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Tech brands are loyalty winners during COVID—what they’re doing right

by | Sep 28, 2020 | Marketing, Public Relations

Technology and social networking brands are the loyalty beneficiaries of the coronavirus pandemic, as seventeen percent of this year’s Brand Keys Top 100 Loyalty Leaders were represented in those two sectors. The findings were a key insight from the annual survey from loyalty and customer engagement research consultancy Brand Keys. The 2020 study examined 1,121 brands in 109 categories.

Tech is a requisite

“Sheltering-in and working-from-home has not only increased purchase and usage levels, but has solidified loyalty bonds for tech brands,” said Robert Passikoff, Brand Keys founder and president, in a news release.

According to the survey, tablet sales are up 20 percent YOY. Sixty percent of U.S. households have been using streaming video, and more than a quarter of households (27 percent) have used video and conferencing platforms. Social networking is up nearly 18 percent since the pandemic began in March. “All this has not only been accompanied by new tech purchases but has solidified loyalty levels as well,” added Passikoff.

Tech and social brands are tops in loyalty

Seventeen tech and social networking brands appeared in this year’s list. Numbers in parentheses indicate this year’s ranking:

  • Apple smartphones (4)
  • Google (6)
  • WhatsApp (9)
  • Samsung smartphones (10)
  • Instagram (11)
  • Amazon tablets (14)
  • Apple tablets (15)
  • YouTube (18)
  • Facebook (31)
  • Apple computers (34)
  • Twitter (37)
  • Microsoft computers (39)
  • Samsung computers (44)
  • LG smartphone (47)
  • Acer tablets (49)
  • Pinterest (85)
  • Buzzfeed (87)

See the complete Top 100 Loyalty Leaders list here.

Related loyalty leaders

Of course, technology and social networking interconnects with other sectors. “If you include associated categories like video streaming, wireless providers, video chat, and instant messaging, those sectors account for nearly a third (28 percent) of the brands to which consumers have sworn their allegiance,” said Passikoff. Netflix, Amazon, and Disney streaming video services all showed up in the top 10 this year.

Loyalty is emotional—so are consumers

Loyalty is a leading-indicator of profitability. Brands able to maintain that critical connection with consumers, always do better during crises, and always do better than the competition. “The 2020 Loyalty Leaders List proves brands can emerge from watershed moments stronger than before,” said Passikoff.

“The good news is brand loyalty is easily understood. The better news is it can be quantified, predicted, and integrated into any brand’s research efforts,” he added. “The best news is that loyalty metrics correlate very highly with customer behavior and sales, as an examination of the tech sector proves.”

Brand Keys Loyalty Leaders analysis was conducted during August and September 2020 and includes 52,515 assessments. Respondents (M/F, 16 to 65 YOA, recruited from 9 US Census Regions) self-selected categories in which they are consumers and brands for which they are customers. Brand Keys’ rankings are 100% consumer-driven, measuring the emotional and rational aspects of each consumer’s decision process in the moment.

Richard Carufel
Richard Carufel is editor of Bulldog Reporter and the Daily ’Dog, one of the web’s leading sources of PR and marketing communications news and opinions. He has been reporting on the PR and communications industry for over 17 years, and has interviewed hundreds of journalists and PR industry leaders. Reach him at richard.carufel@bulldogreporter.com; @BulldogReporter

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