Canadian Marketing Blog

It's your turn - Monogamy or Polygamy

How we go about interacting with the world around us is formed in part by some basic beliefs that help structure our perceptions. Simple things like 'is the glass half full or half empty' uncover deeper seated perceptions of growth Vs decline/ opportunity Vs defeatism in the situation at hand. And so in the spirit of these ‘simple’ questions – I put forward the following for your consideration and comment.

Do you think customers are essentially monogamous or polygamous in their brand preferences?

I know there are a lot of if’s, and’s, or’s and but’s – however after stripping everything down to its core - do the majority of customers have an innate need to stay with one thing for life– or do they need variety seek to avoid risk by hedging their bets.

Is the customer we attract:
ours for the loosing by way of a bad experience/broken promise or staleness
or for the keeping via a shared evolving relationship?

Can we build a brand strong enough to stand the test of time?

Are there any brands in your personal life that you have been monogamous with from the very beginning?

Obviously there are no right or wrong answers – but I'ld love to hear your viewpoint.

Miro,

I hate to do it, but I think the answer is: It depends.

From personal experience I can say that there are some brands I will stick by no matter what. Take my car, for example. I love my Ford Mustang, but will do just about anything to avoid having it serviced at a Ford dealership. I’ve visited four different dealers and have yet to have anything resembling a “Blue Oval” experience, so I go to my trusted neighborhood mechanic for most all of my car’s service needs. Although I’m loyal to the car brand – Mustang – I have no loyalty to the manufacturer – Ford – and work diligently to avoid giving its dealers any of my service dollars.

So, can you form life-long brand loyalty that lasts until, as you say, it’s lost by bad experience? Well, I bought myself my first Mustang at 17. I’m now 44 and after three years of owning my current Mustang I still smile every time I see it. That said, if I can’t find a dealer I’m happy with, I may ultimately decide to change brands once my current car is the age where it starts to need more frequent attention.

On the other hand, there’s a restaurant in my neighborhood that I used to love. It was a staple of “I want a quick bite out close by.” Unfortunately, the level of service has declined to the point where the quality of the food is no longer a draw. I’d rather eat elsewhere than experience the apathetic service this restaurant now offers.

I think most brands have the challenge of keeping customers’ interest over the long term. Most people like to try new things or may be tempted by a discount or trend or simple curiosity. To me, that’s why loyalty programs are a staple of most marketing strategies.

Car makers could market to me with their last dime and even with my dealer challenges I’ll stick with my Mustang. PC manufacturers could offer me a free vacation with a new laptop and I’d still say, “No thanks, I’m a Mac user.” But tempt me with a new cleaning product that saves me time or a new flavor of some too-delicious snack and watch me drop my old brand like a hot potato.

Perhaps it’s not monogamy or polygamy, after all. Perhaps it’s serial monogamy: I love this one thing right now most of all, until the next better thing comes along, and then I’ll love that one thing most of all.

Miro:

I don't like to jump on any bandwagon, but would agree with Ginger's ascertain that it depends.

My personal experiences are also similar to Ginger's regarding loyalty to my automobile brand. I like GM, specifically the Pontiac brand, for several reasons but stem from a long family history of loyalty. I'm now driving my second and consecutive Grand Prix GT and have owned/leased several Pontiacs over the years. Unlike Ginger's bad experience with Ford dealership service, I have no complaints about my local Pontiac dealer. I realize I pay a premium for oil changes and other maintenance service outside of warranty, but since I lease my car, I feel better about maintaining a service history at the dealer, in the event there's ever a dispute (yes, I was burned about 20 years ago) when I return the vehicle at close of lease. In addition, I'm always treated well by my service advisor. So, there you have it!

I would also suggest that there are many factors and variables (too many to list) at play that span a consumer's attitudinal and behavioural drivers that affect brand loyalty. Personally, I have an aversion to shopping (like most typical guys), so when faced with having to run shopping errands, I seek the most convenient shopping option and experience within proximity to my home. The fact that I'm also time starved, is a factor at play.

Within 5 km of my home are at least 6 grocery stores - some premium, some discount, some big box, some in between. Even though there's a Loblaws grocery store that I prefer to shop at because from my perspective, it has a better selection (breadth & depth), consistent quality (meat, fruit, vegetables), wide clean ailes, stocked shelves, I often avoid it due to congested parking and long wait time checking out. So, I go to Sobey's that's somewhat comparable, has easier access to parking and is not as busy hence shorter check-outs, but lacks some of the premium store's primary and attractive attributes. The conscience compromise I make is driven by the value of my time and ease of convenience.

I also purchase my gasoline at a local Shell station because it's right around the corner from my house; again, based on time and convenience, even though there are several other gas stations in my local neighbourhood that might have lower prices, but requires a bit more time and effort to reach them.

In closing, looking at my consumer profile, one might conclude that I'm a monogamous based on the examples I cited above, which are some but necessarily totally representative of my entire brand purchase behaviour and preferences.

Hope this helps the discussion!

Phil

hi mira
I agree with Phil..but at the same time sticking to a brand wholly depends on a persons perspective of looking at things. Some like small cars that demand less attention and can be maintained by common man like nissan micra...and some people like to use only iconinc brands like ferari bmw..so it all depends on what financial position you are, what kind of things interest you and finally what kind of fashionable person you are. I mean some people like unique fashions, some designer and some goes to normal ones who care just for the comfort and goodness.

cheers