Brand Loyalty

[Uneunsae]

There's a difference between preferring a brand because you've consistently tried other makers and just prefer that brand of whatever (like Kleenex). Brand loyalty is a bit different. It's the blind following of a brand just because you liked one of their products. Many people have brand loyalty for political, environmental, or sociological reasons. These individuals will assume an entire line of a company's product is good just because they tried one thing and liked it. For example, if someone like a face wash made by Johnson and Johnson, they will automatically tout everything the brand makes and start replacing all their old personal care products with J&J. Just because they liked the face wash! A lot of people really behave in this manner.

I find brand loyalty, in the strictest sense, to be a bit of zealotry, illogical, mindless, and it's exactly how companies want you to behave. They actually count on this behaviour to keep people loyal not only to one product, but to the company as a whole. Many companies put on a nice face of CSR (corporate social responsibility), but they are actually scamming everyone. So I do a lot of research before I buy things.

For example, nothing has kept my face as clear as an Aveeno face wash I have, but their body moisturizer makes my skin break out badly because it has oil in it. I have a female friend who will just buy anything they make because she is a kind of "follower" of theirs. That's cool if she's happy with the product, but I try to pick the best things, regardless of brand. It's too bad I can't sample more things before I buy them. I would be that person that tries a ton of samples before choosing to spend money. I read labels on every single thing I purchase and check the ingredients. Of course, money has been very hard to come by in this lifetime, so that probably skews my perspective just a little bit. lol

Yes, there are brands which I think have consistently outperformed others, and I might lean towards them, but I will still consider alternatives. I refuse to be a brain dead consumer sheep like most others. Of course, I've been quite enlightened by having gone to business school.

Discovering new things can be really fun, too.

My preferences are for products which are more natural, environmentally friendly, do what they are supposed to do (with style!), have packaging I can recycle, last a long time, and suit my personal tastes.