We’ve spoken before about brand loyalty. But what is it? And, more importantly, why does it matter so much? Well, a great example of two companies that have strong “brand loyalty” is Apple and Samsung. The “Apple Vs. Android” debate gets passionate, and both smartphone distributors have a large, diehard following. For this reason, both companies seem to be able to sell anything they create. No matter which side of this epic battle you stand on, the power of brand loyalty is clear.
What Is It?
By definition, brand loyalty is a pattern of consumer behavior where they continue purchasing from a specific company because they trust in its products. In practice, it’s a customer who goes to their favorite coffee shop for the third time that week. It’s a person buying another car from the brand they had already bought from. Ford is another great example of this, with 44% of purchases coming from people who already owned a Ford.
At its core, brand loyalty is creating a connection with your audience, however you do so through your messaging.
How It Works
To revisit our Apple example, 78% of iPhone users claimed they couldn’t imagine having another phone. Not to mention that 59% of iPhone owners said that they wouldn’t research other phones before purchasing their next iPhone. Considering how important the research phase is in the buying process, this is a huge step ahead for Apple.
Another benefit of brand loyalty is the potential for word-of-mouth marketing. When you have passionate customers, they tell their friends about your service or product. Then their friends will try it out. Then their friends will tell more friends… The cycle goes on.
Looking for a few ways to build that loyalty? Authenticity. Personality. Quality. Authenticity helps your consumers trust your brand. This is crucial to building brand loyalty. Brands with personality allow their audience to connect with them on a deeper level and identify qualities that they like from it. Quality speaks for itself. Consumers choose quality. Especially when there are so many other options.
Brand loyalty is a tricky thing to navigate, and it’s even harder to build. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Let Wolf & Key help you, reach out to us and we can build your brand’s loyalty together.
