Exploring linkages between socio‐demographic factors and customer loyalty in India

Customer loyalty for specific brands has been an important point in marketing planning. In recent years many organizations have identified the need to become more customer oriented with increased global competition. Marketers have realized the importance of building long‐term and sustainable customer relationships that add value both for the customer and the company. This paper attempts to understand linkages between consumers’ brand loyalty with respect to various product categories and socio demographic variables in order to appreciate customer relationship marketing (CRM) strategies in the changing Indian context. Survey results have shown eight product categories for which customers indicated high loyalty: personal care, automobiles, cleanliness and hygiene, high‐end technology gadgets, perfumes, alcohol, health and fitness and beverages, almost all of which are used for personal consumption. Further, results indicated that education followed by residence type, family size has a significant correlation with customer loyalty (significant in case of five product categories out of eight). The purport of this study will have a deep impact on CRM investments and will help redefine and refocus current customer loyalty strategies and investments.