AI Bridges Brands' Loyalty Gaps, Brand Keys Finds

Customer loyalty this year is built on a combination of generative artificial intelligence, always-on customer experiences, and brand experiences that customers actually want, according to Brand Keys, the New York-based loyalty and engagement research firm.

Loyalty "isn't set in stone; it's set in code," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, in the 17th annual Brand Keys Loyalty Leaders List.

"The better a brand meets consumers' expectations, the more loyal they will be," Passikoff said. "On average, expectations have increased 30 percent year-over-year, while brands are only gaining 9 percent to 11 percent. That gap is where brand loyalty lives and why exposure to and experience with a brand, whether at retail, via streaming, or AI, has never been more critical."

AI is fast becoming the most important bridge across that loyalty gap, accordiong to Brand Keys, which noted that it powers personalization and support, but tomorrow it will reshape the very idea of what it means to be loyal to a brand. Generative AI companions, the firm said further, will act as always-on brand emissaries, carrying the voice, values, and personality of companies into every customer interaction.

"Instead of static loyalty programs or simple points systems, AI will enable dynamic, adaptive loyalty experiences, anticipating shifts in mood, context, or life stage and responding in ways that make customers feel recognized at a near-human level," Passikoff added.

The impact of personalized customer experience, generative AI support, and immersive entertainment ecosystems was especially evident in the 2025 loyalty leader rankings, where new brand entries and big movers dramatically shifted the rankings. But this is only the beginning, according to Brand Keys, which predicts that as AI weaves itself into daily routines—from shopping and media to health, mobility, and finance—brand loyalty will move from being transactional to relational, and eventually, predictive. Consumers won't just be choosing brands; AI will be choosing for them, based on trust, history, and context. In that world, companies that teach their AI to be empathic, transparent, and genuinely aligned with consumer values will command loyalty not for a season but for a generation.

The 2025 Loyalty Leaders Top 20:

1. Amazon (Online Retail)
2. Google (Search)
3. Microsoft (Tech)
4. Apple (Smartphones)
5. Coca-Cola (Beverages)
6. Samsung (Smartphones)
7. Paramount+ (Video Streaming)
8. ChatGPT (AI)
9. TikTok (Social Networking)
10. Levi Strauss (Apparel Retailers)
11. Discover (Credit Cards)
12. McDonald's (Fast Food)
13. Netflix (Video Streaming)
14. PayPal (Online Payments)
15. Dunkin' (Coffee)
16. Disney+ (Video Streaming)
17. Hyundai (Automotive)
18. Walmart.com (Online Retail)
19. Toyota (Automotive)
20. Domino's (Pizza)

"The shifts in loyalty rankings—the largest for Coca-Cola (+76), Paramount+ (+67), ChatGPT (+32), Microsoft (+29), Modelo (+27), Google (+23), Spotify (+20) and McDonald's (+19)—are proof of concept,"Passikoff stated. "Brands that deliver interaction, personalization, and emotional resonance win. Coke found a way to stay classic and modern simultaneously. Paramount+ took streaming loyalty from Disney+ and Netflix by delivering exactly what viewers wanted. And ChatGPT is redefining not just CX but how consumers expect to interact with every brand in their lives."

This year saw no new entrants to the Top 100 brands but some of the biggest leaps in ranking history, according to Passikoff. "Consumers are doubling down on brands that continuously meet their rising expectations," he said. "When that happens, loyalty doesn't just rise, it accelerates."