Juice Plus CEO Celine Egan on why that data should be reshaping how every business thinks about loyalty.
To this day businesses remain obsessed over financial ROI above all else.
Of course revenue, margin, scale, and growth matter. But after more than 40 years in leadership and direct selling I believe the companies that will truly thrive in the future are the ones that understand the value of social ROI.
By that, I mean the measurable value created through human connection, community, belonging, trust, and purpose.
In 2026 products alone are no longer enough to build lasting loyalty. Consumers can buy almost anything, anywhere, often cheaper and faster than ever before. Technology has made products more accessible, but it has also made relationships more disposable.
Consumers today want to feel connected to the businesses they support. They are looking for shared values, a sense of community, and to feel like they matter on a personal basis.
The brands that understand this are creating cultures where the product becomes the catalyst, but the community becomes the lodestar that keeps them engaged long after the transaction is complete.
This is the future of business because as a society we are lonelier than ever before. One of the great paradoxes of modern life is that while technology has connected us digitally, we are increasingly emotionally disconnected.
According to the World Health Organisation, loneliness and social isolation are emerging as major global public health concerns linked to poorer physical and mental health outcomes. At the same time research from Harvard University has consistently shown that strong relationships are among the single biggest predictors of long-term happiness and wellbeing.
Yet many modern businesses still operate as though human beings are mere data points. We see this in action everywhere.
Brands spend millions on customer acquisition, but very little on building an actual sense of community. Employees are managed through KPIs, while paying lip service to culture. These companies then wonder why engagement drops, retention suffers, and trust is low.
The businesses succeeding right now are the ones tapping into the human need for connection and creating spaces where people feel like they belong.
Products attract people and community keeps them
In my time as a leader and CEO I have learned that while products may initially attract customers, community is what keeps them coming back over the long term.
I believe that a product solves a problem, but a community creates identity. For example, people who are drawn to a wellness product do so because they want better health, more energy, or nutritional support. But they stay because they find encouragement, accountability, friendships, inspiration, and a sense of belonging.
The same principle can be applied across almost every industry today. The world’s most successful modern brands are building tribes of people.
Apple creates a culture of innovation and identity. Lululemon builds local wellness communities through events and ambassadors. Peloton transforms exercise equipment into a global community where members can motivate one another daily.
Consumers are placing greater importance on trust, transparency, and purpose when deciding which brands to support. Younger generations in particular are more likely to remain loyal to brands that foster genuine purpose and social impact.
Social ROI matters internally too
Social ROI matters just as much inside organisations as it does for customers.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is believing culture is built through perks and bland mission statements on office walls. They need to ask themselves:
Do employees feel valued?
Do they feel connected?
Do they feel their contribution matters?
Do they feel psychologically safe?
Do they feel part of something bigger than themselves?
These questions will determine whether they will simply show up to work for a business and then go home or genuinely believe in it and put in a little extra.
Gallup research shows highly engaged teams show significantly higher profitability, productivity, and retention rates than disengaged workplaces. Yet globally, employee engagement remains critically low because too many organisations focus almost exclusively on output and neglect fostering employee engagement.
In my experience, employees tend to stay loyal to companies where they feel emotionally connected to the mission and to one another. Emotional connection becomes especially important during difficult times.
Businesses must start building meaningful connections
One of the challenges in modern business is that we prioritise visibility over value. It might look like chasing vanity metrics like followers, clicks, impressions, and hype. A brand can go viral yet still fail to build loyalty.
In contrast, businesses that prioritise genuine connection grow more sustainably because their customers become advocates for them. This is key in the direct selling industry, which has always operated through trust and word-of-mouth relationships.
Long before influencer marketing existed, there were people building businesses through authentic recommendations and community connection.
Direct selling’s secret is that it recognises that the human element remains its greatest strength. This is backed up by Nielsen research which proves that recommendations from friends, family, and peers remain among the most trusted forms of marketing globally.
In terms of social impact, consumers increasingly expect businesses to contribute positively to society. At Juice Plus+, we have initiatives like the Healthy Starts Program which has delivered more than $18 million in free nutritional support to families across Australia and New Zealand over the past five years.
Programs like these matter because they show that business can be a force for good. This attracts consumers who want to support organisations that care about more than profit. Technology may improve efficiency and automate systems but it can never replace genuine belonging.
The businesses that will win the future are not always the loudest or the fastest-growing. They will be the ones that understand people fundamentally want connection, meaning, and trust. Long after the sale is complete, they will remember how the business made them feel.
And that emotional connection will turn out to be the most valuable ROI of all.
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