Brand Loyalty: Nirvana

by Michael Willard

In marketing, brand loyalty is nirvana.

Loyalty is what every brand that has ever been produced aspires to achieve. Once on that plateau, it takes more than a nudge - more like a huge shove - to dislodge customer preference for a particular product or service.

Brand loyalty is most steadfast when it comes to the old verities of smell, taste, sound, attractiveness, dependability, and ease of use. On the other hand, brand loyalty can be soft for products or services based on image or what I call manufactured attributes.

Manufactured attributes are qualities where one has to have the imagination to go beyond the basic senses into the realm of feelings. For example, a company might tout a tobacco brand as one that "carries you back to springtime," or a chocolate maker might suggest its product creates the "intense taste of romance."

Both might make decent positioning statements, but they lack credibility and can be more easily impacted by competition and pricing. In my view, brand loyalty in these cases is more difficult to achieve.

There is, of course, disagreement on this. Some suggest that an aspirational or emotional connection beyond hard reasoning creates the most solid connection between consumer and brand. I believe clearly defined attributes, however, do create that emotional connection and thus a stronger bond.

I am a fan of Ecco shoes because they are comfortable and durable. I overlook the fact they look a little like battleships. I have an emotional attachment that leads to brand loyalty because of the hard facts. I don't plan to wear another brand of shoe.

For the last three years, I have owned a Toyota Land Cruiser. Even though a four- cylinder, it still is a gas-guzzler. It is plain black, like thousands of other Land Cruisers. But I plan that my next car will be exactly the same (though I might opt for silver or blue the next time around).

I am brand loyal because it is dependable and because, after 100,000 kilometers, it still drives as though it were new. This, from a fellow who previously has driven the same category of Jeep. I liked my several Jeeps, but I wasn't in love with them. So, I switched.

One evening, I was having dinner with friends in Moscow at the National Club. I was engrossed in conversation when the waiter asked what I wanted to drink. Hardly looking up, I said, "Vodka, please."

"Russian Standard?" he replied.

"Yeah sure, any standard vodka will do," I said, not realizing that Russian Standard was a premium vodka brand.

The waiter brought the drink, and, still engaged in conversation, I took several sips. I felt it was the best vodka I had ever tasted. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the restaurant, or the good company, or the taste. The point is that I thought it was the taste.

Since that time, I have been brand loyal to Russian Standard whenever possible. I even named our Friday evening gathering with colleagues at Kyiv's Opera Hotel "RST", for Russian Standard Time.

In this case, brand loyalty was based on taste, or perceived taste. There wasn't any "this will carry you back to springtime" involved.

In each of my examples, a solid attribute triggered an emotional connection. For the record, I will argue the old verities of taste, smell, feel and the other hard characteristics trump image - which is merely fried air - any day of the week.

Michael Willard is chairman of Willard and international vice-chairman of All About Brands Plc. He can be reached at Mike.Willard@twg.com.ua