A researcher who gathers millions of opinions and impressions on a regular basis says, “Brand loyalty is an urban legend.”
John Dick of Civic Science draws that conclusion from a vast pile of data his firm gathers every week online. Civic Science polls and questionaires are the short, easy-to-respond-to ‘pop ups’ at the end of many of your internet searches or interactions on websites. Millions of people do exactly that—share their opinions with Civic Science. And weekly John Dick shares his analysis with publications like MoodyOnTheMarket.com.
Here’s what he’s telling us this week about Brand Loyalty:
Brand loyalty is an urban legend.
It’s a mythology marketers fabricated to convince themselves that people have some kind of deep emotional connection to their hair conditioner or wiper blades. I’m sure it makes it easier to show up to work every day when you’re peddling canned corn.
But it’s an illusion.
If brand loyalty wasn’t dead before COVID, it’s six feet under today. Supply chain challenges proved that brand loyalty ends where empty shelves begin. If your thing isn’t available, I’ll jump ship. I may come back, I may not. Loyalty has nothing to do with it.
Brand fickleness is particularly profound among Gen Z. If you can’t deliver your product in a couple days, they’ll buy something else. Now we’re seeing a throwback surge of in-store and mall shopping among our younger Gen X dopplegangers, partly because they appreciate the instant gratification.
Noelle insists she’s “loyal” to Nike, because “they’re the coolest.” Indeed, Gen Z is more likely to support a company based on its values or vibe. But they’re also deeply untrusting. If you stray an inch, they’ll cancel you without thinking twice. They’re loyal to principles, not brands.
We often conflate “I buy the same brand all the time” with loyalty. Wrong. From the first patch of peach fuzz on my post-pubescent face as a teen, I’ve never bought anything but a Gillette razor. Why? Because any time I leave one in a hotel room, I still have a drawer full of blades at home I need to use.
I may be tethered to a brand, like Apple, simply because it does the job, and it would be a pain in the ass to learn a new operating system. Or, Amazon, because it’s compatible with a bunch of other stuff I already own. That’s not loyalty. It’s Stockholm Syndrome.
There are rare exceptions. I know guys who are loyal to Chevy over Ford. That’s like being loyal to a sports team. You need enemies for that kind of loyalty.
I stick to some brands, like Shure microphones, because they’re the best in class. But if the quality slips, I’m gone.
Be great at what you do. Be true to your principles. Keep your shelves stocked and your prices competitive. Imprison me with interoperability and switching costs. Maybe I’ll never leave.
Just don’t confuse it with loyalty.
Learn more about Civic Science research at www.CivicScience.com
