NEW YORK – CPG brands accounted for 11% of this year’s Loyalty Leaders in the 14th annual survey of brands conducted by Brand Keys (brandkeys.com), the New York-based loyalty and engagement research consultancy.  The survey showed that the CPG sector maintained strong loyalty bonds via an acknowledgment of increasing consumer expectations, consumers desire for greater choice, and the effects of online and omnichannel outreach. This year, all the CPG leaders leveraged emotional engagement to build stronger one-on-one relationships with consumers. All those loyalty insights are reflected in their positions on this year’s list.

This year 1,624 brands in 142 categories were examined in The Loyalty Leaders List, which reveals best-practice guidelines for creating and nurturing customer loyalty, yielding stronger bottom lines for brands. The 2022 Loyalty Leaders survey found a significant sorting-out of brands by consumers when it comes loyalty in the post-pandemic marketplace. “The significant re-distribution of loyalty identified in the 2022 loyalty rankings are leading-indicators of what a return-to-normalcy marketplace will look like,” noted Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys founder and president.

2022 Top-20 Brands On Loyalty Leaders List

Consumers ranked this year’s top-20 Loyalty Leaders as follows (#s in parentheses indicate 2021 loyalty rankings):

1. Apple: smartphones (#2)

2. Amazon: online retail (#1)

3. Domino’s: pizza (#4)

4. Disney+: video streaming (#6)

5. TikTok: social Networking (#21)

6. Pfizer: pharmaceuticals (new)

7. WhatsApp: instant messaging (#8)

8. Netflix: video streaming (#3)

9. Google: search engines (#7)

10. Amazon: video streaming (#5)

11. Nike: athletic footwear (#10)

12. MSNBC: cable news (#31)

13. Discover: credit cards (#12)

14. Apple TV: streaming video (#20)

15. Instagram: social networking (#9)

16. Home Depot: home improvement (#11)

17. Samsung: smartphones (#14)

18. Dunkin’: coffee (#22)

19. Hyundai: automotive (#17)

20. Apple: tablets (#15)

Categories Making Up 2022’s Top-100 Brands

This year, some sectors saw more loyalty than others.

Half the brands (51%) in the 2022 Loyalty Leaders List fell into three general categories:

• Retail (22%)

• Food & Beverages (16%)

• Technology (13%)

The remaining Loyalty Leaders List was represented by brands in Consumer Packaged Goods and Entertainment (11% each), Automotive (9%), Financial (8%), and Social Networking (7%).

Six Brands New To Loyalty Leaders List

Shared and intersecting consumer values – critical behavioral indicators – led consumers to “promote” six new brands to the Top 100 Loyalty Leaders:

• Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods

• Moderna and Pfizer

• Paramount +

• Tesla

“New brands entering the top 100 are early-indicators of consumer value migration,” said Passikoff.  “Plant-based meat substitutes and Electric Vehicles, while different sectors, represent similar values other brand categories should attend to. It’s hard to miss precedents as regards sustainability and being green and new pharmaceutical brands ties to health and wellness.”

Loyalty Leaders and Losers

“Loyalty is never unalterable, which is why it’s critical for brands to monitor movement up and down the Loyalty Leaders List,” noted Passikoff. A brand’s change in loyalty-rank always predicts future consumer behavior. The stronger the loyalty, the higher on the list, the more positive  consumers’ behavior. Better behavior always equals a better bottom line. “The pandemic and breaks in the supply chain have had their moment-in-time effects, but loyalty always wins in the end,” added Passikoff.

The dozen brands with largest loyalty-list gains this year included:

• State Farm (+25)

• MSNBC (+19)

• Costco (+18)

• McDonald’s (+17)

• TikTok and Sam’s Club (+16 each)

• Walmart.com (+15)

• Apple TV and Chobani (+12 each)

• Dollar Tree and Mattel (+11 each)

• Levi Strauss (+10).

The dozen brands that saw greatest losses in customer loyalty-rank included:

• Purell (-52)

• Clorox (-41)

• Lowe’s (-23)

• Facebook (-17)

• New Balance (-14)

• Spotify (-13)

• Lyft (-12)

• Ralph Lauren (-11)

• Jeep, Starbucks, Call of Duty, and Budweiser (-10 each).

Why Consumers Are Loyal To Your Brand

“Loyalty is about emotional brand connection and consumers’ mostly-emotional expectations. Connect and meet expectations and your brand will always do better. Better engagement, consideration, and purchase,” noted Passikoff.

The 2022 Loyalty Leaders List demonstrates that brands with high levels of loyalty can emerge from pandemic flashpoints and economic rollercoasters stronger than before. Brands that make loyalty, engagement and expectations a priority not only appear high on our Loyalty Leaders List, more importantly, they show up high on consumers’ shopping lists.