The top clothing brands, fast food brands and chain restaurant brands all have the highest volume of sales. Does this mean they are the top brands? Not really.
Denny’s may be a top restaurant chain but its focus is on one segment of the market. It may not be my brand. Gap may be a great clothing brand to some but, again, it’s limited to the demographics where it succeeds, just like Jack in the Box. These brands succeed because they focus on very specific demographics that target loyalty by type of food or clothing and by the demographic behavior of these groups. Money spent on advertising and marketing may build this loyalty but it’s not true loyalty in my opinion. It’s more about buying an image for consumers to love with nothing behind it.
American brands are famous for dollars spent on marketing to specific groups with cool images and gimmicks, but the real winners are those that convey a longer-term relationship with the brand. The entire consumer experience, from ads to the product quality, to the customer service, to the follow-up customer relationship are what drive brand loyalty. Dollars don’t always buy this. Commitment by the company to the values of the brand build real customer loyalty.