Seems like a "duh"

+ Researchers at Rice University have published a report that examines the dollar value of Facebook fans on the sales of Dessert Gallery (DG), a Houston-based bakery and cafe chain. The study found that Facebook fans became more loyal customers. Sort of makes me think "duh". But then again, there are those who want to see hard numbers and statistics to back that up. So, probably not a waste.

The results of the research showed that:
* Customers who became a fan of DG on Facebook ended up being more loyal. Although they spent the same amount of money per visit, the frequency of their visits to DG increased. On an empirical scale, fans visited DG 20% more often then non-fans.
* Fans were more likely to recommend DG to friends and had an average Net Promoter Score of 75, as compared to 53% for Facebook users who were not fans, and 66% for customers not on Facebook.
* Fans had a higher emotional attachment to DG, 3.4 on a scale of 4, as compared to 3.0 for other customers.