In many sectors, customer loyalty is believed to be a make-or-break factor in the success of a business. But what differentiates loyalty from habitual purchases? We spoke to neuroscientist Cyrus McCandless to understand the spectrum of loyalty and habit when it comes to consumer-brand engagement.
- Sector
Dr. Cyrus H. McCandless is a neuroscientist-turned-marketing expert who is the vice president of scientific discovery and innovation at Sentient Decision Science. His support and research on neurophysiology helped him win four federally-funded awards to further bolster his knowledge creation on behavioural and cognitive neuroscience.
Riani Kenyon is a caffeinated Zillennial who is hopelessly addicted to The Sims 4 and binge-watches her latest anime obsession when she’s not busy bopping to early 2000’s K-pop. Beyond being a nerd, she has worked on initiatives for the UN Academic Impact and the UK Model WHO, and also explored politics while interning at the House of Commons.
Personal Worlds
- macro behaviour·
- LAST UPDATED 12 Mar 2024
Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.
Compulsive Convenience
- macro behaviour·
- LAST UPDATED 1 May 2024
Speed and convenience have become the consumer norm. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when people worldwide were introduced to instant access to goods and services via apps and digital platforms, the supply and demand considerably grew and splintered. The 'I need it now' culture shows no signs of slowing down, ye...
Does inflation mean the end of grocery brand loyalty?
- report·
- 14 Sep 2022
Faced with the highest inflation rates in the G7, British grocery shoppers are increasingly looking to save money by choosing discounter supermarkets and own- or private-label products over the more expensive, heritage brands. What does this mean for future brand loyalty?
Will dupe culture change brand loyalty?
- report·
- 1 Sep 2022
Dupes – skin and beauty products that perform near-identically to brand name mainstays and holy grails – are on the rise. Blogs and TikTokers help savvy consumers to get the effect they want without breaking the bank, meaning that brand names might struggle to maintain loyalty and keep up.
Costco: customer loyalty in financial uncertainty
- case study·
- 30 Jan 2023
Amid high rates of inflation and a cost of living crisis, grocery shoppers are increasingly prioritizing affordability over brand loyalty. However, with a 93% membership renewal rate, Costco is demonstrating how supermarket chains can maintain and attract budget-seeking customers.
Burger King uses serendipity to boost loyalty in NYC
- signal·
- 8 Dec 2022
Burger King celebrated the Whopper's birthday with a large-scale activation in Times Square. Customers registered with the chain's loyalty scheme were rewarded with free burgers, creating a real-world experience that helped to strengthen brand-customer bonds at a time of economic uncertainty.