Brand Loyalty and Innovation

Brand loyalty is a definite outcome of successful marketing and customer satisfaction. Brand loyalty comes after a company is able to successfully market their products while satisfying the customer. In my eyes, customer satisfaction is the key in establishing a strong brand with loyal customers. Looking at the brands in which I feel loyal to, I first think of Honda. Growing up, my parents owned a Honda Accord and I always saw it as a dependable car that never had issues. I saw that my parents were very satisfied and always thought highly of the Honda brand. Then in high school, my parents gave me the car and I began to have even greater brand satisfaction/loyalty. I saw many of my friends having issues with their cars and saw that my car had never had any problems. As a customer, I saw Honda’s product as being very reliable. I would see their marketing produced by Honda which definitely stressed the ideas of reliability. The company would promote things like “Car of the Year” and “Voted most dependable car”. This built my own personal brand loyalty to Honda as I continued to see it as a strong car maker.  Ultimately when it came time to buy a new car, Honda was the first place I stopped as I knew exactly what I would be getting (dependable, reliable car). Although I actually did not get a Honda because I found another car that I loved, I still continue to have a strong feeling toward the brand after so many years of customer satisfaction.

 

Drucker’s idea of innovation also applies to customers with brand loyalty. I strongly feel that for companies to maintain brand loyalty, there must be constant emphasis on innovation. In my previous example of Honda, the company year after year has created products to satisfy customers. They would change models every year to stay innovative but at the same time having that dependability and reliability. Another example that makes me think of innovation and brand loyalty is Calvin Klein. Like many apparel companies, Calvin Klein has a brand is known for a certain style or fashion. Customers will continue coming back to the company knowing that they will get a fashionable shirt or accessory. Drucker’s beliefs of marketing and innovation are seen in this company as it is able to constantly innovate to please customers. Calvin Klein will “innovate” every season in order to please its customers and maintain that brand loyalty. Customers will continue coming back to that company as long as it innovates. I feel that added innovation will sustain brand loyalty.