Loyalty is an innate sensation; be it football teams, a favourite flavour of ice cream, or even whether you are Team Conrad or Jeremiah, everyone picks a side and defends it like their life depends on it. In this environment, however, brand loyalty and switching are no longer personal acts of preference, but socially mediated behaviours rooted in belonging, conformity, and the lifecycle of trends. Consumers increasingly act in collective waves, rallying around viral products or abandoning them en masse when cultural sentiment shifts. While it’s true that companies must now prepare for rising trends capable of whisking away faithful customers overnight, the deeper story lies with consumers themselves and a compulsive drive not just to conform, but to imitate. Are collective trends still merely guardrails for socially acceptable behaviour, or have they erased individuality altogether?
The Traditional View of Brand Loyalty
Ever wondered how Scotch Tape, a brand that has been around for decades, has kept its branding relatively consistent over the years, but companies such as Olli Pop and Oatly have undergone revisions when their company as a whole is significantly younger? This phenomenon, known as a proprietary eponym, highlights the strength of early brand loyalty, where a single company could dominate a category so thoroughly that its brand name replaced the generic term, in this case, “Scotch Tape” instead of just tape. Is this because Scotch was more successful in establishing its brand than others, or because the company originated at a time when brand loyalty was easier to secure?
source: Healthy Marketing Team.
Traditional brand loyalty is rooted in one key psychological driver: the desire to reduce uncertainty. Before the digital age, word-of-mouth was the primary vehicle for product advocacy, keeping consumer networks relatively small and discouraging experimentation. With limited access to alternatives (no e-commerce, no global comparisons), consumers grew accustomed to sticking with a single trusted company. When competitors did emerge, switching often meant inconvenience, unfamiliarity, and risk. In turn, consumers rationalized consistency as a virtue, reinforcing their choice with the emotional language of loyalty.
Abundance of Choice and Trend Conformity
With the rise of social media, influencers, and an ever-expanding roster of companies, consumers now feel more reassured than ever to explore new products. A community of like-minded individuals curious to switch can generate a powerful bandwagon effect, but when reinforced by the endorsement of a celebrity or cultural authority, curiosity becomes conformity and a trend is born. Technology amplifies this cycle, transforming brand selection from a straightforward choice into an ongoing invitation to sample them all.
In early 2020, Stanley, renowned for its rugged, male-focused drinkware, made a strategic pivot to appeal to a broader, predominantly female audience. Market research indicated that merely introducing vibrant colours and catchy slogans wouldn't suffice. Therefore, Stanley reimagined its Quencher tumbler as not just a functional item, but a cultural symbol. The brand emphasized design elements like the tumbler's unique shape, which fits seamlessly into car cupholders, and the inclusion of a straw that made hydration more appealing. Crucially, Stanley aligned the product with prevailing trends such as the “Clean Girl Aesthetic” and as an essential accessory for students seeking productivity during study sessions. This strategy accomplished two key objectives. First, it leveraged social influence: consumers were drawn to Tumblr because admired peers and trendsetters endorsed it. Second, it tapped into aspirational self-perception, promising feelings of productivity, confidence, and a polished, “put-together” lifestyle. These traits are so universally coveted that purchasing feels instinctive rather than impulsive, and buyers rarely question or regret their decision. This shift in branding and marketing contributed significantly to Stanley's impressive growth, with the company achieving a 275% year-over-year increase in Quencher sales in 2023, leading to a surge in annual revenue from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023.
source: Food and Wine.
Experience Over Habit in Viral Cycles
Younger consumers, especially Gen Z, pursue novelty and collective experiences over personal routines. This echoes Zygmunt Bauman’s (2000) concept of “liquid modernity,” where identities and commitments are fluid. Loyalty today resembles fandom: intense while a trend feels fresh, yet fragile once the cultural conversation shifts. When a product, brand, or trend loses cultural traction, consumers rapidly switch to the next symbol of social validation due to the fear of becoming irrelevant and outdated or losing out on a community by prioritizing genuineness. From a product standpoint, therefore, brand switching behaviour suggests less about dissatisfaction with the product itself and more about the social imperative.
Looking Ahead
The decline of individuality carries an unexpected silver lining: cultural trends and the brands that rise with them are often shaped by a natural balancing force. Comfort food surged in response to diet culture; matcha gained popularity due to the lack of non-coffee alternatives; independent music thrived by exploring genres previously overlooked. These shifts suggest that even when collective behaviour dominates, new avenues for individuality emerge. Moving forward, the challenge and opportunity for brands, influencers, and audiences lies in cultivating spaces where personal expression can coexist with collective trends, allowing loyalty to form around experiences that feel both shared and distinctly one’s own.
Works Cited
Gane, Nicholas. “Zygmunt Bauman: Liquid Modernity and Beyond.” Acta Sociologica, vol. 44, no. 3, 2001, pp. 267–75. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4194889. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.
ASI Central. “2023 Promotional Product of the Year: The Stanley Quencher.” Asicentral.com, 2023, members.asicentral.com/news/web-exclusive/december-2023/2023-product-of-the-year -the-stanley-quencher/?id=2b2bf2d0-c1cd-4f7d-b45b-2e95f81ef727. Accessed 25 Sept. 2025.