The age of lifelong brand loyalty is fading, replaced by ‘trend loyalty’ driven by viral moments rather than lasting trust, according to data in the fifth annual Customer Loyalty Index (CLI) from SAP Emarsys.

Its research of 10,000+ consumers reveals that what it terms ‘true loyalty’ has stalled in the UK with nearly half (45%) of consumers saying they are more likely to trust a product if it goes viral.

A third (33%) of respondents trust TikTok and social media trends more than ads or brand websites with 64% say they’re loyal to products, not brands.

43% of Gen Z shoppers admitting to buying a product purely because it was trending on social media. A fifth (20%) say they’re loyal to brands because they trend, while 25% will be less loyal if a trending product disappoints.

“Trend loyalty is both a risk and an opportunity for brands,” said Sara Richter, CMO at SAP Emarsys. “It’s driven by hype, not history. If marketers want to turn the emotional rush of a trending moment into something more meaningful and lasting, they need to move fast and understand each customer on a personal level.”

Trend loyalty represents a powerful opportunity for brands that understand their customers in real-time, says Richter, with success depending on connected real-time data.

“AI-powered personalisation at scale is key. It empowers brands to respond with relevance and speed, transforming one-off moments into repeat engagement and long-term loyalty,” she added.

SAP says its client, luxury beauty brand Molton Brown, is piloting a trend loyalty strategy, using its solutions to build a connected customer view capturing online behaviour, in-store interactions and campaign responses. This enables in-store associates to offer personalised recommendations, while AI-driven insights power real-time engagement across channels.