If Jane comes to your store every Saturday and spends $50, would you consider Jane a loyal customer? Driven by concerns about the bottom line, businesses often define loyalty based on how much consumers spend and how often they buy. But digging a little deeper into the psychological reasons behind “loyalty” can reveal important insight and help identify effective target marketing strategies.
In Jane’s situation, there are two possible reasons behind her “loyal” patronage: (1) she genuinely likes your products and services, and therefore, when need arises, she always comes to your store to make a purchase; (2) she comes to your store out of habit, whenever she’s on her way to visit her grandma on Saturdays. In other words, both habit and true loyalty can drive Jane’s seemingly loyal behavior, and your optimal marketing strategy should be different based on the exact reason involved. Let’s dissect this a little further, shall we?
