Approaches to goals setting in customer loyalty and brand management under economic turbulence

In an environment of heightened competition and growing consumer market power, companies are seeking new ways to gain and maintain competitive advantages. A marketing department is a key factor in increasing competitiveness of the organization, but in practice, interrelated marketing processes are regulated by different departments, which incurs a risk of divergent management practices and weak coordination. The article examines approaches to customer loyalty and brand management as key marketing processes with a focus on goal setting strategies. The study is based on classical marketing theory, as well as the concepts of brand management and customer loyalty. The empirical basis was formed by data from in-depth interviews with marketing directors of 20 Russian companies conducted in November, 2022. The interview results, processed using content analysis and the repertory grid method, revealed lack of a system approach to goal setting: brand management is focused on achieving short-term financial goals, while customer loyalty management centres around long-term marketing objectives. Poorly synchronized goals cause inconsistencies in the methods applied and performance evaluation. Our findings enrich the understanding of the goal setting mechanisms in customer loyalty and brand management and identify failures in synchronization of marketing strategies.