In 1973, researchers posed a powerful question that still hits hard today:
Are repeat buyers really loyal, or are they simply doing what they’ve always done?
Decades later, the answer remains crucial for every brand leader:
A large portion of customers aren’t loyal — they’re habitual.
They’ll buy your brand again and again… until something better or easier shows up.
That’s not a loyalty program issue. That’s a brand availability issue.
The Two Kinds of Availability Every Brand Needs
To grow — and to defend against churn — brands must master two forms of availability:
Mental Availability
You need to be first to mind when the customer is in a buying situation.
This doesn’t just mean brand recall — it means being associated with specific buying moments:
- Why are they buying the product?
- When are they buying?
- Where are they?
- Who are they with?
- What are they using it with?
Brands that win here advertise in context — tying themselves to the real-world situations their customers face. If you’re not in their head at the right time, someone else will be.
Physical Availability
Even the most mentally available brand falls flat if it’s not easy to buy.
- Can customers find you on the shelf?
- Are you showing up in their search results?
- Are you part of the default choice set in-store or online?
You don’t just want to be available — you want to be effortless to choose.
Habit Isn’t Loyalty. It’s a Temporary Advantage.
Here’s the trap:
Many marketers see repeat purchases and think, “We’re winning!”
But if you’re not reinforcing mental and physical availability — every day, across every channel — you’re standing on shaky ground.
The real insight?
📌 Your best customers are often the easiest to lose.
📌 Habit doesn’t resist disruption. Loyalty does.
The Takeaway
To build a brand that lasts, don’t just rely on past behavior.
Create systems that ensure:
✅ You’re the brand customers think of first
✅ And the brand they can find fastest
That’s not just good marketing.
That’s survival.
—BJ
📩 Want to explore how to build real loyalty and not just habitual buying? Let’s talk. www.cultbranding.com