The age of lifelong brand devotion appears to be over. For the first time, “true loyalty” has stalled in the UK, and in its place the new phenomenon of “trend loyalty” is emerging, an emotionally charged, fast-moving allegiance driven by viral moments rather than long-term trust.
That is according to the fifth annual Customer Loyalty Index from SAP Emarsys, which reveals that 45% of Brits are more likely to trust a product if it goes viral, while 33% trust TikTok and social media trends more than ads or brand websites, 41% have bought products promoted by influencers – almost double the overall average of 21%; and 64% say they’re loyal to products, not brands.
This is particularly true of younger generations, with 43% of Gen Z shoppers admitting to buying a product purely because it was trending on social media – almost double the rate of the general population. In fact, 20% of Gen Z say they are loyal to brands because they trend, while 25% will be less loyal if a trending product disappoints.
SAP Emarsys chief marketing officer Sara Richter said: “Trend Loyalty is both a risk and an opportunity for brands. It’s driven by hype, not history.
“If marketers want to turn the emotional rush of a trending moment into something more meaningful and lasting, they need to move fast – and understand each customer on a personal level. What sparked their interest? What emotional need did the trend tap into?
“AI-powered personalisation at scale is key. It empowers brands to respond with relevance and speed, transforming one-off moments into repeat engagement and long-term loyalty.”
Trend loyalty represents a new opportunity for brands that understand their customers in real-time. In a world shaped by shifting values and fast-moving trends, success depends on connected data and real-time personalisation, SAP Emarsys reckons.
Luxury beauty brand Molton Brown is already piloting this strategy. Behind the scenes, the brand uses SAP solutions to build a more connected customer view capturing online behaviour, in-store interactions, and campaign responses.
This enables instore staff to offer personalised recommendations, while AI-driven insights power real-time engagement across channels, resulting in a double-digit uplift in campaign conversions during key moments.
Net Promoter Score creator Fred Reichheld, who is a Bain fellow, said: “Loyalty means giving customers a reason to repeat, expand and refer.
“Every interaction — whether with your brand, your people, or your systems — should deliver value that customers and partners would genuinely miss if it disappeared.
“Forward-thinking brands are embedding loyalty into the core of their business, using AI to personalise at scale, connecting engagement with operational systems to deliver unified experiences.”
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