Under the marketers' radar: Commonly ignored triggers for brand repertoire changes

Research on brand switching has indicated that consumers switch for a variety of reasons, including 'other', 'personal', or 'consumer-driven'. While these 'uncontrollable' reasons cause substantial customer loss, they rarely get into marketers' focus, and often considered outside the range. In 39 in-depth interviews, researchers qualitatively explore consumers' entire lifetime of brand experiences with all brands in six product categories. The results detail the process of brand switching, from the initial triggers, through re-evaluation and realisation of a new need, to final decision to either stay or switch. This analysis provides an extensive overview of 38 groups of triggers (including those commonly ignored by marketers) that initiate brand repertoire change. The article discuses how marketers can use this knowledge to effectively manage customer defection and acquisition.