It is hard to define an affluent consumer, but most define the mass affluent consumer as one who has assets of at least $250,000 and a household income above $100,000. According to research, they represent 16% of the online population worldwide.
Brands across various sectors will find affluent consumers an attractive target due to their high-income levels, strong decision-making abilities, and active social media profiles. Affluent consumers’ personality traits, however, are often overlooked by brands focusing solely on income levels.
It’s not always true that affluent consumers buy the most expensive products just because they can afford them. Social status is certainly important to them, but perhaps building a relationship with a brand is even more valuable. Are the brand’s ambitions or goals aligned with theirs? Are they feeling like they’re making a difference, either locally or globally? Is it going to improve their reputation among their peers? Brands need to evaluate these questions when targeting affluent consumers.
In this article, we’ll introduce you to five key traits of affluent consumers and discuss what makes them engage with brands.
They Are Cautious
An affluent consumer’s life revolves around technology. As technology becomes more prevalent, there is a fear of being compromised. Online privacy is important to wealthy consumers, and they are concerned about how their data is used by companies. For example, an affluent customer wishing to visit an online casino site would first compare casinos here before proceeding to choose one that works best for them. It is about doing your research to make sure all actions you take online are safe and won’t compromise you.
As a result of growing frustration with the abundance of irrelevant ads on the internet, they also use ad-blockers. Therefore, brands should aim to build relationships with affluent consumers in a non-intrusive way, while perhaps limiting the number of duplicate ads they receive.
Ambitious
The ambition of affluent consumers drives them to succeed both personally and professionally. Research estimates that just over 90% of internet users globally are employed, self-employed, or in part-time work. Their money is their best measure of success, and they don’t necessarily want to spend it on products and brands that won’t benefit them.
Active Social Media Users
Since affluent consumers spend most of their daily time on social media, it is not surprising that social media plays a significant role in their purchasing process. Social media can be a powerful research tool for younger, affluent consumers in emerging markets. The consumers in this demographic are highly engaged with brands on Instagram, commenting regularly on their posts and clicking on products tagged by brands.
All of these social media outlets give affluent consumers the ability to showcase their lifestyles visually through social media posts. Brands need to consider that these consumers want to buy products that give their followers on social media an enhanced view of their lifestyles.
Status Driven
Status and exclusivity are important to affluent consumers. The consumers in this category are willing to pay a premium for products that enhance their status and image. Their preference is usually for premium brands, especially those that are associated with their identity.
It is common for people to be attracted to brands whose products highlight how they make a difference. Affluent consumers are attracted to promotions that give away products to those in need for every product bought. As well as improving their social image, they feel as if they are making a difference with the product.
Building Personal Relationships With Brands
Brand loyalty is highly prevalent among affluent consumers, and they tend to favour brands that have some kind of personal connection to them. To appeal to this, brands can offer consumers the opportunity to become members of the brand, which benefits them in return. For example, sending discounts to high-paying customers or those who frequently purchase products is a way to do this. It is more likely that wealthy consumers will continue to shop with their preferred brand before exploring other options when they feel appreciated and valued by the company.
