TL;DR
Being a loyal customer should feel like belonging to an elite club—and brands like Chewy and Costco have earned that reputation by prioritizing personal touch, customer-first decisions, and above all else, consistency, even in the face of change.
This is important because customer trust is most at risk during moments of change. Loyal customers react loudly not because they dislike progress, but because they fear betrayal when change ignores what made them loyal in the first place. The brands that thrive through rebrands, new products, or tech updates do so by clearly communicating what isn’t changing, who the change benefits, and the pain it solves. When change is introduced with transparency, empathy, and respect, customers don’t just accept it; they embrace it.
Key Insights:
- Loyalty is built on belonging, not convenience. Customers stay when a brand makes them feel valued and understood.
- Personal touch creates brand trust that marketing can’t fake. Emotional moments—not scale—turn customers into advocates.
- Smart change protects what customers already love. Successful evolution enhances the core experience instead of replacing it.
- Novelty without consistency feels like betrayal. Ignoring why customers became loyal in the first place puts brand trust at risk.
- The strongest reactions come from the most loyal customers. Emotional pushback is a sign of ownership, not disengagement.
- Clear, human communication determines trust during change. When brands explain, listen, and respond with empathy, customers stay.
Being a loyal consumer of a brand should make you feel like you’re part of a club. They make you feel invited, important, and like your concerns are being addressed and your nice-to-haves are always considered. It’s what keeps you from finding someone else to do it.
For example, pet owners can buy supplies and food virtually anywhere—in-person, at Petco, or at a big online retailer like Amazon or Walmart. However, Chewy has stolen the hearts of millions because of the way it makes its shoppers feel.
One customer contacted Chewy to see if she could return an unopened bag of food after her beloved dog passed away. Not only did Chewy give her a free refund and tell her to donate the bag to a shelter, but flowers arrived on her doorstep, signed by the customer service person she spoke to.
You can’t fake that kind of customer loyalty—and this is something Chewy is explicitly known for. That’s why when we found out about our newest family member, Bucatini the mini weenie, I went straight to Chewy for toys, food, a harness, and of course, a Valentine’s Day sweater.
I am a brand new dog owner, and I didn’t have a childhood dog. I know virtually nothing about where to buy supplies. But when a brand has a personal touch, it goes a long way for someone like me. It made me, and millions of others, trust them.
Another brand that comes to mind when I think of being a member of “a club” is Costco. And no, I don’t say this because they are literally a club…
It’s because they have spent the last 40 years making their customers feel like they belong to something, not just that they receive access to something.
- You have to qualify to be a member.
- Products are intentionally limited (“when it’s gone, it’s gone”) to make those who get them feel in-the-know.
- The Kirkland Signature Trust signals promise to its buyers.
- The Rotisserie chicken.
- And of course, the famous $1.50 hot dog that has stood the test of time. (I’m sure you’re all familiar with co-founder Jim Sinegal’s “If you raise the [price of] the effing hot dog, I will kill you” quote).
But all of that customer loyalty and “club-like” feeling can fall by the wayside when a brand undergoes a major change—sometimes they focus so hard on the novelty of it all that they forget about remaining consistent with their customers.
Not Costco, though.
What Smart Change Does
At the end of last year, Costco updated its app and website, and despite this change, it didn’t try to overhaul the customer experience by, say, converting in-person shoppers into online shoppers or making the app a requirement to shop.
Instead, they used the technology to improve the in-person experience that Costco members know and love—as well as fix some member pain points that had been addressed along the way.
(Like a verifiable, digital membership card option for members who forget their card and order ahead for large food quantities).
Novelty cannot stand on its own without brand consistency. If your new product, service, or rebrand doesn’t consider the reasons your customers have remained loyal to you all this time, it just might scare them away.
Why Loyal Customers React Louder
“Why are you messing with my brand?”
Change can be scary, and customers (especially the cult-follower kind) tend to react to brand changes emotionally first, rationally second.
New logos: I liked the old one.
New tech: Ugh, now I have to learn how to use something new?!
New products: This isn’t what I signed up for.
And the more loyal the customer, the louder the reaction. Loyal customers feel ownership of the brand; they feel like they’ve earned a voice and a say in what changes.
Maintaining Customer Trust When Making Changes
Loyal customers don’t fear change; they fear betrayal. So how do you implement changes—like new technologies, replacing products with new ones, rebrands, etc.—without making the members of your “club” feel abandoned? This is the exact problem the PESO Model® was built to solve—integrated marketing and communications that protect credibility during change. It’s not necessarily about what you’re changing…it’s all in the way you communicate it.
Emphasize What Isn’t Changing
- Values
- Mission
- Commitment to customers
- Personal touch
Be Clear About Who it Benefits First
You don’t need me to tell you that the customer always comes first, but reminding them that any upgrades or changes to your product or service are always made with them in mind is important. Even if it’s something like a new logo or rebrand of socials, have an explanation ready that allows customers to be excited and eager about the change instead of uneasy.
A good example is the brands that rebranded to embrace the “abbreviations” their customers had given their brand—like Dunkin’ Donuts → Dunkin’; Barry’s Bootcamp → Barry’s; Starbucks Coffee → Starbucks; Apple Computers → Apple.
The brand needed a refresh, and the customers get to accurately call the company what they’ve been calling them all along!
Address the Pain it Solves
A great brand change is one that solves a problem customers may not have even known they had, like, you know, it takes too long to say the brand name out loud.
In the case of Costco, forgetting your ID (or license, credit card, key fob, etc.) is a problem we’ve all faced at some point. Leaving the house without your phone, however,… is a little less common. A digital ID solves this pain point for members.
Lead With Transparent Messaging With Context
Speak about change in a way that continues to foster trust. “Yes, this thing is changing—but don’t worry, the (product/service) you know and love isn’t going anywhere.”
Relay the message through:
- CEO or founder letter/ blog post
- A dedicated “What’s Changing vs. What’s Not” landing page
- Product update emails with rationale, not hype
- A visual timeline showing evolution, not rupture
Listen First, Respond Human
You’re going to receive feedback, and sometimes it’s publicly on social media. This can be both good and bad. On one hand, it’s an opportunity to gather feedback and social listening from your audience through comment sections, live Q&As, and AMAs. However, it’s also a place for the vocal few to air their qualms.
Remember: most users don’t comment—feedback skews negative because those who are upset speak up. (Social media amplifies extremes).
Don’t be the brand that overreacts to early backlash and makes things worse.
Do invite feedback, questions, and conversations on your shared channels that can help inform your comms strategy going forward.
By acknowledging any potential for discomfort, your customers will feel heard, and your brand will come across as human. And remember: Silence erodes trust faster than mistakes. Over-polishing your messaging while ignoring your audience’s concerns will break brand trust during change.
When your comms work in sync, customers will feel informed, respected, reassured, and confident in this change—and best of all, ready to stand by your company’s side through it all. Like me, with Chewy…the brand I started using three days ago.
© 2026 Spin Sucks. All rights reserved. The PESO Model® is a registered trademark of Spin Sucks
Share This:
