品牌公司和广告专家说那些忠实于品牌的消费者一定会长期购买某个公司生产的所有产品。然而，有些人认为，这种所谓的忠诚可能更多的是出于购买习惯。本文讨论消费者为什么会形成品牌忠诚度。

词汇：marketing 营销

You might have heard the term 'brand loyalty'. As we enter a 5th generation of console releases, with Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox series X due to hit our shelves this year, once more psychologists are predicting a wave of purchases based on fidelity.

But why do people feel compelled to stick with brands? Writer Carol M. Bopp describes brand loyalty as a positive feeling that consumers identify with a certain product or company.  This also draws on the idea of brand awareness: the extent to which customers are familiar with the logo or values of a brand, goods or a service.

Huge companies pump millions into marketing and advertising, using analytics to determine who is their ICP, or ideal customer profile. It’s no surprise that the ads which pop up on social media somehow feel targeted at or tailored for you. This is because companies spend a lot of time and money analysing who is most likely to become loyal customers.

This extends to the supermarkets. Many believe that the more expensive branded products are much better than the supermarkets’ own brand. Money-saving experts like Martin Lewis, encourage us to give up the premium or branded products and buy the value versions.

So, are we really brand loyal? Companies certainly want us to be. But there are those who believe it's more to do with brand habit – that feeling of comfort you get from buying the same product over and over again. Once we’re familiar with a brand and we know that it's OK, we don't feel compelled to try anything else.

So, the next time you find yourself buying your favourite brand, it might not be down to brand loyalty, but rather to habit, or even that you have been targeted by a specific company through tailored ads.

词汇表

brand loyalty 品牌忠诚度
hit the (our) shelves 摆上货架
fidelity 忠诚
brand awareness 品牌认知
logo 商标
values 价值观
goods 商品，货物
service 服务
advertising 广告
analytics （数据）分析方法
ICP (ideal customer profile) 理想客户特征
ad 广告
targeted 定向的，有目标的
tailored 特制的，定制的
own brand （商店的）自有品牌
premium 高级的，优质的
branded product 品牌产品
brand habit 品牌习惯

测验与练习

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What is Martin Lewis's money-saving advice?

2. Why do ads feel targeted to us?

3. How do companies determine who their ICP is?

4. What is brand habit?

5. How does Carol M. Bopp describe brand loyalty?

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Companies _______ ads at specific customers they think will buy their products.

target                            awareness                   loyalty                         values

2. Martin Lewis thinks we should buy the supermarkets' _______ products.

premium                        own-brand                  awareness                   values

3. _______ is the short form of adverts.

ICP                                Advertising                 Ads                               Aids

4. Companies use _______ to determine who their ICP is.

awareness                     analytics                    target                           analyse

5.  I love the shape and design of their _______.

values                            logo                           brand                           awareness

答案

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。  

1. What is Martin Lewis's money saving advice?
He encourages us to give up the premium or branded products and buy the value versions.

2. Why do ads feel targeted to us?
Companies spend a lot of time and money to determine who to target with specific products.

3. How do companies determine who their ICP is?
Companies use analytics to determine who their ICP is.

4. What is brand habit?
The feeling of being comfortable buying the same product over and over again.

5. How does Carol M. Bopp describe brand loyalty?
A positive feeling that consumers identify with a certain product or company.

2 .  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Companies target ads at specific customers they think will buy their products.

2. Martin Lewis thinks we should buy the supermarkets' own brand products.

3. Ads is the short form of adverts.

4. Companies use analytics to determine who their ICP is.

5. I love the shape and design of their logo.