to

appear on both lists: Coca-Cola, Amazon, and Facebook.

Users were likely to recommend an assortment of global luxury and

beauty brands like Chanel, L’Oreal, Nivea, and Dove. But people

tended to be harder on their own countries’ brands, with far more

local companies (especially within the TSP and ISP industries)

appearing on the “not likely” lists. And two unpopular “M’s”:

McDonald’s and Monsanto.

UNLIKELY

LIKELY

L’OrealNiveaDoveChanel

McDonald’sMonsantoLocal Providers:TelecomInternetCableSatellite

AppleSamsungNikeCoca-ColaAmazonFacebook

3. Net Promoter Score®Brands survey respondents are likely (and unlikely) to recommend

Across global markets

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Section 5: Brands users are likely (and unlikely) to recommend

What brands are social media users extremely likely to recommend to

friends and colleagues?

What brands are social media users not at all likely to recommend to

friends and colleagues?

USA

18


UK

AUSTRALIA

19


CANADA

INDIA

20


INDONESIA

GERMANY

21


JAPAN

FRANCE

22


BRAZIL

CHINA

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Final words of advice

Powerful conversations may fill the streets for revolution, but people are now moving towards more private and closed places of individual relevance.

While it is clear people are more connected than ever—demonstrated by the sheer breadth of networks available—the research shows that it is the

depth of connections that change our lives and the world around us.

Ultimately, brands need to build relevance and trust through content and connections if they wish to use social media to transform their brand,

business and reputation.

5 ways to build a brand’s relevance and trust in social media

Moments of truth

Connect naturally with

the right audience, in

the right place at the

right time

Inspire

Use culturally relevant

storytelling that flows

across platforms and

markets, in real-time

Measure

Focus on harder

business metrics,

such as leads, sales,

performance, loyalty,

and the Net Promoter

Score®. And analyze

data together— not in silos.

Precision Move from broad

demographics to using

behavior, interests

and friendships

Bond

Move from community

management to

customer engagement

1 2 3 4 5

6. Brand EngagementWhat can brands do to engage with social media users?

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Survey methodology

Results were gathered online from 5,639 self-reported social media users aged 18+ in 11 countries using SurveyMonkey Audience.

Surveys were conducted in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, the UK, and US in May 2015. For the

open-ended responses, only phrases with two or more mentions are shown in the word clouds.

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A 16-country global study of social media users conducted by Social@Ogilvy and SurveyMonkey in 2014 found that the key to brand

engagement is high-quality content. Nearly all respondents read or watch branded content, and just under half (46 percent) say they’re active

sharers of content.

What does this mean?

Companies and content producers have an opportunity to get their

message across to even more people.

Focus on producing high-quality content that helps address an

issue or cause the public is passionate about, and that is both

informational and humorous—“edutainment” is the sweet spot.

When thinking about the audience, focus less on attracting media

attention and more on the everyday person. The content source,

individual company, or brand isn’t as important, but where they can

find content is.

One size does not fit all. Strategies for targeting emerging markets

should differ from mature markets. Content for emerging markets

should focus on entertainment or humor, while content in mature

markets should focus on helpful information. Social media users in

emerging markets report that they are overwhelmed with ads.

To get noticed, these markets need to produce high-quality content.

Addresses an issue or cause the public is passionate about.

Is both informational and humorous.

Brands should focus on producing high-quality content that:

AppendixOverview of Social@Ogilvy and SurveyMonkey’s 2014 Study of Global Social Media Content Sharing