Together
Brand Loyalty, From Mascara to Marriage
I've been using the same brand of mascara since high school, more than 30 years ago. It's Cover Girl by Maybelline, in the pink and green tube. Sure, I've tried other more expensive mascaras (I don't think there is anything cheaper), but nothing had the oomph or the staying power. I'm not even tempted to look around any more, and haven't been for years.This kind of brand loyalty is a lot like what marriage should be. After experimenting with various options, whether brands of mascara or dates, you reach a point where you choose one because it makes you happier than the others. You stop looking for alternatives because your experience has convinced you that you're not going to find anything better – in fact, you don't even want to try because you're so satisfied with this one.
Oh sure, your eye (with its lovely long lashes!) may occasionally be caught by another brand. It may cross your mind: "Oh! I've been using Cover Girl/married to my beloved for so long that I forgot there was anything else out there. I'm so glad I was able to find something that works so well for me. Yes, I really made the right decision."
But as any brand manager who came through the Proctor & Gamble training camp can tell you, brand loyalty is hard-won and can never be taken for granted. One day consumers who for years were satisfied to squeeze the Charmin are down the aisle caressing the Cottonelle. A free sample, an appealing spokesperson, even a cents-off coupon can turn their fickle heads.
So it can be with married life. The commitment so indoctrinated, so second-nature, can be riven by, well, the human equivalent of the marketing come-on. A flirtatious office relationship. A grass-is-greener glimpse at the life of someone unencumbered. The divorce of close friends whose marriage you'd assumed was a sure thing.
That's why marketers keep ad budgets high long after their brands are household names, found in pantries and closets and driveways across the world. They know the tenuousness of brand loyalty. Married people need to keep on their toes in a similar way. We're all potentially one "special offer" away from losing our hold on our own best customer.
By Laura
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