In a recent study of consumer shopping preferences, IAB, the national trade association for digital media, said it found that 48 percent of all U.S consumers are “disruptive brand” shoppers. These shoppers are “younger than incumbent brand-only shoppers, with 84 percent under 54 years old, and are likelier to have a household income of more than $75,000,” IAB noted.

(Direct, or disruptive, brands “create value through low-barrier, capital-flexible, leased or rented supply chains, with value extraction accomplished primarily through the direct relationships between the company and its end consumers,” the IAB report noted. “Incumbent brands” are the traditional brands that predominantly are sold in retail stores. Warby Parker is cited as a prime example of a direct or disruptive brand in the IAB report.)

The findings in the report, “Disrupting Brand Preference,” is based on the results of a 20-minute online survey fielded in May that included more than 3,000 individuals ages 13 to over 50 years of age. According to IAB, all “direct brand” consumers also buy incumbent brands, but there are 52 percent of shoppers who are incumbent brand-only shoppers who do not buy direct brands.

In addition, the group of disrupter brand consumers tends to be younger, with a higher income and are “consumed with self-expression,” IAB noted. They are nearly twice as likely to choose brands to express “who I am,” and they “deliberately look for disruptor brands,” with one out of every four of their brand searches, according to IAB.

Among the other key takeaways from the study:
• Disruptor brands build consumer loyalty—as well as lifetime value (LTV)—through cross-channel interaction
• Search, shopping, and social media sites are each nearly equal to traditional TV for brand discovery
• Influencers are the “advertising” of the modern consumer economy, and wield their greatest power during initial purchase consideration and further down the purchase funnel
• Disruptor consumers expect 24/7 omnichannel access

“Unlike many traditional brands, direct brands and those disrupting the disruptors, have embraced consumers and built community,” IAB chief executive officer Randall Rothenberg said. “Today’s consumer expects access and input into the companies they support. This deeper relationship not only shows up in loyalty, but actually perpetuates two-way value for both consumer and brand—in the creation of self-as-a brand and building brand awareness through influence.”