Why am I so loyal to a bar of soap?

I first became aware of Ecostore’s coconut soap when shopping at Woolworths a few years ago, having recently moved out of home. What I was searching for was a product that did not contain any animal products and was not tested on animals – ruling out larger brands like Dove or Palmolive. I knew that these needs would likely raise the price of the item I would purchase, but that was not as important of a criterion for me.

Ecostore Coconut Soap seems so out of place in the aisle in its humble cardboard packaging surrounded by big bright plastic containers from the major corporations. It suited my needs perfectly. Not only did it meet my initial requirements, but its more sustainable packaging and its gorgeous coconut fragrance (which has quickly become my favourite) made it undeniably the product for me. All for AUD$2.59 to boot.

Now that's a satisfied customer!

This isn’t just for the reasons I listed above, however. It has intangible meaning to me as well: every time I use this soap I am reminded that I am doing more than most people to think and act in a sustainable manner. I struggle to be entirely carbon neutral despite my best efforts, but I feel great gratification that I am supporting a brand that does everything in its power to act in a manner that best supports the planet. As well as this, the brand is based in New Zealand, and as my family live there, I love supporting Kiwi brands as they provide me a sense of home. These feelings go beyond just the tangible makeup of the product, it is the intangible benefits that assure that I will continue to be loyal to the brand.

Home is where the heart is - Queenstown, New Zealand

Does a product with a low price mean that there will be a weak relationship with the consumer? Absolutely not. I’m as loyal to this product as I am with any other brand I consume, regardless of its price – I honestly think if the price reads $10 tomorrow I would still purchase this product over its competitors.

This alludes to the notion that there is little to no effect between a product’s price and a consumer’s loyalty to a brand. The initial consumption choice is made by a consumer’s perceived value with their judgement of the product’s price/quality index advising their overall satisfaction. This satisfaction, guided solely by the consumer themselves, dictates the customers’ likelihood to become loyal to a brand. Conversely, it has been determined in several contexts that “environmental management has a significant positive correlation with customer loyalty,” as per my relationship with Ecostore.

So, does this mean you can feel equally satisfied with a product of any price? Does this mean money can’t buy happiness?

Yes and no.

I believe money can buy happiness – if you are searching for tangible goods or benefits like a faster car, a bigger home or a more powerful phone, then money can help you have access to these things and help you to feel excited or overawed or happy.

But it’s an empty happiness when it’s without any intangible benefits. And the reason is because happiness is not joy. Happiness comes from external pleasures, whereas joy comes from within. Money can’t buy joy. Giving a gift does not make you feel happy, it helps you to feel joyous because you feel good to be selfless. Even as someone who is agnostic, I’d recommend reading this, because I love how the Christian religion views joy.

Brands can utilise this feeling too. This soap may bring me happiness because of its features or its price, but the reason I am so loyal to this product is because it brings me joy to know I am acting ecologically responsibly and helps me feel more connected to my family. It’s an undeniably powerful tool for a brand to utilise to ensure customer loyalty because my value for the brand comes from within. In order to force me to stop using their products, Ecostore would have to break one of its values or disproportionately skew a consumer criterion of mine to an extravagant degree (I wouldn’t buy their soap for $100; I do have a limit).

Given the intangible values people place on products, such as a sense of nostalgia or greater self-worth, are powerful tools for customer loyalty, it begs the question: can this only happen naturally? What can brands do to maximise the number of consumers who feel nostalgic or gain a higher self-worth when consuming their products?

References

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Lee, Y., Pan, L., Hsu, C. and Lee, D. (2018). Exploring the Sustainability Correlation of Value Co- Creation and Customer Loyalty – A Case Study of Fitness Clubs. Sustainability, [online] Volume 11(1), p. 1-15. Available at: https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2018i1p97- d192996.html [accessed 19 March, 2020].

Moisescu, O. (2017). From CSR to Customer Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation in the Retail Banking Industry of a Developing Country. Scientific Annals of Economics and Business, [online] Volume 64(3), p. 307-323. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle/j$002fsaeb.2017.64.issue-3$002fsaeb-2017- 0020$002fsaeb-2017-0020.xml[accessed 19 March, 2020].

Piper, J. (2015). How do you define joy? [online] Desiring God. Available at: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-do-you-define-joy[accessed 18 March, 2020].

Powers, T., Jack, E. and Choi, S. (2019). Price And Quality Value Influences On Retail Customer Satisfaction And Loyalty. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behaviour, [online] Volume 31, p. 43-61. Available at: http://jcsdcb.com/index.php/JCSDCB/article/view/252[accessed 19 March, 2020].

Rose, S. (2020). Companies That Test On Animals – 2020 [online] Cruelty Free Kitty. Available at: https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/companies-that-test-on-animals/[accessed 19 March, 2020].

Woolworths, (2020). Ecostore Soap Bar Coconut 80g. [online] Available at: https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/307400/ecostore-soap-bar-coconut [accessed 18 March, 2020].

Yang, C. and Yang, C. (2019). The Impact of Sustainable Environmental Management in the Food and Beverage Industry on Customer Loyalty: A View of Brand Attitude. Ekoloji, [online] Volume 28(107), p. 965-972. Available at: http://www.ekolojidergisi.com/download/the-impact-of- sustainable-environmental-management-in-the-food-and-beverage-industry-on-customer- 5713.pdf [accessed 19 March, 2020].