--- title: "Giving the Power Back: Putting Consumers in Control" description: In terms of brand strategies, letting consumers mould a business to their needs and can be the driving power behind a brand's growth and success. There are many benefits to this strategy as is outlined within this blog. image: https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Putting%20Consumers%20Back%20in%20Control.png --- close ## Ready to level up your insights? Get ready to streamline, scale and supercharge your research. Fill out this form to request a demo of the InsightHub platform and discover the difference insights empowerment can make. A member of our team will reach out within two working days. close ## Cost effective insights that scale Quality insight doesn't need to cost the earth. Our flexible approach helps you make the most of research budgets and build an agile solution that works for you. Fill out this form to request a call back from our team to explore our pricing options. [![FlexMR logo](https://www.flexmr.net/skin/images/images-custom/2b221b67-b091-4584-9017-872ee2ddf960-logo.svg)](https://www.flexmr.net/) Book a Demo Request Pricing [Contact Us](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) Menu - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [InsightHub](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [What is InsightHub?](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Data Collection](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-collection/) - [Data Analysis](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-analysis/) - [Data Activation](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-activation/) - [Research Templates](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates/) - [Information Security](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/information-security/) - [Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Our Expert Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Support & Education](https://www.flexmr.net/services/support-and-education/) - [Consultative Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/consultative-services/) - [Insight Delivery](https://www.flexmr.net/services/insight-delivery-services/) - [Research Methods](https://www.flexmr.net/methods/) - [Sectors We Work With](https://www.flexmr.net/sectors/) - [About](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [About Us](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [Leadership](https://www.flexmr.net/about/leadership/) - [Meet the team](https://www.flexmr.net/about/meet-the-team/) - [Advisory Board](https://www.flexmr.net/about/advisory-board/) - [Press & Media](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/press) - [Accolades](https://www.flexmr.net/about/accolades/) - [Careers](https://www.flexmr.net/about/careers/) - [Blog](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - [Contact](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) - [Book a Demo](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Request Pricing](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [InsightHub](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - - [What is InsightHub?](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Data Collection](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-collection/) - [Data Analysis](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-analysis/) - [Data Activation](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-activation/) - [Research Templates](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates/) - [Information Security](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/information-security/) - ![Camp InsightHub](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/camp_insighthub_nav.png) Embark on a new adventure. Join Camp InsightHub, our free demo platform, to discover the future of research. [Sign Up Today](https://insighthub.flexmr.net/users/new) - ![FlexMR InsightHub](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insighthub_screenshot.png) Read a brief overview of the agile research platform enabling brands to inform decisions at speed in this PDF. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/InsightHub_Brochure.pdf) - ### InsightHub on the Blog - [Surveys, Video and the Changing Face of Agile Research](https://blog.flexmr.net/surveys-video-changing-agile-research) - [Building a Research Technology Stack for Better Insights](https://blog.flexmr.net/research-technology-stack) - [The Importance of Delegation in Managing Insight Activities](https://blog.flexmr.net/delegation-importance-insight-activities) - [Common Insight Platform Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)](https://blog.flexmr.net/platform-pitfalls-how-to-avoid-them) - [Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - - [Our Expert Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Support and Education](https://www.flexmr.net/services/support-and-education/) - [Consultative Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/consultative-services/) - [Insight Delivery Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/insight-delivery-services/) - [Research Methods](https://www.flexmr.net/methods/) - [Sectors We Work With](https://www.flexmr.net/sectors/) - ![FlexMR Services Team](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/services.jpg) Our services drive operational and strategic success in challenging environments. Find out how. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/FlexMR_Services_Brochure.pdf) - ![Video Close Connection Programme](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/video_services.jpg) Close Connections bring stakeholders and customers together for candid, human conversations. [Read Press Release](https://resources.flexmr.net/close-connections-launch) - ### Explore our Practices - [Communities Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Closeness Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/customer-closeness/) - [CX Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/customer-experience/) - [Insight Communications Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/insight-communications/) - [About](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - - [About Us](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [Leadership](https://www.flexmr.net/about/leadership/) - [Meet the Team](https://www.flexmr.net/about/meet-the-team/) - [Advisory Board](https://www.flexmr.net/about/advisory-board/) - [Press & Media](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/press) - [Accolades](https://www.flexmr.net/about/accolades/) - [Careers](https://www.flexmr.net/about/careers/) - ![FlexMR Credentials Deck](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/flexmr_credentials.png) The FlexMR credentials deck provides a brief introduction to the team, our approach to research and previous work. [Download Credentials](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/FlexMR_Credentials.pdf) - ![FlexMR Insights Empowerment](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insights_empowerment.png) We are the insights empowerment company. Our framework addresses the major pressures insight teams face. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/Insights_Empowerment_Brochure.pdf) - ### Latest News - [Insight as Art Shortlisted for AURA Innovation Award](https://resources.flexmr.net/aura-innovation-award-2021) - [FlexMR Launch Video Close Connection Programme](https://resources.flexmr.net/close-connections-launch) - [VideoMR Analysis Tool Added to InsightHub](https://resources.flexmr.net/videomr-launch) - [FlexMR Makes Shortlist for Quirks Research Supplier Award](https://resources.flexmr.net/quirksmr-mr-supplier-award-2020) - [Blog](https://blog.flexmr.net) - - [Latest Posts](https://blog.flexmr.net) - [Strategic Thinking](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) - [Technology & Trends](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/tech-trends) - [Research Methods](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) - [Practical Application](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/practical-application) - [Insights Empowerment](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/insights-empowerment) - [View Full Blog Archives](https://blog.flexmr.net/all) - ![FlexMR Close Connection Programme](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/close_connection.png) Discover how to build close customer connections to better support real-time decision making. [Build Connections](https://blog.flexmr.net/practical-support-real-time-decisions) - ![Market Research Playbook](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/market_research_playbook.png) What is a market research and insights playbook, plus discover why should your team consider building one. [Discover Playbooks](https://blog.flexmr.net/market-research-playbook) - ### Featured Posts - [Five Strategies for Turning Insight into Action](https://blog.flexmr.net/5-strategies-turn-insights-into-action) - [How to Design Surveys that Ask the Right Questions](https://blog.flexmr.net/effective-survey-design-guide) - [Scaling Creative Qual for Rich Customer Insight](https://blog.flexmr.net/scale-creative-qual-rich-understanding) - [How to Measure Brand Awareness: The Complete Guide](https://blog.flexmr.net/measure-brand-awareness) - [Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - - [All Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - [Client Stories](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/case-studies) - [Whitepapers](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/whitepapers) - [Events & Webinars](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/events) - [The Open Ideas Panel](https://ideas.flexmr.net/auth/sign_in) - [InsightHub Help Centre](https://help.flexmr.net/en) - [FlexMR Client Network](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9165407/) - ![Insights Empowerment Readiness Calculator](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insights_calculator.png) The insights empowerment readiness calculator measures your progress in building an insight-led culture. [Get Your Score](https://resources.flexmr.net/insights-empowerment-calculator) - ![MRX Lab Podcast](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/flexmr_podcast.png) The MRX Lab podcast explores new and novel ideas from the insights industry in 10 minutes or less. [Listen Now](https://resources.flexmr.net/mrx-lab-podcast) - ### Featured Stories - [Specsavers Informs Key Marketing Decisions with InsightHub](https://resources.flexmr.net/specsavers) - [The Coventry Panel Helps Maintain Award Winning CX](https://resources.flexmr.net/coventry-building-society) - [Isagenix Customer Community Steers New Product Launch](https://resources.flexmr.net/isa-insights) - [Curo Engage Residents with InsightHub Community](https://resources.flexmr.net/curo) - [Research Methods](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) / - [Strategic Thinking](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) / - [Practical Application](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/practical-application) / 8 MIN READ ## Giving the Power Back: Putting Consumers in Control #### Charlotte Evans # [Workshops and Beacons: A Guide to Building Custome...](https://blog.flexmr.net/workshops-beacons-customer-salience) Most organisations are not short of data, insight or decks.Their biggest challenge is not whether cu... [Read more](https://blog.flexmr.net/workshops-beacons-customer-salience) 9 MIN READ #### Ed Hill - [Events (1)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/events) - [Insights Empowerment (38)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/insights-empowerment) - [Practical Application (178)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/practical-application) - [Research Methods (285)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) - [Strategic Thinking (232)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) - [Survey Templates (7)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates) - [Tech & Trends (397)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/tech-trends) In an era where brand competitiveness is prevalent, successful brands, must be relentless in their efforts to strategically ignite their creativity and evolve their brand. It’s exciting when you think of brands battling for their share of the market and about the insights that must be driving each brands’ decisions. It’s certainly not difficult to [identify brands](https://blog.flexmr.net/measure-brand-awareness) that are conquering entire market segments, disrupting the norm of consumers’ consumption behaviour and ultimately, advocating customer-centric decision making; it’s fair to say, there’s no stopping these disruptive brands! While it may sound like no mean feat, the thrill of dissecting their success can uncover some easily implementable strategic actions, so, stick with me throughout this blog as I shine a light on some secrets to their success!    As a consumer, I’m constantly lured in by novel products/services and attracted to brands that boldly distinguish themselves from their competitors; whereas when it comes to research insight, I am allured into the data-driven insight which forms the DNA for many of these brands. However, for some of the globe’s most successful brands, there are long-held assumptions about what drives their success and although I could follow with a magnitude of factors that own up to this, there is a common denominator which stands tall amongst them all. This attribute is a brand’s ability to put consumers in the spotlight, hand over the mic and to capture their opinions; to summarise, they put consumers in control! Your initial impressions might be to err on the side of caution, but a whole host of brands have proven, that giving power to their customers unlocks a brand’s potential and enables them to dominate their market segment. So, with all of this in mind, lets kickstart your learning with some of the brands that (in my opinion) are doing this just right… | ![Tweet from FlexMR](https://www.flexmr.net/images/webpage-images/45-tweet-this-from-flexmr.png) | ***Tweet This*** | | --- | --- | | [Giving power back to the consumers through market research unlocks a brand's true potential and provides a key opportunity for them to rise to the top of their industry.](https://ctt.ac/8i0B6) | | ### Community Co-creation You will know yourself, that consumers across the globe are constantly bombarded by brand content, and for many of us, we willingly let this content dominate our activities throughout the day. We follow our favourite brands on social media, subscribe to newsletters and actively support brands through micro-interactions such as likes, follows, referrals and reviews. With all of these behaviours ingrained within society, some brands have successfully harnessed these interactions to hand over the reins to consumers, allowing them to have a major influence over their brand’s decisions. So, how exactly does this contribute to their brands success? Well, consider brands such as Lego, who have effectively demonstrated this, through their [Lego Ideas](https://ideas.lego.com/#all) platform. This platform enables consumers to feel the excitement of being an innovator, designer or creator as they share their own submissions for new Lego construction ideas. The Lego Ideas platform entices[Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL’s)](https://www.brothers-brick.com/lego-glossary/) as well as kids to collaboratively engage with one another which induces creativity as well as the continual development of new products that are relevant and popular. As a brand that celebrates collaborative co-creation, Lego is spearheading success that can be achieved by putting customers in control. ### Social Media Interactions Things start to get interesting when we consider brands such as Gymshark; a gym apparel brand that has effectively attracted tribes of athletes through their innovative product development. To understand their success, let’s rewind to the early stages of Gymshark’s product life cycle; when its founder, [Ben Francis](https://beeketing.com/blog/gymshark-growth-story/), mastered [customer centricity](https://blog.flexmr.net/customer-centricity-complete-guide) by inviting key opinion leaders to join its ambassador programme. By doing so, these ambassadors, known as ‘influencers’, shared content on channels such as YouTube and Instagram featuring Gymshark’s hoodies and leggings. As a gold standard way of gaining exposure, it strategically targeted athletes which attributed to the growth in the number of new followers on Gymshark’s own social media channels and consequently, created a game-changer for their brand’s performance. And what’s more, the benefits of [this strategy](https://econsultancy.com/five-retail-lessons-sportswear-brand-gymshark/) didn’t stop there! As one part to a whole, this strategy enabled Gymshark to access their platforms and directly ask customers, through polls, about product preferences and gym routines. The results from these polls inform many of the decisions behind Gymshark's new product development as they continue to serve customers with relevant and in-demand products. ### Brand Loyalty Our interactions with a brand can tell a lot about our personality, interests and even our personal values. So much so that, at times, we can become so captivated by a brand that we begin referring to ourselves as the brand itself. With a direct link to tribal consumption, consumers who exhibit tribal behaviours, as explored in our [recent study](https://blog.flexmr.net/political-social-brand-loyalty-report), can lead consumers’ investment in a brand to influence their brand loyalty. Considering this, Nike is another brand that has strove to achieve the long-term rewards linked to putting customers in control by strategising through their very own tribes of consumers, known as Nike athletes. As a tribe of people who opt to wear functional Nike sportswear, Nike has successfully demonstrated impactful engagement with these athletes, through the optimisation of their [Nike+](https://www.mobilemarketer.com/ex/mobilemarketer/cms/news/content/13173.html) app. The app supports the recording of runners’ personal data, for tracking of personal sporting pursuits, as well as the sharing of data with other Nike athletes, which consequently, empowers consumers by giving them control of their activities. By doing so, the app encourages the co-creation of value between users and the Nike brand as it enables users to reach their personal running goals while also allowing Nike to access inadvertently controlled data through passive data collection. While there are plenty of brands effectively putting customers in control, you might still be hesitant and consider it to make little sense to do so. However, it’s worth harnessing your customers’ power to prevent the backlash that has been faced by brands in the past that didn’t choose this strategy. | ![Tweet from FlexMR](https://www.flexmr.net/images/webpage-images/45-tweet-this-from-flexmr.png) | ***Tweet This*** | | --- | --- | | [A brand shouldn't hesitate to be moulded by their customers, but if they do, there are plenty of consequences that are showcased well by deteriorating brands who failed to pay heed to this tactic.](https://ctt.ac/0TeQd) | | To elaborate, [Kodak](https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/26/17905868/kodak-ektachrome-analog-film-revival)is a prime example of a brand that failed, primarily due to not responding to their customers’ demand for digital technologies. With the rapid introduction of digital cameras, Kodak continued to hold firmly to their core competency of processing film, without responding to their customers’ changing needs. By doing so, a lack of consideration towards consumers’ needs/buying behaviours led to unexpected negative financial outcomes as the share price of Kodak dropped. Although since then, Kodak have been able to revive their brand by leveraging a current trend for polaroids and 35mm film cameras, it certainly taught Kodak some lessons about the importance of listening to customers in order to maintain relevancy amongst its customers and compete with competitors. ### Brand Strategy In short, that concludes my reveal of some of the tactics that have been [strategically mastered by brands](https://blog.flexmr.net/what-is-brand-strategy) and have victoriously put customers in control. While I have also highlighted caution towards the backlash brands can face when customers aren’t put in control, I have uncovered that online communities, social media and trend analysis can each elevate a brand’s success. So, with an understanding of how to put customers in control to leverage your brand’s success, what are you waiting for? #### About FlexMR We are The Insights Empowerment Company. We help research, product and marketing teams drive informed decisions with efficient, scalable & impactful insight. #### About Charlotte Evans Charlotte has an entrepreneurial mindset and cultural agility that she uses in her role as research associate and engagement specialist. #### Stay up to date ## You might also like... ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/ways_build_customer_salience_focus_groups.png) ### [5 Ways to Using Focus Groups to Bol...](https://blog.flexmr.net/focus-group-customer-salience) In today’s complex business environment, customer-centricity is no longer a competitive advantage, it’s a baseline expectation. That being said, many organisations still struggle to move from talking ... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/focus-group-customer-salience) 7 MIN READ ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/qual_research_methods.png) ### [4 Qualitative Research Methods to I...](https://blog.flexmr.net/qualitative-research-methods-customer-centricity) In today’s data-obsessed world, it’s easy to get lost in quantitative data with businesses able to generate quantitative data at scale in quicker times than ever before. But true insight experts know ... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/qualitative-research-methods-customer-centricity) 8 MIN READ ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/10_common_questions_about_insighthub.png) ### [10 Common Questions About InsightHu...](https://blog.flexmr.net/10-common-questions-about-insighthub) With a suite of impactful integrated data collection, analysis and activation tools, FlexMR’s InsightHub platform is used by many insight teams and experts for impactful insight generation and activat... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/10-common-questions-about-insighthub) 13 MIN READ ![](https://www.flexmr.net/skin/images/images-custom/48f118ee-cef9-42d6-b60b-5575d5ac26e3-flexmr_footer.svg) - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [Contact Us](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/privacy/) - [Cookie Policy](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/cookies/) - [Terms of Use](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/terms-of-use/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/flexmr/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/_flexmr) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexmr) [Follow us on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/FlexmrNetOnlineResearch) [![Grit Top 50 Logo](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/44258f4d-7452-40d6-bb23-0e220c8ba21f.png)](https://www.greenbook.org/mr/grit/business-innovation-edition) [![ISO 27001 Alcumus](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/fa89f9b3-d866-43b8-8de0-4a052a9053d8.png)](https://www.alcumus.com/en-gb/certification/iso-27001/) [![Cyber Essentials Plus Logo](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/cba57df6-75a2-4544-9599-dcc0c2f14b79.png)](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Other/FlexMR_Cyber_Essentials_Certificate.pdf?__hstc=163229475.dde2c3d212762f49b059c9f62e7537a0.1624542718433.1626339489304.1626701624468.7&__hssc=163229475.2.1626701624468&__hsfp=3142549060) © FlexMR 2021. All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Charlotte Evans", "url" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/author/charlotte-evans" }, "dateModified" : "2022-04-07T16:39:06.726Z", "datePublished" : "2019-04-18T08:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Giving the Power Back: Putting Consumers in Control", "image" : [ "https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Putting%20Consumers%20Back%20in%20Control.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/consumer-control-brand-strategy", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Logos/flexmr_logo_amp.png" }, "name" : "FlexMR" } } ```