The Inconvenient Truth about Brand Relationships

I purchased the same shaving cream for two decades. (Maybe more.) Edge, sensitive skin, in the bright orange can.

Sounds like a pretty brand loyal customer, right? Except one day, when my pharmacy was out of stock, I threw another brand in my basket. And I haven’t bought another can of Edge since.

Oddly—and somewhat disturbingly—that thought came to mind when I read about Al and Tipper Gore’s breakup last week.

On the surface, the Gores were a perfect couple. But, sadly, the relationship had grown familiar and stale, causing the two to grow apart.

As Tara Parker-Pope observed: “If there is a lesson from the Gore breakup, it’s that with marriage, you’re never done working on it.”

The same is true for brand relationships, which must be constantly renewed to stay vital and fresh. Marketers shouldn’t confuse low-involvement consumer buying habits for brand loyalty.