Brand Loyalty is one of the buzz phrases thrown around marketing departments and is considered powerful enough to have commissioned thousands of psychological and academic studies, but what is the mechanism going on inside your brain when you reach for that familiar brand and is there really such a thing as brand loyalty?
Brand Loyalty or Brand Habit?
According to Psychology Today brand loyalty is nothing more than “brand habit”. We choose a brand according to whether it feels the most comfortable. We may have always been given certain toothpaste throughout childhood, so in adulthood will always feel most comfortable when picking up this brand. Likewise psychology today reports that a brand which sounds familiar i.e. has part of your name in it, or sounds reminiscent of a place you have close emotional ties with, will always be your first choice. Once you start to cultivate an unconscious, emotional response to a certain brand you’ll continue to pick that brand for the long-haul. Rather than creatures of loyalty then, we are much more creatures of habit. But of course, the report of the habitual tendencies inevitably begs the question of what makes us pick up certain products in the first place? After all not everybody has “coke” written into their name.
Cult Branding
A 2002 study called “The Power of Cult Branding”, now a module at Harvard Business School, claims that a certain kind of branding, known as “cult branding” ignites the consumers’ imaginations and loyalty like no other. The “seven rules of cult branding” are said to win those first initial customers and keep them coming back for more. These are:
- Create a Social Group
- Have Courage
- Make it Fun
- Cater to Human Needs
- Allow Customers to Contribute
- Be Open and Inclusive
- Encourage Personal Freedom
One of the key facets of cult branding is creating something simple and memorable which at the same time is bold enough to catch the eye and do things a little differently. But cult branding goes beyond just supermarket products.
Get Noticed
Whatever your service is you need to get it noticed in the right fields by the right people whether this be during business presentations, conferences or any other relevant event. Think about everything you take with you; a branded conference folder or promotional folder not only makes your name visible, but adds professionalism.
You can brand pretty much any item of stationary you can think of from pens and pencils right up to conference boxes and business presentation folders. Making sure all your equipment is consistent and ordered demonstrates that you mean business, whilst also getting your name out there.
Choosing a particular service or product is normally more of an unconscious decision than a conscious one, and a huge part to play in this is the frequency with which a person sees your logo or slogan. Think of huge brands like McDonalds or Coca Cola; part of their secret is having their name everywhere (including, at one time, in the Himalayas). Bespoke stationary is a great way to start getting your company into the unconscious of those relevant clients and customers.