Brand loyalty

Brand loyalty is broadly defined as the tendency of some consumers to continue buying the same brand of goods rather than competing brands. What make a consumer be loyal to a brand, what is the process to reach the brand loyalty by a consumer?

In their article A tri-dimensional approach for auditing brand loyalty, Worthington, Steve; Russell-bennett, Rebekah; and Härtel, Charmine explain that brand loyalty is based on three dimensions: cognitive responses (I think), emotive responses (I feel) and behavioral responses (I do).

• Cognitive loyalty is what makes a consumer to stay with a brand. Härtel defines cognitive loyalty as psychological preference for a brand consisting of positive beliefs and thoughts about purchasing a brand on the next purchase occasion.  Cognitive loyalty is based on prices and features of a product.
• Emotional loyalty relates to the feelings involved and evoked while purchasing a product and the emotional connection a consumer feels with a brand. Härtel defines emotional loyalty as an affective commitment to a brand consisting of positive feelings about and attachment to purchasing a brand on the next purchase occasion.
• Behavioral loyalty is the tendency to re-purchase the same brand; it is the consumer brand preference.

The authors said “brand loyalty is therefore the combination of a consumer's thoughts and feelings about a brand that are then expressed as an action”.

In their article, the authors talked about different types and level of loyals.

1. Stable loyals: these consumers really like your brand, they feel emotionally connected to the brand, had positive experiences with the products (price and features), and choose the brand over the others.
2. Passionate loyals: this type of consumers has a high level of emotional loyalty to the brand. “These products are likely to be purchased for enjoyment or entertainment, such as movies, sports, and image-related consumption, where the value derived is emotional in nature”.
3. Hot potentials: These consumers like your brand, have had good experiences with the products or services, but do not buy your brand either at all or regularly.
4. Vulnerable:  this category buys the brand but do not have any emotional connection to it and may choose another brand for better options.
5. Functional loyals: these consumers buy the products on the regular basis but do not have any emotional attachment to the brand.
6. Cold potentials: These consumers have a high opinion of your brand; however, they have no emotional attachment and do not purchase the brand.
7. Disloyals: These consumers have no predisposition towards your brand and do not buy it, but could be a potential target market.

Citations

Worthington, Steve, Rebekah Russell-bennett, and Charmine Härtel. "A tri-dimensional approach for auditing brand loyalty." Journal of Brand Management . 17.4 (2010): 243-253. Print.