Brand advocates can be invaluable in boosting a retailer’s success. How can I identify and nurture such customers?

Retailers face increasing pressure on their above-the-line media spend as the economic climate continues to squeeze budgets. This means ‘earned’ media – where messages are distributed and amplified by consumers – must work harder, and retailers that harness influential customers will be winners.

Marketing agency Starcom MediaVest analysed the behaviour of 20,000 supermarket shoppers in the UK and identified a powerful audience that actively promotes grocers to their friends and families. Dubbed ‘grocery groupies’, they are estimated to number 400,000 in the UK and talk to 25 people about their grocery retailer choices each month on average.

Starcom MediaVest Group product development director Paul Selby said: “These are predominantly married women in their 30s and 40s with children, a job and a mortgage who want a good deal.”

The research suggests quality of food is the key battleground for grocers. This is more likely to fuel advocacy than product range, customer service or special offers.

According to the research, Waitrose attracts the biggest proportion of groupies relative to its market share, and Morrisons also boasts about 180,000 such customers – more than Asda and Sainsbury’s.

A third of groupies refer to TV advertising but TV programmes are even more important in fuelling advocacy, adds Selby.

Selby advises that grocers should aim to harness the British fixation with food programming, as smart PR and content initiatives can help nurture advocacy.

A groupie is also 20% more likely than the average person to belong to a community group, so supermarkets should become more active in the community to gain advocates.