“Brand love” is a phrase that comes up a lot in marketing when talking about consumer loyalty. It’s the idea that if customers feel strongly about your brand, they’ll keep coming back. However, when you look at how people actually behave, loyalty isn’t as simple as just loving a brand.

What we actually find is that some customers are genuine advocates; they’ll recommend you, talk about you, and actively choose you even when there are other options. Whereas others buy from you repeatedly, but mostly because it’s familiar, easy or part of their routine.

Both groups look loyal on the surface, yet underneath they’re very different. And from a research perspective, that difference matters.

Buying out of habit is incredibly common

A lot of repeat purchasing has very little to do with emotion; it’s driven by familiarity, convenience and the fact that something works well enough.

Many people go to the same supermarket each week because it’s close and they know the layout. Or they keep using the same software because it’s already set up. Or they reorder from the same supplier because it’s straightforward and low risk.

None of this is particularly passionate behaviour, but it leads to consistent purchases usage over long periods of time. Our habits are powerful, and once they’re formed, they can be extremely stable.

In B2B markets especially, this type of loyalty is everywhere; businesses stay with a payment provider, agency or professional service not because they feel emotionally connected, but because the relationship works. While consistently moving to the best supplier sounds good in theory, the reality is often that systems are integrated, teams know how things operate, and people find comfort in consistency.

True advocates behave very differently

Alongside these habitual buyers, there’s usually a much smaller group of genuine advocates.

These are the customers who go out of their way to recommend a brand; they talk about it positively, defend it if it’s criticised, and go out of their way to choose it even when it might be easier or cheaper to go elsewhere. They’re also the people most likely to influence others and bring in new customers. Ultimately, their connection to the brand is much stronger and more intentional.

On paper, both groups might look equally loyal since they buy regularly and they stick around, but the motivations behind their behaviours are not the same.

Why the difference matters

When brands treat all repeat customers as one group, it’s easy to overestimate how secure that loyalty really is.

Habitual buyers can be very steady, but they’re also more vulnerable to disruption. What we see in our research is that a better price, a simpler experience or a small change in routine can be enough to shift behaviour. Not because the customer has “fallen out of love”, but because the habit has been broken.

Advocates, on the other hand, are often more resilient. We find that their connection runs deeper, which means they’re more likely to stay through small frustrations and are less likely to switch for minor reasons.

If you don’t distinguish between these two types of loyalty, you risk being unable to evaluate how secure your customer base is. Plus, you miss the opportunity to communicate with your true advocates in a way that resonates and further builds loyalty.

Where research can help

This is where segmentation can bring clarity; instead of looking at loyalty as a single measure, it’s more useful to understand the different roles customers play. Some will be your true advocates, others are simply in a routine, and then some are only there until a better option appears.

When you start to separate those groups, patterns become clearer. You can see which customers are coming back through habit, and which are actively choosing you. You can also start to understand what might cause each group to stay, grow or move to a competitor.

A more grounded view of loyalty

While there’s nothing wrong with habitual loyalty, and for many categories it’s the foundation of steady, predictable revenue; it isn’t the same thing as advocacy, and it’s important for brands to differentiate between the two.

Some customers stay because they genuinely believe in what you do, while others stay because it’s easy and familiar. Both these groups matter, but they behave differently over time.

For brands, recognising that difference gives a much clearer picture of what loyalty really looks like, and how secure your customer base actually is.

Interested in learning more about your own customers and their loyalty to you brand? Get in touch today to book a free consultation.