Measuring brand loyalty among the US Hispanic population: A within-group study in the carbonated soft drink (CSD) category

Brand loyalty has been extensively researched over the last 30 years, but few studies have examined the drivers of brand loyalty among the growing US Hispanic population. Furthermore, the relationship between brand loyalty and the Hispanic consumer has been largely based on the measurement of ‘repeat purchase’ by business practitioners. The current study adapts an existing multidimensional brand loyalty scale, which was validated against a representative sample of US Hispanic consumers. Specifically, our study examines the relationship between three independent variables — nativity, language use and ethnic identification within the Hispanic population — and brand loyalty. Our study finds that brand loyalty is higher among US-born Hispanics, Hispanics whose language of preference is English, and who identify with the American culture more than the Hispanic culture. Results confirm that brand loyalty across all Hispanics is more a myth than reality. Further research is warranted to help determine if brands across different product categories (other than carbonated soft drinks) trigger different dimensions of brand loyalty and help shed light on the theoretical underpinnings of the construct.