What Makes Consumers Choose Your Brand: Key Insights

Jan de Vries · 2026-04-15

A new study by Adobe Express reveals what qualities consumers look for in a brand or business. The findings are clear: quality and reliability are the top factors that keep customers loyal. ### Quality and Reliability Matter Most A large majority of consumers (73%) confirm that quality and reliability are the factors that would keep their loyalty to a company. This means if you want to win over customers, you need to focus on delivering consistent, high-quality products and services. ### Negative Experiences Are Common Currently, 62% of consumers have had a negative experience when buying from a brand. This prompts brands to improve their tactics. Marketing tactics are also considered—over half (52%) said that too many emails and notifications are their biggest promotional annoyance. Consistency is key: 93% claimed they would stop buying from a brand altogether if they received bad products or services. ### Factors That Drive Customers Away Here are the factors that consumers find least enticing from brands: - Consistently bad quality products or services: 93% - Bad customer service: 66% - No discounts or loyalty rewards: 45% - No fast delivery or convenient shopping: 35% - No familiarity and comfort with the brand: 32% - A lack of shared values (ethics, sustainability): 22% - No personal connection to the brand's story or mission: 7% Over a busy period, brands must prioritize quality control, from the product itself to its wrapping, ensuring nothing is damaged and that it is delivered on time. With two-thirds admitting that customer service needs to be of a high standard, ensure any temporary staff are fully trained. ### What Attracts Consumers to a Brand Brands must also consider the following elements as consumers explain the key factors that would attract them to buy from a company. The highest ranked factor is product quality and reliability (73%), and with over half (52%) confirming that word of mouth recommendations are the main way they find a new brand, quality is of optimum importance. **What attracts consumers to buy from a certain brand:** - Product quality and reliability: 73% - Affordable prices: 70% - Positive online reviews or recommendations: 33% - Brand reputation or legacy: 28% - Personal recommendations (family/friends): 24% - Ethical values (sustainability, fair trade): 18% - Strong presence on social media: 11% - Attractive advertising or creative marketing: 7% ### Marketing Tactics That Turn Off Customers As well as quality control and customer experience, marketing plays a key role in consumers deciding to buy. Brands competing through various forms of advertising leads to an oversaturation of marketing during the festive period, and consumers have revealed which areas can be less enticing for brands. The most uninspiring marketing tactics: - Too many emails or push notifications: 52% - Overly aggressive or intrusive ads: 41% - Misleading advertising or product descriptions: 39% - Too much focus on influencers or celebrities: 39% - Lack of transparency in pricing or promotions: 33% - Irrelevant marketing (ads not suited to me): 31% - Poor customer service after marketing campaigns: 26% Over half (52%) claim that too many emails or notifications can be an annoyance, while intrusive ads are a bugbear for 41%. Customer service is also a factor—with just over a quarter (26%) seeking customer service that matches the quality of the marketing campaigns. ### Sector-Specific Insights In the study, Adobe Express also looked at different brand sectors to find out what would attract consumers to buy from a brand in that space. Key stats include: - When buying in the creative, arts, and design space, 73% of consumers say that product quality and reliability are of the highest importance to them. - Affordability is key for 83% of people buying gifts from the leisure, sport, and tourism space. - People buying in the media, internet, and tech space look for product quality the most, with 88% claiming it is the main reason they would buy from a brand. ### Key Takeaways for Brands To win over consumers, focus on product quality and reliability first. Ensure your customer service is excellent and responsive. Avoid overwhelming customers with too many emails or aggressive ads. Be transparent about pricing and promotions. And remember, word of mouth is powerful—so make sure your products are worth talking about. For more information on what would make a brand successful, keep quality and customer experience at the center of your strategy.