Brand loyalty is crucial to success. Not to mention, it’s the best type of advertising through WOM. Brands that have a solid community through brand loyalty understand their customers on a deep level. They seek out this information in order to know what makes their audience tick. Loyalists can be either hard core, split, shifting, or switchers. You want hard core but that won’t always be the case.
1. Hard core: just as it sounds. They only buy from your brand
2. Split: people who use a few brands
3. Shifting: people who move from one to another
4. Switchers: people with no sense of loyalty to any brand
There are a few types of bonds that drive brand loyalty.
1. Convenience: how convenient is your product or service for people to obtain?
2. Promotional: your brand can outspend its competitors and drown out other brands to somewhat monopolize the industry.
3. Superiority: how much quality does your brand provide? Think to Apple and how those who love Apple will only buy Apple. They will never consider a PC as an option. They feel it is far superior to PC. Side Note: we are some of those people…
4. Trail Blazers: is your brand the first to do something? If so, the relationships that your brand forms with its audience will be strong.
5. Ethical: this is especially important in today’s society. People want to support brand that are transparent about their values and it builds trust.
With brand loyalty repeat purchases drive business. Champions of brand loyalty will always succeed.
