Brands are bleeding loyalty. Shoppers don’t care about your logo—they care about value, vibe, and who’s telling the story.
Expert Insights
Expert 1 – EY Future Consumer Index
Experts at EY report brand loyalty slipping fast: consumers now buy based on value, quality, purpose—not just names. Private labels are stealing share while big brands cling to outdated loyalty tactics. EY says “Brands that don’t adapt will struggle, while those that evolve can capture new loyalty”.
Expert 2 – Forbes + Okoone data
Okoone shows loyalty dropped from 80% to 70% between 2022 and 2023, driven by price sensitivity and personalization demands . Forbes confirms shoppers trust influencers more than brands—74% of consumers buy stuff because an influencer said so.
Our Take
Loyalty isn’t dead—it’s radical. Consumers treat brands like apps—download, use, delete, repeat. They jump because:
- Price beats familiarity. Inflation forces smart spending.
- Influencer trust beats advertising. Real voices win.
- Digital glitches kill loyalty. One buggy app experience and poof—you’re gone.
3 Game‑Changing Action Items
- Launch Micro‑Ambassador Programs: Identify 50 small‑scale influencers who genuinely love your brand. Send them products and let them review organically—no scripts. Give them UGC tools. Their posts: raw, from the trenches. Authenticity sells more than polished ads.
- Build “Value‑Drop” Bundles: Create rotating $20 bundles with overruns or last-season items. Sell them exclusively through email and social. Limited stock + insider pricing = community and urgency. This turns cost-sensitivity into loyalty.
- Implement “Zero‑Pain” Digital Fixes: Audit your app/website checkout funnel. Every fix costs money—start tracking ROI. Deploy hotfixes monthly. Announce them: “We fixed cart crash—your checkout just got smoother.” Digital reliability becomes brand credibility.
Loyalty now lives in value, trust, and friction-free experience. Brands must stop selling logos and start solving real problems. Keep value high. Keep tech tight. And let real voices lead.
Written by Karina Martirosyan
