Last year a ClickFox survey found Apple scored highest in brand loyalty.
This year, a similar survey found Apple once again in the top spot. More than one in four (28%) voted Apple as the top brand consumer can’t live without. None of the other top 5 (Starbucks, Google, Microsoft and Amazon) cracked 4%.
Asked why they picked that brand, consumers picked these as the top 3 “crucial” factors: brand quality (60%), ease of use (46%) and features (40%). However, these overall results are probably skewed by Apple’s dominance as a favorite brand.
OK, so what? These results look much like other loyalty/brand surveys. I discussed the survey with ClickFox VP of Marketing Jeff Gossman, who said these findings stood out:
- Loyalty programs don’t drive loyalty as much as good products and services. Still, about half favored price.
- First impressions really matter. Brands were most likely to become a consumer’s “favorite” during the initial purchase.
- There’s only one Apple. Consumers can only be loyal to a very small number of brands on a daily basis.
- Over time, loyalty shifts from things to services. Younger consumers tended to favor cell phones and PCs, while their elders had a stronger bond with banks and credit cards.
- Bad service and quality are biggest detractors. Again, no surprise and much the same as the 2012 results.
Regarding outbound communications, consumer have a strong preference for email over phones and other channels. When consumers initiate the search, web and email were a near tie. So much for the death of email!
Keep in mind that these results are based on a small sample (304) that is not necessarily representative. Demographics are skewed towards more affluent, male (58%) consumers in the US.
Here’s an infographic summarizing the survey.
Source: ClickFox
