Executive Interview with Yuping Liu-Thompkins, Professor Marketing and Director of Loyalty Science Lab, Old Dominion University
A new study from the Loyalty Science Lab at Old Dominion University sheds light on the growing influence of social and political values on brand loyalty. The research, which surveyed nearly 1,000 US consumers during Q4 2024, reveals that consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on their alignment with a brand’s perceived ideology.
In this executive interview Bill Hanifin, Managing Editor, The Wise Marketer sits down with Yuping Liu-Thompkins, Professor of Marketing, and Director of the Loyalty Science Lab at Old Dominion University to talk through the highlights of the research.
There’s a lot to learn about how consumers make purchase decisions based on their alignment – or lack thereof – with the positioning of their favorite brands. This new research goes deep into “why” people align their values according to their Social and Political principles, draws contrasts by demographic groups and produces a few surprises.
For example, disagreement is a more powerful influence of customer loyalty than alignment. And silence is not always golden when it comes to brand expression of its views on social issues.
Yuping not only reports on the research findings but shares actionable insights into marketers and a synopsis of how she would advise a CMO based on her work. This is powerful research from the Loyalty Science Lab and is a brilliant aid in shaping your 2025 customer strategy.
This interview was conducted a few weeks before Loyalty Science Lab officially released the new research. It is available now and you can download The Politics of Brand Loyalty here.
Time Stamps for the Time-Starved:
1:08 – What is the Loyalty Science Lab?
3:17 – Overview of Old Dominion University
4:21 – New Research: The Politics of Brand Loyalty
6:48 – How is the Research Organized and What Did you Learn?
8:45 – Sustainable Guidance to Marketers from the Research
11:41 – Contrasting Responses by Demographic Groups
15:27 – Alignment or Disagreement, what is the Most Powerful Driver of Loyalty?
17:35 – A Summary of Key Research Findings
23:17 – Actionable Insights for C-Suite Execs
25:08 – What Happens When Brands are Silent on Social Issues?
28:55 – Wrap Up