<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa123db9f67e5e127ebbbe_651d3d5999e35ce9aa38b29a_63d39bb4f03e053c363bdd27_Nurturing%252520Authentic%252520Brand%252520Loyalty.png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Growth</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Round-up: Brand Loyalty - Why It Matters, How to Measure, and Routes to Success</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>27 January 2023</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>8 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">With <a href="https://www.nosto.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Stackla-Post-Pandemic-Shifts-in-Consumer-Shopping-Habits-Data-Report_FINAL_compressed.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>almost 90% of audiences</strong></a> stating <strong>authenticity as a key factor</strong> when deciding what brands they would support, and <a href="https://fortunly.com/statistics/brand-loyalty-statistics/" target="_blank"><strong>66% of consumers</strong></a> open to the idea of switching between industry competitors that offer a <strong>better experience</strong>, brands can't afford to get complacent. <strong>Poor audience understanding or illegitimate brand messaging can have a detrimental effect on consumer churn</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In our latest workshop, 'Building and Nurturing Authentic Brand Loyalty with your Audience', experts <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-goff-67958513/" target="_blank"><strong>Hayley Goff</strong></a>, Chief Operating Officer at <a href="https://whiteoaks.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Whiteoaks International</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-brunt/" target="_blank"><strong>Stephen Brunt</strong></a>, Planning Director at <a href="https://thebehavioursagency.com/" target="_blank"><strong>The Behaviours Agency</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-halls-01/" target="_blank"><strong>Alex Halls</strong></a>, Account Director of <a href="https://hatch.group/" target="_blank"><strong>Hatch Group</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairelamb/" target="_blank"><strong>Claire Lamb</strong></a>, Director of <a href="https://www.skoutpr.com/pr-marketing-services/pr-influencer-relations/" target="_blank"><strong>Skout PR</strong></a> discuss <strong>the ever-more competitive nature of brand-audience relationships</strong>, common mistakes when trying to build an audience connection, and <strong>the variety of ways in which brands can develop an authentic image and experience for the customers that matter most to them</strong>.</p> <div class="gn-stats gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">90<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of audiences cite authenticity as a key factor when deciding what brands to support.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">73<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of consumers cite customer experience as a vital factor in their purchasing decisions (PWC).</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">83<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of millennials want brands to have the same values as they do.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">89<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase (Trustpilot).</span></div> </div> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">01</span>Understanding What Brand Loyalty Means</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">In a nutshell, brand loyalty is the commitment a customer feels towards a particular brand which forces them to consistently return when buying a product, <strong>regardless of price, competitors or sometimes quality</strong>.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Brand loyalty looks different in different markets – to be loyal in the FMCG category is a separate outlook, in say a carbine category, or even more so across B2B categories."<cite>Stephen Brunt · Planning Director, The Behaviours Agency</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">He adds in general, "<strong>loyalty is just a human behaviour of what's the easiest thing to recall and categories</strong>. For example, when a customer goes to a bar and asks for Coke but are offered Pepsi instead, it's always accepted and that's because <strong>what people want was the category, not the product</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Therefore, to create loyalty in that context, <strong>you must develop real relevance to the customer needs</strong> and anticipate what makes them happy by <strong>creating an experience that makes them feel this way and ensuring they remember what makes them happy</strong>." In support of this point, <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/advisory-services/publications/consumer-intelligence-series/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf1" target="_blank"><strong>a recent survey by PWC</strong></a> found that <strong>73% of consumers</strong> cite customer experience as a vital factor in their purchasing decisions.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="Hayley Goff on Measuring Brand Loyalty" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa123db9f67e5e127ebb97_63d3a5e6f03e055c5e3c7d50_Webinar%2520-%2520Quotes.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Key quotes from the Building and Nurturing Authentic Brand Loyalty workshop.</figcaption> </figure> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">02</span>The Role of Brand Purpose and Authenticity with Claire Lamb and Stephen Brunt</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">Your brand purpose is a chance to tell audiences your story, the philosophy you embrace and the values you adhere to.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Buyer matters have significantly evolved over the last few years particularly amongst Gen-Z and Millennial audiences. <strong>The demand for brands to be honest, transparent and purpose driven has risen</strong> with <a href="https://www.salsify.com/resources/report/content-2022-salsify-consumer-research-the-value-of-building-brand-trust" target="_blank"><strong>46% of consumers</strong></a> stating that they would pay more to purchase from brands they can trust and <a href="https://www.accenture.com/t20181205t121039z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/thought-leadership-assets/pdf/accenture-competitiveagility-gcpr-pov.pdf#zoom=50" target="_blank"><strong>66% of consumers</strong></a> choosing <strong>transparency as one of the most attractive qualities in a brand</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">When it comes to marketing to millennials, <a href="https://www.prdaily.com/report-83-of-millennials-want-brands-to-align-with-them-on-values/" target="_blank"><strong>83% want brands to have the same values</strong></a> as they do, whereas <strong>Gen-Z consumers prioritise authenticity when selecting a brand to engage with</strong>, and are more likely to buy from those that support relatable social causes. As a matter of fact, <a href="https://www.pwc.com/us/en/advisory-services/publications/consumer-intelligence-series/pwc-consumer-intelligence-series-customer-experience.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>64% of consumers</strong></a> from all demographics say that they would buy from a brand or boycott it solely because of its position on a social or political issue.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In this era of authenticity, <strong>how do you begin driving brand loyalty and what role does brand purpose play in this?</strong> Our experts <strong>Claire Lamb</strong> and <strong>Stephen Brunt</strong> share everything you need to know:</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/793195843" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div> <figcaption>Claire Lamb and Stephen Brunt on brand purpose and authenticity, from the Building and Nurturing Authentic Brand Loyalty workshop.</figcaption> </figure> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">03</span>Key Approaches to Measuring Brand Loyalty</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">Building brand loyalty can help establish a sense of identity, <strong>amplify reach across channels, improve retention rates and ultimately boost revenue.</strong></p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Take a researched approach to measuring brand loyalty <strong>by directly asking customers and prospects</strong> <strong>their opinions</strong> on your brand experience, then use those insights to start to inform your strategy and <strong>understand strengths or weakness of your brand attributes</strong>. You want to find out about things that customers care about, and are looking for in a provider."<cite>Hayley Goff · Chief Operating Officer, Whiteoaks International</cite></blockquote> <aside class="gn-callout gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-callout__label">What this means for you</div> <h4>Questions to ask when measuring brand loyalty</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Are you meeting or exceeding current customer expectations?</strong></li> <li><strong>Do your customers trust you as a brand and how do you maintain this?</strong></li> <li><strong>Is the sentiment that customers have towards your brand favourable?</strong></li> <li><strong>What are the things that customers value?</strong></li> <li><strong>What brand attributes do your customers recognise and care about?</strong></li> <li><strong>How likely is it that a customer is going to recommend your brand?</strong></li> </ul> </aside> <p class="gn-reveal">You can then implement these measurements into different strategies and tactics to build relationships with customers.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Hayley</strong> also highlights <strong>retention rates, customer longevity, growth of accounts, engagement on social media</strong> as key measurements when determining a successful brand loyalty strategy.</p> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">04</span>6 Ways to Form Authentic Brand-Audience Engagement</h2> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#1 – Front-of-mind tactics</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex </strong>says, "traditional methods like PR, and now digital PR <strong>help raise brand awareness and ensures your brand is in the right place at the right time</strong>. As an example, if you're an electrical brand, it's making sure that you are consistently appearing in reviews and 'Top 10' listicles.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In support of this, <a href="https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews" target="_blank"><strong>a recent survey by Trustpilot</strong></a> found that <strong>89% of consumers check online reviews</strong> <strong>before making a purchase</strong>, highlighting the importance of getting your brand reviews in front of audiences.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#2 – Hero activity</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex</strong> says, "hero activity that gets your name out there in terms of big event and stunts that catch the eye can help build brand-audience engagement."</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#3 – Talent partnerships and 'brand ambassadors'</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex </strong>says, "as consumers become more cynical, brands must employ the right talent partnerships that portray a sense of authenticity, we're now moving into an age of brand ambassadors, that seem to have a genuine relationship with a brand. <strong>They use the products and have a good understanding of the industry rather than just regurgitating key messages</strong>.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#4 – Social media</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex</strong> says, "with social media, you've got direct customer engagement and the use of organic content and paid ads, <strong>this can be very reactive which is good for brands as you can control the messaging</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Social media engagement can help harbour brand loyalty</strong> by recognising what audiences are engaging with and doing more of that as well as identifying who are engaging with your content to <strong>construct the type of customer that is loyal to your brand from a wider audience base</strong> – whether this be people from a certain sector, demographic, or background.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#5 – Physical activation</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex </strong>says, in regards to the food industry, "<strong>seeing is believing,</strong> an advert might look delicious on the page but until you actually taste it, you wouldn't know what it's like. Therefore, having events where you give testers out for free can <strong>instantly build a real brand-audience engagement at the point of sale, which can ultimately lead to greater ROI</strong> and potentially lure consumers who have a strong brand loyalty with competitors.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#6 – Customer comms</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">For marketers, taking advantage of a brand's first-party data is key to creating the type of seamless and personalized experiences that can take brand-audience engagement to the next level. <strong>Consumers consider every interaction — from emails received to purchases made — as part of their relationship with a brand.</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex </strong>says, "email is a great way to build strong brand-audience relationships, but <strong>making sure that you follow up and don't bombard customers with it</strong>. There are also a variety of other channels to use to strengthen communication with your audience, the most important thing is finding where <strong>your customers react the best on – based on insight – and then utilising that channel</strong>.</p> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">05</span>Driving Buy-in, Demonstrating Success, and Investing in Support</h2> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Proof of concept when driving loyalty building</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">With over <a href="https://fortunly.com/statistics/brand-loyalty-statistics/" target="_blank"><strong>82% of business leaders</strong></a> stating that customer retention is more cost-effective than new acquisitions and repeat buyers spending <a href="https://www.invespcro.com/blog/customer-acquisition-retention/" target="_blank"><strong>33% on average</strong></a> than new purchasers, <strong>Claire</strong> argues that driving internal buy-in <strong>lies within such stats that are relevant for your brand loyalty goals.</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal">She adds, when driving your brand loyalty strategy, "<strong>to start with something that's easily measurable</strong>, like customer retention rates, and test it to see if there is a change – if not – <strong>you can adapt your approach with little disruption.</strong></p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Frameworks and considerations</h3> <aside class="gn-quote gn-reveal"><q>Happiness is built on three things: an optimistic view of the future, a positive experience in the present, and a positive memory of the past.</q><cite>Stephen Brunt · Planning Director, The Behaviours Agency</cite></aside> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Stephen </strong>says, "The role of happiness, psychology, in creating loyalty is to understand the set expectations for audiences. If brands are building those three elements into their framework, it's a really good way of making sure that consumers stay loyal. As you stay positive in their mind, after the purchase, you give them a positive experience at the time, <strong>which is built around their own expectations</strong> and you're making sure that the future feels positive, <strong>because their expectations are optimistic about you</strong>.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Investing in external support</h3> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"<strong>Agency relationships should be built on collaboration</strong> – they should be able to tell you why a creative idea will work based on insight and research of their own. More importantly, they should know why a particular strategy is going to <strong>deliver a greater return on investment.</strong>"<cite>Alex Halls · Account Director, Hatch Group</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">He adds, "boring ideas that are based on research is the right way to go when wanting results as opposed to a flashy idea that looks creative on paper but has little research behind it."</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Hayley</strong> highlights, that before collaborating with agencies, "<strong>you must have the resources to make it successful</strong>, such as, having upstate access to the list of customers to contacts or having the time to approve and review the materials that needs to be done, <strong>otherwise investment in external support will ultimately fail.</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex </strong>adds, "<strong>agency support can offer an abundance of expertise for the same cost as hiring someone internally</strong>, who may not have that amount of expertise or resource."</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><em>If you're investing in a Brand Loyalty strategy this year, make sure you're getting the most from your time. The GO Network offer cost-free agency recommendations, pitch management, and more.</em> <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/get-in-touch" target="_blank"><strong><em>Get in touch</em></strong></a><em> to get started.</em></p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/playback-community-by-design-how-brands-build-loyal-audiences-through-purpose-and-connection-v1" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Playback: Community by Design: How Brands Build Loyal Audiences Through Purpose and Connection</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Senior brand leaders reveal how to turn shared values into real advocacy, measure retention, and balance authenticity with commercial goals.</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/building-and-nurturing-authentic-brand-loyalty-with-your-audience" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Building and Nurturing Authentic Brand Loyalty with Your Audience</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Brands with strong loyalty grow revenue 2.5x faster. Discover what most agencies get wrong and how to build authentic audience connections t</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/boosting-your-cx-strategy-with-customer-communication-ux-and-research" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Boosting your Strategy with Customer Communication, UX, and Research</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Cross-business experts break down rising customer expectations and share a proven framework for closing experience gaps and turning clients </span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/community-by-design-how-brands-build-loyal-audiences-through-purpose-and-connection" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Community by Design: How Brands Build Loyal Audiences Through Purpose and Connection</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Senior brand leaders share how purpose, authenticity, and owned platforms drive loyalty, advocacy, and measurable community-led growth in 20</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside>