BRAND SWITCHING

INTRODUCTION

Sometimes known as brand jumping, brand switching is the process of choosing to switch from routine use of one product or brand to steady usage of a different but similar product. Much of the advertising process is aimed at encouraging brand switching among consumers, thus helping to grow market share for a given brand or set of brands. Brand loyalty is when consumers become committed to your brand and make repeat purchases over time. It is a result of consumer behavior and is affected by a person's preferences. Loyal customers will consistently purchase products from their preferred brands, regardless of convenience or price. Companies will often use different marketing strategies to cultivate loyal customers, be it is through loyalty programs (i.e. rewards programs) or trials and incentives (ex. samples and free gifts). | |
Convincing consumers to switch brands is sometimes a difficult task. It is not unusual for customers to build up a great deal of brand loyalty due to such factors as quality, price, and availability. To encourage switching brands, advertisers will often target these three areas as part of the strategy of encouraging brand switching.Price is often an important factor to consumers who are tight budgets. For this reason, advertisers will often use a price comparison model to entice long time users of one brand to try a new one. The idea is to convince the end user that it is possible to purchase the same amount of product while spending less money. Ideally, this means that the consumer can use the savings for other purchases, possibly even a luxury item of some sort. The idea of more discretionary resources in the monthly budget can be an effective in the encouragement of jumping brands. However, price is not always enough to encourage brand switching. When this is the case, comparing the quality of one