Brand Loyalty

[bladespark]

I just wandered into yet another small business blog. (I see a lot of them, as I have entrepreneurship as a stumbleupon interest, and I do actually give most of what I find a read, or at least a skim. It's potentially important stuff to me, even if a lot of the blogs are full of hackneyed buzzwords and not much content.) Anyhow, this particular entry just made me chuckle. Unlike the manufacturers of pickle relish, I do make a product that tends to figure rather largely on the radar of my customers, but I know exactly what this is about. I have a pair of "brand" loyalties myself. Just two, I generally don't care about brand. I mean... yes, I always buy Maruchan brand ramen rather than Top Ramen brand these days, but it has nothing to do with actually caring about the brand, it has to do with the way Maruchan tastes better. That's the way I am on most things. Whatever jeans fit my figure most comfortably, whatever food I like the taste of, etc. I have, however, picked up two brands where the brand itself actually matters. One is Dove. I used to buy body wash and soap and so on based on price and scent. If it was cheap and I liked how it smelled, that's what I got. I now buy Dove. I like their Real Beauty campaign. It's a move away from the supermodel thing that I hate so much, so why not? They have scents I find perfectly acceptable, and the price is perhaps a few cents above the cheaper items I previously bought. A few cents doesn't make much difference, even in a budget as tight as mine often is, so why not? The other is Baen, which I've talked about before, and which I support mostly because of their stance on piracy and DRM. They're not exactly a brand, and I still buy books from other publishers, when I like the author. But they are literally the only case where my chances of buying a book are influenced by the publisher. If it's a book that looks bad, of course I won't get it, and if it's one I love, of course I will. But if it's in between and I think maybe I might like to read it, but I'm not completely sure, well, if it's Baen, I'll buy it, if it's not, I generally won't.

Anyhow, despite the fact that I am, in fact, somewhat passionate about both of these brands, and even more passionate about my reasons for liking and supporting them, the little cartoon there is right. I don't usually think about them. For a few minutes every day when I'm showering and pick up the body wash, and for a minute or so when picking it out at the store, and once in a blue moon when I'm buing books new, that's all the thought time it gets from me. Do you have brand loyalties? Do you ever really think about brands, or are brand names not even on your radar at all? Who are you loyal to? Why? Who do you dislike? Why? And if you're a "brand" yourself, do you think anybody's loyal to you?

Just a few thoughts.

Comments

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

I have brand loyalties if I find something I particularly like or that works well; if I find something that works really well or that I like massively, I'll go out of my way to recommend it to others, word of mouth advertising really being the best sort.

Otherwise, not a great deal of thought goes into brands.I couldn't answer if asked what brand most of my stuff is. I will actively avoid obtrusively branded clothing, mind you. I do put a degree of thought into the message I am sending with my clothing.

[silveradept]

I try not to be a walking billboard, excepting for causes or organizations that I want to promote. Clothing which just has the apparel brand splashed across it is not something I'm likely to wear. I'm perfectly okay with generic/off-brand/whatever material, unless, as with your case, there's a particular taste or feel or interface or something that I'm going for. If there's something specific that I want, then I'll choose a particular brand to match that, but the loyalty only lasts until someone else does it better. If I'm some sort of brand, then I'm probably more shocked that people think of me/my whatever that way than anything.

[lightgreendryad.livejournal.com]

My attitude towards brands matches yours. In fact, I think our opinions have matched more than once. I avoid wearing things with brands written all over them. I'm also content with the generic thing, if only because it's not a big-name brand. My opinion also matches shadefox in that if I remember which item I've bought before and the choice isn't that important for such an innocuous item, I'll buy the same thing again.

I think I am a particular brand, though. The people who are closest to me can walk through a store and point out what shouts my taste. I often hear, "Oh, yeah, that's a Kate-hat" or "I found this bowl. Isn't it such a Kate-bowl?" However, I have yet to figure out what that essence is.

[lightgreendryad.livejournal.com]

(There's another 's' in that username.)

[silveradept]

Well, there are things that people will find or pick out that they think suits your personality and style, but I'm not sure that translates into you being a brand. I'd think more that if your personality or essence were being used to sell things to others or persuade them of something, then that would make you a brand. Once you start producing things, or endorsing them, then maybe you're a brand. Maybe not. I don't really know.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I think you read WAY more into that than I meant.

"S. Park Costumes" This is a brand. That is what I meant by "being a brand." I am a brand name. It's on my website! I should make little tags and sew them into everything I make... Only no, because that's way too much work, and where would I put them on tails?

[silveradept]

On the belt loops.

Yeah, you're a brand. But I was wondering how many of us are being marketed for various opinions or techniques or being cited as authorities in some manner. In all those cases, we're sort-of brands, in that our opinion or conclusion or whatever is being used in support of something else, and that we've accumulated some sort of name recognition in relation to one or another things. Yeah, it's probably reading way too much into what you're asking, but it's an interesting exercise. What would we be if we were to become a brand on whatever it is that our talents or work produces?

[lightgreendryad.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm definitely not a celebrity, so I'll chalk it up to not knowing exactly what makes a person a brand.

[malakim2099.livejournal.com]

Brand loyalty? What's that?

Actually, I tend to have brand aversion. If I remember having a bad experience with a brand, I'll almost never use it again. However, such things are rare, and I tend to be of the "whatever is cheapest" variety. Of course, there are things I might splurge on, but for the most part the answer to "Coke or Pepsi" is "which is on sale?" *grins*

[tarathene.livejournal.com]

That seems to be how I have come to operate, too. Microsoft, Dell, eMachines, things like that I avoid for the most part but will consider if it's just -that- good of a product or -that- good of a deal.

[shadesfox.livejournal.com]

I don't know, I think this is a 'truth is in between' situation, at least for me. There is no constant obsessing about brand loyalty. It is more of a triggered event, when I go shopping, such as for pickles, if I got something once and the cost difference is not terribly great I'll go with the same thing I got the first time. The closest I get to being really brand loyal is on my computers where I will put the stickers on the case. Most of the time this is about reminding me of what I put in the thing in the first place.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

I don't understand brand loyalty - I, like you, use brands that I think are the best. If another brand comes along that is better/as good but cheaper then I switch. The only exception is brand DISLOYALTY, because for various reasons I may disapprove of a brand and avoid it


I do agree with you if I came across a brand that was an especially supportive of a cause I agreed with I'd go with it. Oh,. and I'm loyal to innocent because even though I've tried smoothies that were as nice (or nearly) and cheaper, the sheer fun of an innocent box earns loyalty from me.

[firebyrd.livejournal.com]

I use Dove products for exactly the reason you mentioned.