Published Online:March 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Brand Management
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJBRM030325
DOI:10.71329/IUPJBRM/2025.22.1.62-72
Author Name:Nimal C N, Manju M Mathew and Bindhu Ann Thomas
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:62-72
Brand perception is a key area in marketing. Brands succeed or fail depending on the marketer’s ability to influence the prospective customers’ minds. Purchase behavior, especially new customer acquisition, largely depends on a brand’s equity. One of the key determinants of the strength of a brand is brand loyalty. There is a common refrain in recent years that brand loyalty, or the consumer’s affinity to and preference to buy a particular brand consistently instead of any other brand in the product category, is declining. In other words, customers are no more brand loyal. Through a review of literature, the paper studies whether brand loyalty is coming down; what is the reason for this decline, if any; and the question whether brand loyalty itself is becoming redundant. It is observed that it is customer loyalty, which is dependent on the product features and benefits, that has taken a hit, and not brand loyalty, which is an emotional spin-off. Also, it is found that brand custodian has a major role to play in building and sustaining brand loyalty.
Proper branding and the resultant equity reduce risk perception among customers. This helps them buy the branded product without the inherent fear that it will not be up to their expectations and hence not value for the money spent. This leads to repeat purchase, a measure of loyalty, which in turn, is a very important aspect of brand equity. As pe