Microsoft Word Bachelor-Thesis-bl-pi-klar docx

2.1.1 Behavioral and Attitudinal Brand Loyalty
 
In order for researchers to be able to explain brand loyalty as clear as possible, Kabiraj and 
Shanmugan (2011) and Kim et al (2008) have divided brand loyalty into two different 
sections; behavioral and attitudinal brand loyalty. Roy (2011), ads one extra section in 
addition to behavioral and attitudinal brand loyalty as he splits attitudinal loyalty into 
cognitive and emotional loyalty.
An uncomplicated definition of behavioral loyalty is that it is 
based on consumer’s behavior, how they act in different situations (Kabiraj & Shanmugan, 
2011; Roy, 2011). Oliver (1999) use a similar definition to explain behavioral loyalty; it is 
when a consumer have decided to buy something, in other words it is not a coincidence that a 
specific brand is purchased, and the consumer have also decided to repurchase it. In addition 
to these definitions, Hunt et al, (2012) mean that there needs to exist continual purchase 
occasions to be a behavioral brand loyal consumer. A problem with this type of loyalty 
research is the fact that one does not discover why consumers repurchase etc. a brand, instead 
one only finds out the outcome of the behavior (Dick & Basu, 1994).
In comparison to behavioral brand loyalty, attitudinal loyalty focuses on consumer’s attitude 
towards a brand, how they feel and what perceive the brand rather than how they behave 
towards it (Kabiraj Shanmugan, 2011). Attitudinal loyalty concerns one’s preferences for 
different brands, the commitment and the intended purchases for the future. Furthermore, a 
consumer can have both a negative and positive attitude towards a brand (Härtel & Russell-
Bennett, 2010). As mentioned earlier, Roy (2011) divided attitudinal loyalty into cognitive 
and emotional loyalty, where cognitive loyalty represents what a consumer think about a 
brand and emotional loyalty represents how one feel about a brand. The cognitive loyalty is 
based on what a consumer is aware of regarding a brand, for example prices and features, and 
the psychological preferences towards a brand exists (Roy, 2011). According to Oliver 
(1994), cognitive loyalty is the most preferred form of loyalty since it is about information 
gathering and preferences about different brands. Härtel and Russell-Bennett (2010) argue 
that a purchase decision based on cognitive brand loyalty are evaluated and based on 
decisions, compared to emotional where it is more likely to be a spontaneous purchasing 
decision. 
Emotional brand loyalty is more based on satisfaction than behavioral and cognitive brand 
loyalty. In this case, brand loyalty is based on to what degree positive feelings occur when 
purchasing a specific brand (Roy, 2011). It is attachment to the brand rather than a positive 

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attitude towards it that makes a consumer repurchases the brand (Härtel & Russell-Bennett, 
2010). The products which consumers are emotionally brand loyal towards are most often 
products that create enjoyment, entertainment and satisfaction. However, one can also be 
emotionally brand loyal to for example different sports, movies and products that create 
emotional attachment (Roy, 2011).