The sports drink category has had the highest level of brand loyalty among consumer product goods over the last three years, according to data from research firm SymphonyIRI Group. Brand loyalty is defined as more than 50% of a buyer’s total purchasing in a particular category being with a single brand. Despite economic conditions and conservative purchase patterns, the sports drink category currently has 87.6% brand loyalty, up 6.5% from ’08. SymphonyIRI notes that 12 sports drink products introduced during the three-year time frame each had at least $7.5M in year-one sales, which helped contribute to strong and growing loyalty. Research also showed that categories with high levels of brand loyalty demonstrated a diminished sensitivity to price increases that have occurred during the past three years (SymphonyIRI Group).
| CONSUMER PRODUCT CATEGORIES WITH
LARGEST INCREASE IN BRAND LOYALTY FROM '08-11 |
| CATEGORY | % BRAND LOYALTY AMONG
CONSUMERS IN '11 | 3-YR
% GAIN |
| Sports drinks | 87.6% | 6.5% |
| Diapers | 58.3% | 4.4% |
| Batteries | 73.5% | 3.9% |
| Shelf stable dinners | 66.9% | 3.7% |
| Household cleaners | 50.9% | 3.5% |
| Dry packaged dinners | 59.3% | 3.2% |
| Cleaning tools/mops/brooms | 72.4% | 2.8% |
| Shampoo | 65.9% | 2.8% |
| Food & trash bags | 35.0% | 2.6% |
| Cat/dog litter | 62.2% | 2.5% |
| | | |
NOTE: Period of measurement for '11 is the 52-week period ending July 3.
