What is consumer loyalty and how to achieve it?

Each firm wants that consumers of its products remain so for as long as possible, and the volumes of their purchases are steadily increasing. As a rule, it is rather difficult to achieve this - we have to struggle to ensure that out of all goods and brands existing on the market, the consumer not only chose yours, but remained faithful to it for many years. In this article we will describe what customer loyalty is and how to fight for it.

In a broad sense, loyalty is, of course, a positive and benevolent attitude towards someone or something. Most often this term is used in the context of the adherence of the population of one or another authority, political party, regime and so on. For the concept of "consumer loyalty" the definition will be somewhat different. Most modern market scientists agree that this term means the established adherence of consumers to the same product or brand that has been formed and maintained for many years. Thus, consumer loyalty is not just a momentary preference, it is the rejection of any available alternative, and, more often, an immunity to changing prices.

To help readers understand what loyalty is, let's give an example. Let's say a consumer can choose from several brands of soap that exist on the market. In fact, all available types of this product perform the same function - cleansing the skin of dirt, and they perform it with approximately the same quality.

But ask any of your friends, do they really buy each other a soap of another brand? Most likely, they have been using the same Safeguard for a long time, Duru or Camay, and even if the price of a scrap with the usual smell increases, they still will not give preference to another kind.

Another clear example is the same seller on the market. If you are sure of the quality of the goods offered to them (especially if it is a question of dairy and perishable products), you will not go for a neighboring counter - on the contrary, you will even pay extra for leaving the best pieces for you. But he will also answer you the same - sometimes make presents like a free slice of butter or fruit from a private dacha, which he tore and drove "especially for you."

The example with the seller in the market is a primitive illustration of such marketing reception as the loyalty program is a whole complex of measures aimed at ensuring that the consumer remains true to the brand and makes repeated purchases in the foreseeable future. Such programs may include a system of cumulative discounts provided after purchases for a certain amount, as well as the distribution of various gifts and prizes. If you notice that there are leaflets in the mailbox with tempting offers from the manufacturers of the goods you buy, you know - they figured out what loyalty is and realized that the existing customer is much easier and more profitable to retain than to attract a new one. This principle can be attributed to the "golden rules" of marketing, because it is universal and works in all areas of activity.

About what loyalty is and how to improve it, scientists from all over the world constantly write, on this topic they defend candidate and doctoral dissertations in economics. It was the pursuit of it that led modern marketing to the kind in which it is now - not selling goods or services, not benefits, but caring for a customer who, as it turned out, is valued above all, let the consumer and understands that it is the next marketing Trick and manifests itself in order to obtain additional profit.