19 replies to this topic

[TheDR]

Please read This post on the Gizmodo blog.

I myself try to stray away from brand loyalty, but i know sometimes it clouds my vision on what would be the best judgment.
Do you consider yourself to have brand loyalty or be a FanBoy/Girl? If so, why do you? Are you trapped in a stranglehold by the companies or are you in complete control?

[Alias]

I'd probably call myself more of a 'traditionalist' than a 'loyalist'.

I buy things not necessarily because they are objectively better, but because it's what I've done for donkey's years.

My family always buys Samsung monitors and televisions, don't ask me why, we just do.
For mobile phones, we almost always go Nokia for the phone and Vodafone for the coverage, because that's what we've done for years.
In terms of laptops, it's either an Asus or a Mac, because that's just what we do.

I'm sure we could change, but the idiom applies: "if it isn't broken, don't fix it".

[CJ]

The only case where I could consider myself as a 'Fanboy' is for mobile phones : I only buy Nokia ones, and the only time I bought a Samsung one, it just convinced me that I was right to stick with Nokia, since this crappy phone has failed me in all possible manners...

Other than that, we usually stick with the same brands, but that's more because we don't have many choices since there's actually only small number of good quality products, and most of what can be found at the stores is the local made junk, or even worse, the Chinese one...

[Slightly Wonky Robob]

I will often stick to the same brands, especially if I have them several times in the past. For example, I have always had Creative MP3 players, why? Well my first MP3 player was actually a birthday present from my parents, and they know squat about 'em. I've never been completely satisfied with 'em, but I stick with them anyway. Recently I actually looked at other brands because I thought "This is silly, I may as well get something that actually does what I wanted it to do". After some searching, I realised that there wasn't actually anything out there that did do what I wanted it to do. Similarly with Playstation, I had a PS1, I had a PS2 (as well as most of the other major consoles, but I bought the playstations first for those generations). When it came to the current generation of consoles I thought "Screw it, I'll get a 360... most of my mates prefer xboxes", I was severely disappointed, later bought a PS3 and haven't looked back. Whether this is because I got used to x brand, or I genuinely did prefer them... who knows...

In general, I do keep an open mind, but I most certainly won't go for the mainstream unless there is a good reason to do so.

[CJ]

Bob, on 5 Jun 2010, 17:23, said:

Recently I actually looked at other brands because I thought "This is silly, I may as well get something that actually does what I wanted it to do".

Thinking like that is one of the biggest errors I've done in my life so far... Every time I did follow that thought I ended up buying the crappiest product out there.

[TheDR]

Argetlam, on 5 Jun 2010, 17:29, said:

Bob, on 5 Jun 2010, 17:23, said:

Recently I actually looked at other brands because I thought "This is silly, I may as well get something that actually does what I wanted it to do".

Thinking like that is one of the biggest errors I've done in my life so far... Every time I did follow that thought I ended up buying the crappiest product out there.

I think thats just an unlucky coincidence.

I always bought the same kind of shoe for about 4 years, it was a good shoe brand, but it just wasn't what i needed, so i decided to break the chain and i actually managed to get a better. In your case it sounds like you either have your expectations too high or didn't do enough research/shopping around.

I have always found that people stick to brands due to fear of change and like that article said, people feel like they have invested money into that certain brand and they don't want to leave as they feel they might of wasted all their money and it makes them look stupid to admit mistakes.

[Destiny]

For me, I'm rather restricted on what to buy...it's more like I have nothing really to buy, so I stick to only one brand. But then again there is only one brand which has a monopoly on our fizzy drinks...

If I had a choice though, I'd only be brand loyal to ones that really have QC...especially Japanese brands.







...nothing Made in China, too.

[Libains]

*Looks at avatar*

Well duh We all know I'm an Apple 'fanboy' and probably will be until I die. I like the aesthetics, the way they're made, and the genuine quality that they provide me with. But all in all, I'd say it probably comes down to the fact that I just like what they do. Everything about Apple makes it seem like it's the sort of company that I can get behind and support.

Before I owned anything Apple, I was a user of Sony products, and before that, LG. My first mobile phone was a horrible LG piece of rubbish. While still owning it, I got a Sony laptop, and it worked. It wasn't perfect, but it was good at what it did. So I then bought a Sony Ericsson when I got a new phone, and it was a great phone, and lasted me many a year. But while owning these Sony products, I bought an iPod. So when it came to my next computer, and appreciating my iPod for being exactly the sort of device I liked, I got a Mac. Phone upgrade time came, and hey presto, I now have an iPhone too, as well as the Mac and an upgraded iPod (I've had two stolen and always re-bought iPods).

From my personal experience I wouldn't say I had any loyalty to any particular brand until I bought my Mac. I think that, combined with owning my iPod, cemented in my mind that Apple products 'did' it for me. For a long time, I had no loyalty, and simply bought what I felt was best - even now, outside of technology, I still buy whatever the heck looks best, performs best, and is the best. If it's made by a brand that has some value behind it, then great. If not, then I don't care that much to argue the point.

One interesting thing I will note is that of late, I've noticed myself buying from brands associated with Apple, which is a little strange. For example, having recently taken up running again, I bought myself a pair of Nike shoes, and a Nike+ sensor. Nike have a long history with Apple and the sensor is compatible with my iPhone. But there was no reason to buy the shoes from Nike, and yet I did. I imagine one day I will be dragged into the corporate elitism as inspired by Apple, but not for a long time. For now, it's whatever is cheapest, and best, sod loyalty or looking like a prat. I'll save myself some money instead.

[Warlock]

Generally only with electronics, with other household items it doesn't generally apply.

[Whitey]

I buy things because I prefer them; be it for price, taste, appearance, et cetera. Brand loyalty is, in my opinion, an economic issue preventing a more ideal market.

Edited by Boidy, 06 June 2010 - 03:45.

[TehKiller]

I will always prefer one brand over the other but that doesnt mean I wont choose the other brands. I prefer Pepsi but I still buy Coke.

The only ever time I ended up buying exclusively the brand I prefer would be ATI...but thats pure coincidence

[Chyros]

I'm not a fanboy of any brand except perhaps Logitech which just makes decent well-priced stuff IMO. Wouldn't buy just Logitech or anything though, just slightly bias it in a comparison. I might have to plead guilty in anti-fanboyism of certain brands, though .

[CJ]

Chyros, on 6 Jun 2010, 11:41, said:

I'm not a fanboy of any brand except perhaps Logitech which just makes decent well-priced stuff IMO. Wouldn't buy just Logitech or anything though, just slightly bias it in a comparison. I might have to plead guilty in anti-fanboyism of certain brands, though .

*cough* MW2 fanboy *cough*

[Chyros]

Argetlam, on 6 Jun 2010, 12:44, said:

Chyros, on 6 Jun 2010, 11:41, said:

I'm not a fanboy of any brand except perhaps Logitech which just makes decent well-priced stuff IMO. Wouldn't buy just Logitech or anything though, just slightly bias it in a comparison. I might have to plead guilty in anti-fanboyism of certain brands, though .

*cough* MW2 fanboy *cough*

MW2 is not a brand, and if I were a fanboi of MW2 I wouldn't criticise it for so many things .

[Shirou]

I am a total ATi fanboi.

However, that ain't that bad. There are so much more NV fanboys that I have the right of existence.

@TS. Your sinister post makes it sound like brand loyalty is a bad thing. Why, if you know something is good for you and will do your desired job, you have to look out just ''cus there might be something better?'' Imo that would cost you too much time.

@AJ. Well Apple has a much stronger brand than any other consumer electronics company. When Apple does something new, the world is watching. When I tell people Sony has cool MP3 players, they say ''oh, I didn't know they made those too''. Thats the case with pretty much any other brand out there.

Because Apple has relatively few, very high quality products their brand will remain strong and not get damaged by a bad product or two, which is the case with most other developers.

To me gaming and the surplus price of Apple computers make me stay away. Apple has many haters, but its mostly with people who are not the consumer world they are targeting. Their app store fascism is a good example, something barely any of the iPhone holders I have talked to, knew about.

We have seen Microsoft rampaging about their ''Windows Phone 7'' and Google Android about getting their own Chrome OS. Integration is the key, something Apple has as an advantage now.

Edited by Trivmvirate, 06 June 2010 - 11:38.

[CJ]

Chyros, on 6 Jun 2010, 12:21, said:

Argetlam, on 6 Jun 2010, 12:44, said:

Chyros, on 6 Jun 2010, 11:41, said:

I'm not a fanboy of any brand except perhaps Logitech which just makes decent well-priced stuff IMO. Wouldn't buy just Logitech or anything though, just slightly bias it in a comparison. I might have to plead guilty in anti-fanboyism of certain brands, though .

*cough* MW2 fanboy *cough*

MW2 is not a brand, and if I were a fanboi of MW2 I wouldn't criticise it for so many things .

I know, I'm just pulling your leg

[BeefJeRKy]

I go through fanboy phases. But mostly "gadget lust" and not actual ownership. I'll admit past experience does contribute to my decision. I know I won't be buying any Sony laptop next time, and after what our kitchen appliances went through, we'll probably avoid Philips for that. OTOH, Samsung are very reliable with their electronics stuff. And I decided to go for a Panasonic camera despite having only used Canon products and having a bias to Nikon dSLRs. But hey the Micro Four Thirds system has great potential.

[NergiZed]

If I ever want to buy something, and there's a couple things from different brands that are approximately the same, I usually for the thing that has a brand that I like.

I dunno, brand loyalty seems pretty logical to me. You buy thing made by dude A, thing is good, continue to buy things made by dude A. It's always good to compare and contrast, but when in doubt, it's always best to go with what you're familiar with.

Heh, just recently I bought my first Ati card in 6 years, and wow, full of fail; driver support was crap, and I couldn't play all of my old games. The only reason I bought the thing was because Nvidia had no DX11 cards at the time and well, I've already sold the card to a friend (obviously at a loss).

Brand loyalty whilst being informed and having an open mind is a sound option, blind brand loyalty is stupid and ignorant.

[Major Fuckup]

Argetlam, on 6 Jun 2010, 0:16, said:

The only case where I could consider myself as a 'Fanboy' is for mobile phones : I only buy Nokia ones, and the only time I bought a Samsung one, it just convinced me that I was right to stick with Nokia, since this crappy phone has failed me in all possible manners...

Your not wrong on that i am currently using a Samsung phone and it is a piece of shit compared to my old brick Nokia i had
Im a Holden fan basically because the rest of the family are as well and also because they are reliable, cheap to buy, easy to work on and parts are readily available and cheap. I wouldn't go Ford or rice burners because the are driven by cocks and douche bags and it would mean that would have to learn the ins and outs of a unfamiliar car again.

[Sgt. Nuker]

Really, the only brand I've been loyal to has been Adidas. I was a runner all through high school, and when you wear a pair of shoes out in 300-400 miles (normally one season of Cross Country or Track and Field), and with two pairs of shoes per season, I went through a LOT of shoes. I tried Asics, New Balance, Reebok, Nike, and Adidas, and the brand that always performed the best for me, was Adidas. The Asics and the New Balance never provided the comfort/support I desired (or needed in the case of the frequent long runs we did), or in the special case of the New Balance, actually hurt my feet. The Reeboks felt extremely flimsy, and while they were light, it was because there wasn't much material to keep the top of the shoe stiff enough to hold my foot. While the Nike's never hurt my feet, it was the quality, or lack thereof, and severe lack of comfort that disappointed me to no end. A pair of Nike trail shoes only lasted me 200 miles and felt like cardboard, whereas a comparable trail shoe from Adidas lasted me twice as long and kept more of its tread for longer.

I'm not really "brand loyal" when it comes to consoles, mostly because there are games for Nintendo, Playstation, and XBox that I enjoy playing. I still own an N64 and an original PS2. Up until recently I played games on my PS2, that was, until a good friend of mine sent me his XBox 360.