
The rational and emotional factors that drive customer loyalty
It has long been recognized that customer loyalty can provide a moat of protection to fend off competition. Since 2018 we’ve conducted research to help brands understand ways to effectively build and strengthen loyalty. Our work sheds light on key questions such as:
- How can brands build emotional bonds with customers?
- What are the moments when brands can transform product satisfaction into brand love?
- What do customers want brands to know about them—and what do they want in return?
- What organizational initiatives can help address this opportunity?

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Creating human connection at enterprise scale | Deloitte Digital:
Watch to learn about Operationalized Human Experience, or OpHX.
Business value through OpHX discipline
In this era of heightened consumer expectations, being “customer-centric” is no longer enough. Building resilient bonds of loyalty means weaving the real inputs and data from customers into the why and how of what your company does, and is. We call that discipline operationalized human experience (OpHX).
Through our research we have identified tangible steps that you can take to address the four pillars of OpHX—enterprisewide strategy, empowered people, robust governance and harmonious technology. In so doing, you can effectively and efficiently elevate human experiences for customers, deepen bonds of loyalty and build lasting business value for your brand.

Read more on how to operationalize the human experience in the report, Creating human connection at enterprise scale.
The emotionally intelligent enterprise
In 2019 we produced an initial research report that examined how emotions, rationality and shared values factor into engagement and loyalty. We found, in short, that while rational considerations draw consumers, emotional connection inspires brand loyalty. We identified ways that emotional responses can be amplified through responsiveness, respect for customer preferences regarding data collection and use, and a consistent, reliable voice.
The report, Exploring the value of emotion-driven engagement, provides additional insights into how OpHX discipline can help your organization fend off competitors by building stronger emotional bonds with customers.
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Read our 2020 research
Read our 2019 research