Emotional and experiential effects on customer brand loyalty

Much research has been conducted about how emotions and experiences affect customer behaviour. However, little is known about whether there is a direct link between emotions and customer experiences on the one hand and true brand loyalty on the other hand in the German food sector. Due to mature markets and globalisation, competition is currently fierce in most industries. Brands and products become more similar to each other with regard to product functionality and quality. Therefore, it is today more important than ever for organisations to know how to differentiate themselves from competitors in order to increase their customers' loyalty towards them. True brand loyalty is highly important for organisations as it can not only lead to increased sales among the customer base, but also to positive word of mouth and brand support. However, it seems to be clear that true brand loyalty is not possible for all products and markets. Oliver argues that for products with low consumer involvement true brand loyalty will not be built. It is assumed, that consumption emotions and brand experiences are positively correlated to brand loyalty in the German food sector. Additionally, it is expected that brand loyalty is higher among older generations because the phenomena multi-brand loyalty and variety seeking developed among the younger ones. Furthermore, women are suspected to show greater brand loyalty than men because gender is often cited to effect consumer behaviour. This book intends to clarify these issues with regard to the German food industry.