CANNES — Brands are underestimating the power of strong consumer relationships, according to new research released in Cannes today from Edelman.

The agency's second Earned Brand study claims that brands have an enormous unrealized opportunity to build stronger consumer relationships that can lead to increased sales and protect against challenger disruption.

According to the Edelman Brand Relationship Index, conducted in 13 countries with 13,000 consumers, the global average relationship score reaches just 38 out of a possible 100 — a finding that holds firm across all 13 markets surveyed and all 18 categories; across all generations and both genders.

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman said that the index comes amid three major revolutions in marketing — distribution, the rise of unicorn companies and ad-blocking. "The old way of marketing in which all assumptions are the same, is out the door," he said.

“The index confirms marketers have done a great job getting consumers to preference and purchase, but consumers indicated they are willing to go deeper to be committed in their brand relationships,” he added.

A more 'committed' consumer, said Edelman, will drive and protect a brand’s bottom line by buying first, staying loyal to, advocating for, and defending that favorite brand. According to the index, 86% will adopt innovation more quickly; 87% will pay a premium price; 87% will recommend the brand through liking and sharing; and 88% will defend it against critics.

And the way to make them committed, he added, is "not advertising," a key theme for the agency as it attempts to build stronger relationships with CMOs, particularly at Cannes.

"Ads get you the point of interest and purchase," said Edelman. "But beyond that new territory, there is a higher likelihood of achieving commitment, if you use social and owned."

"Marketers had, for years, been quite rightly focused on how to take their consumers from being aware to being loyal to that brand," adds Edelman Europe COO Michelle Hutton. "Earned has always played a role in that. What we’ve uncovered in this research is a whole extra mile that consumers are willing to go down if brands play in a certain way.

We know, having spoken to a number of marketers — this is a whole new territory."

In order to create more 'committed' consumers, the study finds the marketing mix, with its long-standing reliance on paid media, must be reconsidered to include a greater proportion of peer and owned media to deepen the relationship with consumers.

"In the next phase, smart brands are going to recognise this opportunity and shift their media mix and marketing mix," believes Edelman. "Towards listening, storytelling and having purpose."