Development of a conceptual framework for brand loyalty: A Euro-Mediterranean perspective

Abstract

Brand loyalty makes a critically valuable contribution to competitive advantage. High brand loyalty is an asset that lends itself to extension, high market share, high return on investment and ultimately high brand equity. The challenge for marketers is how to influence loyalty. Marketers have rushed to develop so-called loyalty schemes, but do not always appear to have considered the key elements of why consumers remain loyal to a brand. Brand loyalty has been one of the most discussed and most misunderstood marketing concepts of recent years; therefore, it is clearly a good time to revisit the concept of brand loyalty. First, a loyal customer and a satisfied customer are not necessarily the same thing. Customers may remain loyal for a number of reasons and may not even be happy with the product or service. A lack of customer defections does not necessarily indicate satisfied consumers. From the design of a new product to the extension of a mature brand, effective marketing strategies depend on a thorough understanding of the motivation, learning, memory and decision processes that influence what consumers buy. Subsequently, the issue of brand loyalty has been examined at great length in this article with a Euro-Mediterranean perspective.