Heard a marketing VP say brand loyalty is dead at a networking breakfast in Dearborn

I was grabbing a coffee before my first delivery and overheard this guy talking to someone. He said nobody under 40 cares about a brand name anymore, they just buy whatever has the best reviews on Amazon or TikTok that week. Made me think about all the flyers and mailers I still see companies sending out. Are we all just throwing money at something that stopped working 5 years ago? Has anyone else noticed this shift in how their customers decide what to buy?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_young924h ago

I don't know if it's really that black and white... like yeah, people aren't as loyal to Ford as they used to be, but look at how many folks line up for the new iPhone every year. That's still brand loyalty, just a different kind. Maybe it's more about the product actually working than the name on it. Feels like that VP was just hyping up his own job.

martin.riley4h ago

I read this marketing professor's take the other day who said brand loyalty now is more about convenience and habit than any deep emotional connection. Totally agree with you @charles_young92, people still line up for things that actually work without hassle.

nathan1003h ago

My brother-in-law still buys the same brand of dish soap his mom used in the 90s, even though he admits the generic store brand works just as well (maybe better). It's not loyalty at that point, it's just muscle memory from years of reaching for the same bottle on the shelf. I see it all the time with people at my local coffee shop too, they'll complain about the price hike but still grab the same cup because they don't want to think about it at 7am. That convenience factor feels way stickier than any emotional bond with a logo, honestly.

-1