Video rental service Netflix has overtaken Apple to top a US consumer loyalty survey, which has found that customer decision making brand engagement are increasingly being driven by innovation and the total experience of interacting with products and services.
Some 528 brands in 79 categories were assessed for the 15th annual Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI), which involved face-to-face, telephone and online interviews with 46,000 consumers. The top 10 brands came in as follows:
1. Netflix
2. Apple
3. Walgreens
4. Discover
5. Hyundai
6. Mary Kay
7. McDonald’s
8. J. Crew
9. Samsung
10. Nikon
“Brand value has increasingly been defined not through the narrow lens of price, but in terms of the total experience that consumers have when they interact with a given brand,” said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys. “This year’s results demonstrate that concept has truly taken hold, with virtually every category (93pc) showing its greatest increase in expectations in the purchase drivers centered on attributes that most strongly impact the customers’ overall experience.”
According to Passikoff, the CLEI data is predictive of coming shifts in the consumer marketplace - 12 to 18 months before it shows up in traditional research. “Given the levels of commoditisation we’ve witnessed in product/service delivery and pricing/promotion strategies it is no surprise consumers are looking for their favourite brands to make a real difference - to delight them - in their lives,” he said.
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