Building a successful business in today’s highly competitive and globalised market is tougher than it used to be. Consumers are spoiled for choice, and they’re not nearly as receptive to traditional advertising as they once were. To truly make an impact, brands now need to create a cult-like following fuelled by high engagement rates among their customer communities. Many of the world’s most successful consumer-facing brands strive to create a sense of belonging by giving their customers the feeling of being part of a fan club. With this shared community experience comes an unparalleled level of brand loyalty. Here are seven top brand loyalty examples that every company can learn from:

1. Amazon

According to the Brand Keys Loyalty Leaders press release of 2018, Amazon made it into the top 20 for online retail, video streaming, and tablet computers. As one of the fastest-growing and best-performing companies in the world, it’s a household name in dozens of countries, as well as a major employer even in countries where Amazon doesn’t offer any localised services (such as Czech Republic).

Why it’s successful

A great deal of Amazon’s success is down to its customer community. They follow the concept that the customer is always right. It allows customers to leave ratings and reviews, and even set up their own store fronts. On top of that, Amazon Prime is one of the world’s most popular streaming services, while Amazon Web Services offers a range of products and services for businesses. This combination of community and range is the driving force behind its success.

2. Apple

One of the best brand loyalty examples out there. No list like this would be complete without a mention of the consumer technology giant Apple. In fact, it’s safe to say that Apple has taken brand loyalty to an entirely new level to become a cult in its own right. After all, you don’t see people queuing up for ten days just to be the first to get their hands on the latest Samsung Galaxy. Many Apple fans consider their iPhones and MacBooks to be part of their identities and would never consider a competing brand.

Why it’s successful

Although Apple’s products are almost universally praised for their ease of use and high quality, there’s no denying that brand loyalty is core to the company’s unprecedented success. While Android still takes the lion’s share of the smartphone market, Apple enjoys a smaller, yet highly dedicated fan community empowered by a feeling of exclusivity. That’s also part of what allows Apple to charge a lot more for its products than most competitors.

3. GoPro

GoPro is a camera manufacturer unlike almost any other. Rather than making the same sort of point-and-click digital cameras like mainstream manufacturers, it’s dedicated to the world of sports. These wearable cameras have become enormously popular among extreme sports enthusiasts. Their focus on first-person video recording has even spawned entire movies shot using the devices.

Why it’s successful

By homing in on a niche market and creating a dedicated community of enthusiasts around it, GoPro has had an unrivalled impact on its industry. Since it’s also a highly visual industry, the brand has also held many video competitions to the extent that its presence on social media resonates with its audience and inspires creativity and adventure. They also have their own support community where people can find and share solutions and ask questions.

4. Netflix

Although Netflix now faces significant threats from other streaming video services, it still retains its place as one of the top-performing companies in terms of brand loyalty and customer retention. Its success has also led to it becoming a major publisher itself. Many of its hit TV shows are sponsored directly by them. With a revenue of $15.8 billion, it’s the seventh largest internet company in the world.

Why it’s successful

When it was first launched, Netflix was something of a game changer. By providing a new type of service, and one that was already facing heavy demand from consumers, it succeeded in building a brand and strong relationships with customers long before competitors like Hulu or HBO entered the streaming video market. Its original, exclusive productions have also helped build and retain customer loyalty. Even now that it has many more competitors in the space.

5. Nike

Since fashion has long been an integral part of people’s identities, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that many of the best brand loyalty examples are in that sector. The Nike logo is one of the most recognisable in the world, which also illustrates the importance of strong branding. An American company, Nike originally started its life in 1964 as a niche distributor for shoes manufactured by Japanese company Onitsuka Tiger.

Why it’s successful

Nike doesn’t just sell shoes and other athletic gear. The brand’s true value lies in the fact that it sells experiences. It inspires fervent customer loyalty by selling heroism as a core part of its marketing strategy. It relies on emotional branding and building customer loyalty with its ‘hero’ archetype. By making its customers feel emotionally rewarded, it taps into their psychology to make strong and lasting connections.

6. North Face

North Face is a leading name in fashion, retail, and sporting goods with an exclusive focus on outdoor recreation. Originally starting as one high-street store in San Francisco selling climbing equipment in 1966, it eventually grew to become a widely recognised global brand and one of the best-known in its niche. Like most major retailers, much of the brand’s revenue now comes from online sales.

Why it’s successful

North Face is a great example of brand loyalty because it’s built a following based on trust and consistently strong customer engagement both during and after the sale. Since the brand has a deep understanding of how its customers use their products, it’s able to make an emotional connection that helps connect people to the outdoors. It also uses its Champions programme to motivate people with inspiring and life-changing personal stories.

7. Starbucks

There are three types of people in the world – those that absolutely love Starbucks, those who think their coffee is plain awful, and the few who have never heard of the brand. With branches in dozens of countries, it’s one of the most familiar names in the café sector, and it enjoys an unprecedented level of brand loyalty. But, as some would argue, loyalty to the brand doesn’t stem primarily from the quality and range of its products.

Why it’s successful

Much of Starbucks success is down to one thing – personalisation. Out of the 75 million people who enter their doors every month, over a fifth are members of their rewards programme. To forge closer relationships with the other 60 million, they provided an in-app mobile experience that lets customers recall their favourite orders and make suggestions for new products. It also uses gamification to add a competitive edge to the way customers engage with the brand.