❌Unseen reasons consumers won’t shop with certain brands

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I am feeling it this morning. So much energy I might work a full 5 hours today. 

Don’t worry, you don’t need much energy to digest today’s main thought — hidden factors that make consumers dislike a brand. Good to know the odd and overlooked reasons people may dislike your products, services, or overall brand vibe. Small tweaks might change their minds.

After that, we’ll peel back Monday Marketing News like a banana - about the only affordable thing in the grocery store.

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Hidden Reasons Consumers Dislike Brands & Their Offers

In last Friday’s Inbox Hacking, I linked to an article about the “Bottom-dollar Effect.” 

Since I'd never heard of this psychological factor that can make buyers start to dislike or even hate on a brand, I figured we’d dig deeper into similar psychological factors. Why?

Might be good to know why a potential customer won’t give your brand a chance. A subtle pivot could change their mind.

Now, some people are never gonna like your brand, products, or services no matter what. So, a business can’t (and shouldn’t try to) cater to everyone. 

Plus, people have all kinds of reasons for not supporting a business. 

I’m a consumer like everyone else (though I buy very little), and I have problems with certain brands…

1. I stopped watching NCAA football because college players were not getting paid back in the day (Todd Gurley didn’t even own his own signature😡)

2. I quit watching the NFL due to all the political commentary (insulting the audience is bad for business)

3. I don’t eat at Subway because their guy Jared was a low-life and Subway allegedly covered up some stuff

My football protests are one-man campaigns that don’t make a bit of difference. However, I’d imagine there are tens of thousands of people who avoid Subway to this day. 

Ok, let’s get into other factors (more subtle ones) that keep people from shopping with certain brands.

Same Ole, Same Ole

Being the same as your competitors can cause consumers to have negative feelings about your brand.

Think eyerolls at “Fresh New Features” that buyers have been burned on in the past. Same thing with “No Hidden Fees” claims that just hide fees in other places. 

It’s one thing for a business to market itself in “copycat mode.” But it gets worse when a company gets exposed after promising their solution is so much different than what the competition is offering.

When a consumer buys in and actually pulls out their wallet, they expect a real difference. An improvement. When that doesn’t happen, they’ll do more than an eyeroll.

They’ll probably fume over the letdown, then tell five people about it.

Next up, sticking to…

Company Policy Nonsense

Every business has to have rules. And they should enforce the common sense ones. Such as, don’t let customers verbally abuse your staff. Ban those IQ-deficient dummies.

But some rules are plain stupid. It gets worse when a manager or the boss clings to nonsensical rules, no matter how unreasonable.

You can probably think of 7 policies off the top of your head with the airline industry that make no sense. That industry’s notorious for this. And it causes people to choose a different airline.

Even rules at a restaurant that have the hostess or host-man (IDK) telling diners, “We don’t have a booth available,” forcing them to sit in a certain section (for efficiency) with only tables and chairs. Have some flexibility.

What about a certain “look?”

Lackluster Visuals

A cluttered physical store is a good example here. Dollar General does great business, despite having pallets, boxes, and the occasional human strewn all over the place. However, tidying up would no doubt attract people back to the store who abandoned DG to shop in a clean store where they can actually reach products they need.

Same thing goes for an ugly or disorganized e-commerce store.

Unimpressive outdoor areas make a difference too. This is a more subconscious thing that can still cause a consumer to have negative feelings about a business. 

Would you stop at an outlet mall with a rusty fountain in disrepair and weeds growing through cracks in the sidewalk or pass it by for a mall with a clean flowing fountain and bright blooming flowers?

You may not think it would sway you, but being around beautiful living things affects our mental state (biophilic design).

Insulting Consumers’ Intelligence

This can happen when the consumer feels talked down to (i.e., how the NFL treated their audience). 

It’s one reason I clown Axios for their “Why it Matters” philosophy that so many publishers and creators use now. Hey, I get the need to be as clear as possible. Yet, I don’t get having to baby-step grown adults on every single topic. Example…

Even the dumbest reader knows why political donations matter! For both parties. Yet, Axios has to tell us Why it Matters. If a reader needs that explained, they shouldn’t be voting. And should prolly give up reading and stick to TikTok.

What about keeping it real?

Being Inauthentic Erases Trust

Brands have a hard time gaining public trust these days, while individuals are seen as way more credible. 

So, when companies stick contrived stock images in their ads and content, that isn’t helping build trust. Happy smiling, high-fiving office workers are a myth. But browse Canva’s photo assets and you’d think office work is orgasmic.

Funny thing is, brands could save a ton of money on some of their marketing campaigns if they skipped expensive production value and let a charismatic employee shoot an entertaining video.

No, gloss and fine-tuned campaigns shouldn’t go extinct. But the make-believe world of Mad Men is over. 

Consumers know how the world works. How marketing works. They know it’s dreamed up by people who are just like them, who get mustard stains on their tees, ties, and tube tops.

Self-image vs. Brand Image Mismatch

Even when you have an awesome product or service that works wonders for users, some people will still not buy from you. Why?

Maybe it’s a specific issue - they might feel your brand doesn’t take a stand on environmental issues. Or it could be more fuzzy -— they don’t like the general vibe of your brand. The result is they might accept an inferior product from a competitor that’s more aligned with their values. 

Back when I ran a landscaping business, I bought Dixie Chopper mowers. I felt like they were the best, even though Toro made good mowers too. 

Another big factor, though? I knew Dixie Choppers were made in the USA. 

Some Toro machines may be made here also, but the brand didn’t promote that aspect if so. That’s why I was loyal to Choppers. Oh, and their slogan didn’t hurt either - “The World’s Fastest Lawn Mower.” 

I was always in a hurry to get off the mower, out of the hot sun, and get home. The slogan spoke to me!

Bottom Line

You can’t control every little thing that keeps some people from doing business with your brand.

And some folks, you should be glad you repelled them.

However, a few tweaks here and there are often all it takes to attract good customers who will be loyal over the long haul. 

Some tweaks are obvious, such as a messy store. Others, like biophilic design, aren’t obvious.

Alright, Monday Marketing News and insights are next…

Please share Inbox Hacking with a fellow marketing genius or business owner. Many thanks…

Shane McLendon - Copy Kingpin

“Birthright: People and Nature in the Modern World” ~Stephen R. Kellert

Bonus: Short podcast highlights ways to build a brand Gen Z wants to work for and buy from.