You might have heard the term 'brand loyalty'. As we enter a 5th generation of console releases, with Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox series X due to hit our shelves this year, once more psychologists are predicting a wave of purchases based on fidelity.

But why do people feel compelled to stick with brands? Writer Carol M. Bopp describes brand loyalty as a positive feeling that consumers identify with a certain product or company.  This also draws on the idea of brand awareness: the extent to which customers are familiar with the logo or values of a brand, goods or a service.

Huge companies pump millions into marketing and advertising, using analytics to determine who is their ICP, or ideal customer profile. It’s no surprise that the ads which pop up on social media somehow feel targeted at or tailored for you. This is because companies spend a lot of time and money analysing who is most likely to become loyal customers.

This extends to the supermarkets. Many believe that the more expensive branded products are much better than the supermarkets’ own brand. Money-saving experts like Martin Lewis, encourage us to give up the premium or branded products and buy the value versions.

So, are we really brand loyal? Companies certainly want us to be. But there are those who believe it's more to do with brand habit – that feeling of comfort you get from buying the same product over and over again. Once we’re familiar with a brand and we know that it's OK, we don't feel compelled to try anything else.

So, the next time you find yourself buying your favourite brand, it might not be down to brand loyalty, but rather to habit, or even that you have been targeted by a specific company through tailored ads.