By Shakti Banerjee
There was a time when brand loyalty in India was inherited. One would open the same bank account their parents have an account with, bathed with the same soap stocked in their bathrooms or watch the same TV channel that played in the living room every evening. Loyalty was not chosen — it was passed down.
However, as I engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, one interesting insight is that this version of loyalty no longer exists. Not because young consumers are indifferent to brands, but because they expect brands to earn their space in their lives, every single time they engage with them.
Loyalty Is Not Dead
Ask a Gen Z consumer if they are loyal to a brand, and you will often hear a hesitant “it depends”.
They might love a fashion brand this month and switch the next, not out of boredom, but because something new feels more exciting or easier. On OTT platforms, for instance, many young viewers move freely between Netflix, Amazon Prime, Jio Hotstar and regional apps — subscribing, cancelling and re-subscribing as content changes.
For them, loyalty is not about staying forever. It is about staying as long as the brand delivers, indicating that convenience beats commitment. One of the biggest loyalty drivers for young Indians today is convenience. Take UPI. Most users do not feel emotionally attached to a single app. They use whichever works fastest, has fewer failures, or offers the best cashback that week. If an app hangs during a payment, it is quietly replaced.
Quick commerce works the same way. A young consumer may use Blinkit today, Swiggy Instamart tomorrow and Zepto next week. Loyalty shifts with delivery speed, stock availability and user experience. There is no guilt in switching — just a practical, feasible decision.
Every Small Experience Counts
Young consumers notice the little things. For example: a fashion app that makes returns easy, earns trust. A food delivery app that communicates delays clearly, earns patience. An OTT platform that suggests content they actually want to watch, earns repeat visits.
On the other hand, one bad experience — delayed refunds, clunky app updates, or poor customer support — can push a brand out of regular use. Loyalty today is built through everyday interactions, not campaigns.
Brand Values Are Not An End
Gen Z cares about values, but they are quick to spot when brands are pretending. For instance, a fashion brand talking about sustainability but offering poor quality products does not impress them. A brand that improves fabric quality, pricing transparency earns more respect — even if it does not shout about it.
Another thing that works for this set of consumers is transparency — admitting to mistakes, responding openly on social media and consistent effort over time matters more than flashy purpose-led advertising.
People Influence More Than Advertising
Another shift is where trust comes from. These consumers are more likely to try a brand recommended by a creator, influencer, reviewer, or even a meme page than one pushed through a traditional ad. A creator styling affordable fashion, reviewing budget gadgets or sharing honest OTT recommendations carries real influence.
What Brands Need To Accept
The mistake many brands make is assuming young consumers are disloyal. They are not. They are just less patient. They expect brands to be fast, easy, responsive and respectful of their time. If those expectations are not met, they move on!
To stay relevant, brands need to:
● Make life easier.
● Stay culturally aware.
● Treat loyalty as something to be earned daily.
To sum up, the new rule of loyalty is that it is conditional, not inherited. It is earned through sustained relevance rather than past trust. The Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumer remains loyal only unto a point that the brand justifies its role in their lives.
This reframes loyalty from a reward into a performance outcome. Brands that adapt to this reality will build durable relationships; those that do not will experience erosion, regardless of history.
(The author is the Senior Vice President & Head of Qualitative Research at Hansa Research.)
