NPR today featured a story out of the UK on the fact that more people stay loyal to their bank (an average of 16 years) than their marriage. I don’t know if this stat holds true for the United States but I suspect it does.Consumers in general are very brand loyal. The idea is that if you can get a consumer to stick with your brand early on he or she will stay with you for years and years, until you give them a reason to stray, or something more compelling comes along. What would be more compelling than their favorite brand? New technology? Buzz? A feature people realize they simply must have.

In college I was handed a box of personal grooming freebies that included Mennen Speed Stick deodorant, a Trac II razor, and Edge shaving cream. Guess what? I still use all three brands. I finally switched to the five blade razor models just this year when I forgot my razor on a business trip. Still, I agonized in the aisle of CVS studying the razors until I finally took the plunge.

Why do people stick with their bank for so long? Here are the top five reasons people stick with a brand according to another study in the UK by a marketing firm.

1. Consistently high quality products
2. Helpful, knowledgeable staff
3. Easy to contact the company
4. Every aspect of the brand experience is enjoyable
5. Customers are recognized and valued when they call customer support

So, credit card and prepaid debit card companies should pay attention to what their customers want, and they can extend loyalty years out. Perhaps couples could learn from banks and work on being “helpful” and “easy to talk to.”