Love, Trust, and Tribalism: The Psychology of Brand Loyalty (and What It Means for Brand Tracking)

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Let’s start with lentils.

Not data. Not brand equity curves. Lentils.

Specifically: Kallø Beetroot Veggie Cakes. Crunchy, salty, lentil-packed goodness - so good they’ve become a permanent fixture in my kitchen and a running joke among friends and colleagues. I've converted at least 30 people. I could sell these better than their own CMO.

Then there’s ButtaNut’s pecan-macadamia nut butter - basically liquid gold in a jar. I've carried sachets in my handbag just so I could evangelise mid-conversation. Superkeen Cereal? I posted it to my son’s school parents group. A rare occasion where I’ve showed up in that chat.

These aren’t just foods. They’re part of how I express identity. They’re how I want to be seen. They’re me.

So, hold that thought...

And Now… Pizza Express

Family dinner, post-school chaos, Sloppy Giuseppe in hand. We go every month or so. The kids love it. I like it too. But here’s the difference:

I’ve never raved about Pizza Express. Never offered it up as a recommendation. Never converted a single soul.
It’s convenient. Reliable. But I could switch tomorrow and not feel a thing.

And yet, if you mapped my behaviour, I’d be Pizza Express’s dream customer. High frequency. Regular spend. Brand loyal on paper.

But in truth? No emotional loyalty. No tribe. No love.
And if your tracker only sees me as a data point in the funnel, you’ll miss the whole story.

Brand Love Is Messy. Most Trackers Don’t Do Messy.

We talk about brand loyalty as if it’s rational. As if people make repeat choices based on price, convenience, performance.

But real loyalty doesn’t work like that.

Real loyalty is irrational. Emotional. Tribal. Stubborn.

And if your brand tracker is clean, neat and logical, then it’s probably missing the point.

Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On

Here are three forces at play in the psychology of brand loyalty - none of which sit neatly inside a standard KPI dashboard.

1. Social Identity Theory

They are me. I am them.

We don’t just buy brands. We join them.

Henri Tajfel’s theory shows how humans instinctively form groups - us vs them. And brands are no exception. Think Apple vs Android. This isn’t about spec sheets. It’s about signal. It’s about tribe.

I switched from Apple to Android for a folding phone. But my hesitation wasn’t technical. It was emotional. It was about what the switch said about me.

The car you drive. The milk you buy. The software you present with. These aren’t just preferences. They’re projections.

Your tracker should be asking:

- Does this brand feel like me?

- Would I want to be seen using it?

- Would I defend it to someone else?

Because that’s what brand affinity really looks like.

2. Cognitive Dissonance

Regret vs Rationalise

Loyalty isn’t just love. It’s defence.

You’ve just bought a £400 Dyson hairdryer. Your friend says, “You know that Shark one’s just as good and only £150.”

Now you have a choice:

1. Admit you wasted money.

2. Double down. “But the airflow! The design!”

Guess which one wins.

We don’t just defend brands; we defend our own decisions. And that makes tracking sentiment over time seriously tricky.

People will defend a brand through controversy, bad service, even scandal. Not because the brand is right, but because they want to feel right.

If you’re only tracking “intent to switch”, you’re missing the force field around that intent. You need to measure emotional investment.

- How much mental effort would it take to walk away?

- How much of themselves do customers see in the brand?

That’s the real battleground.

3. Emotional Branding

We don’t buy products. We buy feelings.

McDonald’s doesn’t sell burgers. It sells nostalgia.
Whole Foods sells moral indulgence.
Octopus Energy sells freedom from feeling ripped off.

It’s not about the category. It’s about how people feel when they choose you. And how they feel after they’ve chosen you.

For some, comfort is childhood. For others, it’s rebellion. And the best brands track both.

But traditional trackers stop short. Trial ≠ love. Satisfaction ≠ advocacy. Usage ≠ identity.

You’ve got to go deeper:

- What does this brand make me feel?

- Do I want others to know I feel it?

- Would I miss it if it disappeared?

Because in the end, you're not competing for attention.
You're competing for identity.

This Kind of Loyalty Exists Everywhere – Even Where You Don’t Expect It

Retail? Sure. Food? Absolutely. But we’ve seen this same tribalism in insurance. Utilities. Finance. Even B2B.

- Monzo feels like the future.

- Octopus feels like the only one not out to get you.

- Slack feels like a club you’re happy to be in.

When you understand emotional connection, you stop tracking what’s been bought, and start tracking why someone would care if they couldn’t buy it again.