9 Examples of Brand Loyalty

John Spacey, February 28, 2017

Brand loyalty is a category of customers who are dedicated to a brand such that they actively seek it out and consistently purchase the brand over other options. It is linked to customer perceptions of a brand and the customer relationship. In many cases, firms generate a high percentage of their sales from brand loyal customers. As such, losing a brand loyal customers due to a bad customer experience can be costly to a firm. The following are illustrative examples of brand loyalty.

Predictability

A middle-aged man always buys the same brand of formal shoes as the brand has the styles he's seeking and he has found them to be reliable.

Nostalgia

Parents of a toddler always check a favorite brand before all others when looking for a particular toy. They have had good experiences with the brand and have a nostalgia for it rooted in childhood experiences.

Identity

A snowboarder always buys the same brand of snowboarding equipment and fashions. She identifies with the brand, its image and the culture surrounding it.

Quality

A consumer with unusually sensitive skin has tried dozens of cosmetics brands that she didn't like or that irritated her skin. When she finds a brand that works, she sticks with it and recommends it to friends out of a sense of appreciation for its quality.

Comfort

A construction company has a close relationship with a particular technology brand. People at the firm are comfortable with the brand's products and consultants. The company is uninterested in technology trends and sticks with the brand even when stronger competitors challenge its products or offer lower prices.

Loyalty Programs

A business traveler collects air miles from a particular airline and finds that the company gives her perks such as upgrades due to her status. She actively looks for flights on the airline and rarely flies with a competitor.

Values

A customer prefers a particular brand of organic food products and beverages because he has read good things about them. The customer values a sustainable approach to production that minimizes harm to people and planet.

Reliability

A customer has found a particular brand of electronics to be reliable based on multiple purchases that lasted an unusually long time despite tough conditions. The customer eventually becomes brand loyal and won't buy other brands of electronics.

Familiarity

A musician has always played a particular brand of instrument since she was a beginning student. This somehow feels like a tradition that is worth maintaining.