Customers today, more than ever, have a very wide selection of products, whether it is a global or local brand. A recent online survey conducted by Nielsen shows that customers increasingly prefer global brands products compared to local products, compared to previous years when there were almost equal.
It is a global online survey conducted from May to June 2017, which was participated by over 31,500 respondents in 63 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin and North America and Africa. Research shows that customers around the world prefer to buy almost all product categories if manufacturers are global brands.
Dairy products – favorite local products
Milk and milk products are the dominant category which customers around the world prefer to buy from local producers. At the global level, 54% of respondents said they prefer to buy milk products from local brands. The reason is probably that customers care about the freshness of dairy products, followed by water, coffee, tea.
When it comes to data relating to Serbia, respondents from Serbia have also declared that dairy products are the dominant category of product which they prefer to buy from local producers. Compared to subjects around the world, respondents from Serbia have shown a slightly higher level of commitment to dairy products that are produced in Serbia (75%).
Serbian customers’ preferences for local brands by category:
When it comes to the types of stores, respondents from Serbia have said that they prefer to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in the local stores.
“All data from this and previous Nielsen surveys indicated that powerful changes are happening in customer preferences and behavior towards buying global brands. This trend is mostly influenced by complex processes of globalization and integration. Customers are exposed to wide range of local and global brands and it seems that the current victory goes to global brands. On the other hand, there has been a sense of commitment to local brands when it comes to food that cannot be fresh for a long time. That is exactly the space for developing the strategy of domestic/local brands to survive the thoughts and habits of customers.”- says Jelena Despotović from Nielsen.
Are we really becoming a global brands society or locality will find a way to express itself in an increasingly connected world – this remains to be seen for years to come.