Marketing to the Heartland 2017 - Fluent, Inc. › ... › 2017 › 04 › Fluent_MarketingtotheHeartland_… · Marketing to the Heartland ... Arrow indicates signiThcantly higher

Marketing to the Heartland 1Arrow indicates significantly higher than comparison group at 95% CI

Marketing to the Heartland2017PART 1: WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS


Marketing to the Heartland

In the aftermath of the frenzied 2016 US Presidential election, many brands

and news outlets realized that they were missing the mark in understanding

and marketing to a massive swath of the US population – namely those who

live in the Heartland*. To help marketers better understand and reach this

demographic with more relevant messaging, we conducted a national survey

of 1,800 Americans with the purpose of identifying marketing strategies that

best resonate with this often overlooked and misunderstood audience.

In the following pages, we uncover the results of the study – sharing valuable

consumer insights and providing recommendations for marketers. In addition

to significant variances between the behaviors and values of consumers

living in the Heartland and those along the Coastal states, we saw notable

differences between consumers living in urban, suburban and rural areas.

For brands, understanding the difference in values and lifestyles between

Heartland and Coastal Americans is critical.

When making purchasing decisions, Americans living in the Heartland are more likely (53% vs. 48%) to shop with brands that share, or exemplify, their core values than coastal Americans. As such, it’s a troubling fact for marketers that 46% of Heartland Americans say they rarely or never see ads that appeal to their core values. This signals a direct need for marketers to redefine their messaging strategies to connect with this audience.

*See methodology for definition.


Here are some stark differences between Heartland consumers and their coastal counterparts:

Coastal consumers are more likely to… Heartland consumers are more likely to…

BE CONSERVATIVE +11%

BE SOCIALLY LIBERAL +10%

BE MORE ETHNICALLY DIVERSE +31% non-white

BE CAUCASIAN +21%

Be single +19%

Consider education more important +31%

Urban and Suburban Coastal consumers are more likely to deem cultural diversity (+20%) socio-economic equality (+19%) and political correctness (+15%) as important, compared to the rest of the country

Purchase from brands that share their core values +10%

View work-life balance as important +12%

Say that family is more important +12%

Say that saving money is 23% more important than education

Be married +24%

23% more likely to view traditional marriage as important to society

Learn about new brands and products via:

Friends (+30%)

Family (+23%)

Social Media (+18%)

TV segments on the shows they watch (+29%)

Colleagues (+33%)

Note: “+” indicates X% higher than the comparison group at a 95% CI


In addition to the differences between those in various geographical regions, there are also several notable

distinctions between consumers who reside in urban, suburban or rural areas. Here are several cases of this:

Rural Suburban Urban

Faith is more important

Family is more important

Saving money is more important

Family is more important

Saving money is more important

Education is more important

More likely to pay more for higher quality products and pay more for convenience

Exhibit larger income inequality: more likely to make under $35K, but also more likely to make over $150K

More likely to find aspirational ads appealing

More likely to purchase items on sale, use coupons, and go out of their way to get a deal

Have more kids on average

Less likely to say they see ads that appeal to their core values

More likely to find ads that provide useful tips and tricks appealing

More likely to be CONSERVATIVE More likely to be CONSERVATIVE More likely to be LIBERAL

More likely to be WIDOWED More likely to be DIVORCED More likely to be SINGLE


Reaching Consumers in the Heartland

Tailor product messaging to consumers’ core values

By aligning their marketing efforts to these core principles, brands can capitalize on the current disconnect

in the marketplace. Currently, 46% of Americans living in the Heartland say they rarely, or never, see ads

that appeal to their core values. Even if every campaign is not explicitly tied to a value, it is important to

consider the audience and make sure that the messaging does not alienate or offend them. Presently, 15%

of customers in the Heartland say that they have stopped purchasing from a brand because they saw an

offensive ad, and another 10% say they have cut off a brand because it did not understand them.

Most Important to Consumers

Family FaithBeing Self-Sufficient Work/Life Balance Traditional Marriage

The core values for consumers in the Heartland include:

1

41%46%

Coastal Residents

Heartland Residents

Family


Being self-sufficient

Saving enough for retirement

Being able to afford big purchases

Finding a job I like

Starting a family

While all Americans find self-sufficiency and faith to be important, consumers in the Heartland additionally

stress the importance of work/life balance (66% vs. 59% of Coastal Americans) and are more likely to feel that

traditional marriage is important to society (59% vs. 48%).

Importance of values (Extremely/Very Important %)

Highest priority in life

Being self-sufficient

Faith

Work/life balance

Patriotism

Importance of traditional marriage to society

Cultural diversity

Socio-economic equality

Political correctness

23%

17%

11%14%

73%

61%

59%

59%

48%

51%

51%

40%

6%

24%

17%

13%11%

72%

65%

66%

62%

59%

51%

49%

43%

4%

When asked about their top priority in life, self-sufficiency is on top for all Americans, followed by the ability to

save enough for retirement. Coastal consumers tend to get married later, and therefore starting a family is a

current high priority for a larger number of them.

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers


Inform consumers about how they can save moneySaving money is the second most important item for consumers living in the Heartland, right after family. On

the other hand, Coastal consumers tend to value education more, compared to their counterparts.

Most important to consumers

2

41%

16% 14%17%

8%4%

46%

16% 15%13%

6% 5%

Family Saving Money Faith Education Wealth Gain status in my community

Additionally, 29% of Americans say they want to see ads from brands that provide them with information on

how they can save money.

Ads consumers want to see from brands

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers

Providing info on how I can save

Showcasing products or services

Ads with a socially responsible message

Providing useful tips and tricks

31% 29%

29%12%


Americans in general are very cost-conscious; 65% say they look for the cheapest price all, or most, of the time

and 54% purchase items on sale all, or most, of the time. Another 43% will go out of their way to find a deal.

Interestingly, consumers living in urban areas are the most ardent deal shoppers. They are also most likely

to pay more for quality and convenience. These trends may be driven by a greater availability of retailers in

densely populated areas as well as income stratification in urban centers.

How often do you… (% All the time/most of the time)

Look for cheapest price

Purchase items on sale

Go out of way to get a deal

Use coupons

Pay more for higher quality products

Pay more for convenience

Wait for sales to buy large items

66%

51%

40%

33%

29%

27%

26%

58%

53%

43%

40%

32%

33%

32%

71%

60%

48%

50%

43%

39%

39%

65%

54%

43%

40%

34%

33%

32%

Total US Rural Suburban Urban


Highlight the high quality of products and emphasize products made in the USA All American consumers agree that the quality of a product is their most important criterion when deciding on

a purchase. As the conversation about the cost of globalization and outsourcing continues in the US, it has be-

come increasingly important for brands to support local production. While conventional wisdom would have

one believe that people in areas affected most by job outsourcing would feel stronger about the importance of

US produced goods, this consideration is equally important to Heartland and Coastal residents. More than 6 in

10 Americans feel that it is very important to them that brands produce goods in the US.

Important criteria when deciding on a purchase(Extremely/Very Important %)

3

Brand has high quality products

Brand produces goods in USA

Brand has cheap prices

Brand shares my core values

Brand is green/environmentally conscious

Brand is active in the local community

Brand has an online presence

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers

71%

61%

55%

48%

47%

47%

44%

75%

65%

57%

53%

49%

48%

47%


Word of mouth is paramount. Invest in customer service and develop an organic following on social media.Americans living in the Heartland are more community oriented and are far more likely to say they learn about

new brands and products via family and friends than Coastal consumers. Heartland consumers are also more

likely to be influenced by social media as well as recommendations, so word of mouth recommendations are

paramount.

Share of consumers who learn about new products and brands via…

4

Friends

Colleagues

Websites

TV ads

Social M

edia

In-app ads

TV segments

Family

Search engine

News Outle

ts

Browsin

g in st

ore

Celebrities

Email newsle

tter

43%

43%

34%

33%

24%

21%

14% 16

%

12%

13%

10%

9%

4%

56%

53%

40%

37%

24%

20%

18%

17%

16%

14%

12%

10%

4%

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers


Urban dwellers, whether they live in the Heartland or are Coastal, are more likely to learn about new brands

and products through websites and in-app ads compared to their suburban counterparts. They are also more

influenced by news outlets and celebrity endorsements than consumers living in rural areas. These findings

highlight the importance of varied messaging, depending on the location of consumers a brand is trying to

reach.

Share of consumers who learn about new products and brands via...

Websites

News Outlets

In-app ads

Celebrities

Rural

Suburban

Urban

23%

16%

11%

7%

21%

22%

10%

9%

28%

23%

15%

13%

5 Reach consumers in the Heartland via social media and ads on relevant TV segmentsSince Americans in the Heartland are more likely to learn about new brands and products through social

media and TV segments they watch, there is an opportunity for brands to reach these consumers through

targeted ads via these channels.

Share of consumers who learn about new products and brands via...

Social Media TV segments

34%

14%

40%

18%

Coastal Consumers

Heartland Consumers


Methodology*The Heartland region is comprised of 26 states in the Southwest, Midwest and parts of the Southeast (AL,

AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, OH, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV) and is based

on a definition designed by the New Heartland Group.

Fluent’s “Marketing to the Heartland” study was conducted online within the United States by Fluent, LLC on

March 20, 2017 among 1,865 US consumers (aged 18 and up). Respondents were randomly selected, and

the findings are statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. Due to rounding, percentages may not

always add up to 100%. Fluent’s proprietary ad serving technology includes a real-time survey module that

was used to facilitate the data collection for this study.

Data was weighted to US Census 2010 population distribution and Census Bureau, 2011-2015 American

Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

ABOUT FLUENTFluent, LLC, a cogint company (Nasdaq: COGT), is an industry leader in people-based digital marketing and customer acquisition, serving over 500 leading consumer brands and direct marketers. Leveraging a massive reservoir of proprietary audience data, as well as millions of real-time survey interactions with consumers every day, Fluent enables advertisers to more effectively target and acquire their most valuable customers, with precision, at a massive scale. The company is headquartered in New York City. For more information visit www.fluentco.com.

fluentco.com I [email protected] I 646.647.2966

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Marketing to the Heartland 2017 - Fluent, Inc. › ... › 2017 › 04 › Fluent_MarketingtotheHeartland_… · Marketing to the Heartland ... Arrow indicates signiThcantly higher