In our previous blog post, we touched upon the neuroscientific foundations of consumer brand loyalty. In particular, we emphasized the role of empathy and mirror neurons. In this week’s blog post, we will focus on the cognitive foundations of consumer loyalty. We will also provide detailed information about the strategies used to ensure customer loyalty. In his research, Oliver developed a four-stage model of the customer loyalty process. According to this model, customers develop a cognitive loyalty in the first stage, then they move to the emotional stage. Then they reach the behavioral loyalty stage and finally move to the action loyalty stage (Oliver, 1999: 35).
First of all, reward actions are very important in ensuring customer loyalty. Rewarding, which is considered as a motivator that directs customers to repeat desired behaviors, is an important strategy for businesses in establishing and maintaining long-term customer relationships and thus creating customer loyalty.
Rewarding is associated with brain chemicals. Dopamine is also associated with expected rewards. The anticipation of a reward can increase dopamine levels, which makes a person more likely to engage in certain behaviors to increase the chances of winning a reward. customers can be rewarded in many different ways. For example, discount coupons can act on the customer’s reward mechanism. The release of dopamine not only creates the immediate feeling of reward, but also plays an important role in learning and motivation processes. Again, motivation to buy may increase for the reward. The brain learns which behaviors are rewarding and is motivated to repeat them.
Another customer loyalty component is customer habit. Here, the customer’s comfort zone, especially about the product and brand, comes to the fore. The comfort zone is determined by the individual’s daily routines and habits. Seeing the brand in the comfort zone, despite the unknown of another product or brand, usually provides low stress and anxiety for the customer. Again, the comfort zone provides a sense of security. The brain is better at managing familiar and predictable situations. We will focus on the behavioral phase of customer loyalty in an upcoming blog post.
Reference: Psychologist Merve Altındağ
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