Hello 2021. Oh, how we have high hopes for you. Given the many twists and turns in 2020 due to the pandemic, economy, and social concerns, most consumers are being affected in various ways impacting what used to be “normal” shopping habits. 

Understanding how consumers behave and feel continues to be a vital concern in 2021 as we navigate our new norm. By creating and maintaining emotional connections to consumers, businesses can improve brand awareness while highlighting potential brand ambassadors.

As we begin the new year of this new normal, this is the time that insights are needed the most.

Consumers remain optimistic 

Before the new year, aytm’s COVID report found that consumers are still facing financial and professional struggles as 1 in 10 Americans reported job loss, while an additional 18% reported wage or hourly reductions.  

However, despite compounding hardships, Americans remain optimistic about their financial future. We found that one-quarter of Americans are currently facing more challenging economic times than they were one year ago, but 41% expect to be better off or much better off a year from now. 

By remaining on top of consumer behaviors, we can quickly understand how their behaviors and perceptions can impact future buying habits. 

However, while taking in this data, it’s important to look back on previous studies and anticipate your own consumers without having to run weekly consumer trackers. Here are a few tips and tricks on optimizing your past surveys while staying on top of evolving trends. 

1. View data in a new way with Virtual Questions

Want to see how two questions’ answer choices compare in one chart? That is one of many possibilities with Virtual Questions. By comparing some data between questions, you can shed light on how your consumers were thinking at the time of the fielded study and can anticipate how they may be thinking given the current climate. 

If you’ve ever kicked yourself for not asking a specific question in the original survey, rest assured that you can also utilize virtual questions for presentations to stakeholders, quickly showing them the answers to their most pressing questions – even ones you forgot to ask. 

The best part about virtual questions? You don’t have to wait until the survey is complete. Once your survey launches, you have immediate access to your survey results page and can begin building virtual questions to show data in segments that make sense to you and your stakeholders. 

Want to give virtual questions a try? Learn more about how to implement them here. 

2. Personality Radar highlights who your consumers are

Personality Radar is a unique tool driven by consumers’ consumption of certain products or brands that may align with their buying habits while diving into the specific consumer data. 

For instance, say Susan, a 29-year-old woman from Florida, took a survey. You can activate Personality Radar to find out that Susan is an iPhone user and therefore is more likely to answer your question a certain way by X%. 

Alternatively, you can look at Brandon, a 30-year-old from Michigan who may be more likely to answer the question a certain way by X% given that he is a consumer of Amazon Prime. 

Using Personality Radar is a great way to get more insight on previous studies by understanding who your consumer is and how they may be more likely to answer a specific way based on their personality and trends. 

With access to a database with over 3,000 traits, the possibilities are unlimited with Personality Radar. It can help you in building client personas that can then inform your messaging for upcoming campaigns.

Find out if your survey is eligible for Personality Radar by contacting your account manager or reaching out to chat support. 

3. Correlation Finder to the Rescue

Correlation Finder is the best tool to show more complex data comparisons. By utilizing Correlation Finder on previous studies with help from our COVID-19 tracker, you can make better assumptions moving forward about your consumers. 

Using the example above, where 18% of consumers reported an hourly or wage reduction due to the pandemic, as we dive deeper into that data, we can see that those affected are mostly under 60. Since we aren’t sure how that may affect your key demographics, we can take a closer look with Correlation Finder. 

We can now see how many of your under 60 demographics were likely to buy X and infer the importance of this when selling your product in the future. 🎉

There you have it, three easy ways to understand how consumer behaviors and perceptions impact future buying decisions. Use any of these features to dig deeper into your survey data – or for maximum impact – try them all! And remember, help is always one click or call away.