The only major brands I am real loyal to are Apple and Subaru, mainly because I like their products and when I have had problems with their products, I have been able to connect with real humans at each company who went out of their way to do the right thing, even past warranty. With Subaru, it was them picking up the tab for a new clutch out of warranty, which was a big chunk of $$. With Apple, it was putting a new motherboard in a laptop, past warranty, to the tune of $900. In both cases I could tell they cared, which was really nice (one of the really great things about Apple is that you can visit the Genius bar at one of their stores and get quick resolution of problems, face to face with someone qualified and well trained in customer service). In similar situations, I have had other companies argue or slink away from doing the right thing, or treat me like a number, and it gives me zero reason to be loyal to them. So really, I guess I build loyalty when I like a product and when something goes wrong and the company is able to demonstrate loyalty/responsibility to me as a customer. That makes an impression on me.
I happen to like Honda automobiles and have owned many, but they totally blew me off when we had a problem with a car a few years ago, which was a $2800 issue. I could tell I was getting screwed when a rep at their 1-800 number went into "stonewall" mode, and I was shocked and disappointed they would behave that way. So they probably lost my business in the future. I am more than happy to buy Subaru instead.
When it came time to buy a truck recently, I didn't have any brand preference, I just looked at them all and let the shopping process guide me to GMC. Had owned Fords many years ago, and one of my main work trucks as a young kid was an old Dodge with the slant-six engine (which I happen to think was an awesome engine). That truck seemed a bit wimpy at the time, but in retrospect it took a licking and kept on ticking. So far I like the GMC, but it will take years and experience before that turns into loyalty.
My other car is a BMW, and while it's a beautiful car, the dealership has been arrogant and money-grubbing in my experience, and that's just not for me. Yeah, it's a beautiful car, but it's not exceptional in any way, and in reality, I think BMWs are too darn expensive for what you get. They are not a very good value. When I see a service department getting all haughty and arrogant about what is really just a regular car with a fancy brand name, my eyes start to roll a bit. The free service warranty ran out on that car last year, so I'll be doing future services myself and taking it to a third-party garage for annual state inspections.