The "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" by Greenberg can be summed up as the protests of African-Americans who wouldn't buy products from places that wouldn't hire blacks. This article kept making me think of brand loyalty and how managers or CEO's press the notion of only buying their products if you work for them in order to support your company. This is in much the same way as Ford paid his employees more than most places would pay so they could afford to buy the cars they were making.
When I consume I find myself drawn to brands of things I already own and like. For instance, I prefer Sonoma jeans from Kohl's. I don't know why I prefer them other than that they are comfortable and they are a reasonable price. Due to this, when I go to buy a new pair of jeans I always find myself buying Sonoma from Kohl's. When my family wants pizza, I offer to go pick up Domino's. I work for Domino's and the competing pizza places in my town will not see a dime out of my pocket if I can help it. Our manager and supervisor give us a discount (unless we sneak it, then it's free) and they treat me well the whole time I've been there. I don't prefer Domino's pizza, but unless my family pays for the whole meal I won't go anywhere else. My first car was a Ford, and now I prefer Fords. My Grandpa, Dad, and Uncle all drive Fords, so I continue driving a Ford. The brand loyalty doesn't really make sense but it's there and always will be. It's the way I see don't buy where you DON'T work today.
In the article "Is Brand Loyalty the Core to Apple's Success" we read how although Apple is constantly updating everything and there always seems to be some sort of glitch or malfunction Apple consumers (not to be confused with apple eaters) remain loyal and understanding. I've had more issues with my Iphone then any Blackberry or Droid I ever owned, yet I prefer to Iphone because of its simple interface and user friendliness. As I type from my Macbook which has given me more than a few headaches as well as a couple of trips to the Apple store I wonder why I didn't stick with my PC that never had any issues. I have become what most Apple consumers become when owning any combination of Apple products, an unofficial Apple spokesman. Is this because I have been brainwashed by the late Steve Jobs...or is it because brand loyalty has some sort of hold on our culture that can't be shaken?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marketshare/2011/11/27/is-brand-loyalty-the-core-to-apples-success-2/
I agree with your assessment pertaining to “don’t buy where you don’t work today.” My wife has worked for The Kroger Company (at the general office downtown) for many years in a managerial position and we receive many perks such as a certain percent off all Kroger products and double fuel points on all purchases. Due to these different perks, we cannot fathom shopping somewhere else. I am sure this kind of attitude was shared by Ford’s workers during the twenties. When a company does right by its employees (such as our experience with Kroger) it gets rewarded with customer loyalty in return. On the other hand, I know people who do not feel quite the same way about their places of employment and would not buy their own company’s products and/or services. A scary example is my sister-in-law. She works as a nurse for a large renowned hospital in our area and always makes it abundantly clear that she would not ever go there for any type of treatment no matter what. I think the way that companies treat their employees, as well as conduct business, play a large role in peoples decisions to remain loyal to their company’s particular brand, and this speaks volumes about the company in question.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement as well. I believe that if we as consumers have a good experience with a product or products from a certain brand or company we find ourselves continuing to buying them. I think it is not because they have the best product to offer or that it is the best price; but simply because of an instilled trust we have with the product after our good experience with the first one. For instance, my first car was a Toyota. I have had 3 cars since then and every one has ended up being a Toyota; I have a 2012 Corolla-S now. I don't necessarily like Toyota cars the best, but with the trust that grew in having my first car I found myself buying them every time since then.
ReplyDeleteThe same goes if you have a bad experience with a product. Even if it was many years ago or the company has really made strides to improve their products, consumers will have a hard time going back to a product that gave them fits the first time around.
Brand loyalty is definitely something that holds its place in our society. If you find something that you like you are going to buy it, and most likely continue buying it. I think that something that happens more often than not is the notion of popular culture. You said that you have switched to Apple products in lieu of other brands and I think brand loyalty is only a part of it. Those apple products (iPhone, Macbook, ect.) are what society has been portraying as the popular consumer items. I think that we often get this feeling of loyalty only as a result of the fact that we feel like we are going with what popular culture demands. If nothing else, there is no doubt that the two work hand in hand. Very few instances exist where people are entirely loyal to unpopular brands.
ReplyDeleteLoyalty to customers and vice versa has become a driving force in modern consumerism and marketing. However this is not always a good thing as it can be abused for pure profit forgetting any moral obligation to help your customers. Near monopoly sized game publishing company EA, or Electronic Arts, has been voted for the record second year in a row as the United States’ worst company. This is because they have abused video game audience’s desire to play the games they like. EA pressures the multiple game studios that it has bought out to increase frequency of title releases, create planned obsolescence DLC (“extra charge” Downloadable Content), and shorter spans of time to work on titles. On paper any fan of these games would love to have more content and have the things that they enjoy doing more updated and expanded upon; many are left feeling cheated for their money. Planned obsolescence of yearly releases drives the creativity of game producers into the ground and frustrates gamers with $60 year subscriptions to DLC content that they feel the producers should have had in the game in the first place. This is what nearly ran the automobile industry into the ground in the 1990’s with cheap production value and complete planned obsolesce of the product to get you to buy the next product as soon as possible. This has alienated the massive company as many have become too frustrated to buy the products they once loved. It continues to look bleak as they have announced that they will replace a popular franchise now yearly till gamers stop buying. Much like how Wal-Mart is the zenith of American desire for mass consumption at cheap prices in one location; EA is the abomination of the desire for more of the games that you love, hijacked for the money in your wallet.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question I do believe it is brand loyalty. However, many people in our culture are not like this. Many people will buy certain brands because of the cost, or possibly to show how much money they make. These things also play into this conversation. With that being said we can take a look at our own culture and analyze why brand popularity is so popular among Americans. The biggest reason in my mind is that Americans are loyal to a certain brand is that they likely had a good experience the first time they used a product. Many times this can be the beginning of brand loyalty for a customer. If you buy a car that never gives you trouble and it lasts for ten years, a customer is very likely to return to this brand. This is just like computers. Many people feel that Mac is better than a PC because they don't get viruses and they are quicker when starting up. However, other people like the quality some PC's provide for the cheaper price. These, as we all know, are not the only reasons for brand loyalty, however they are big reasons for it.
ReplyDeleteIn summation brand loyalty holds its place in our culture because there are so many different brands to choose from. This means that there are several quality products on the market to choose from in all facets. Therefore, many people find their niche and stay with the same quality product that they first came in contact with, and they do this with good reason.
While I do believe that certain consumers possess "brand loyalty" as they've had positive experiences in the past with certain brands, I feel that more consumers are simply attracted to the brands themselves. You stated that you find yourself supporting Apple products despite the fact that you've had numerous problems in the past. I myself I am owner of Iphone and while I find it meets my needs as a cellular device I've also had numerous issues with it. These leads me to believe that some people buy certain brands not because they are durable and trustworthy but simply because they are popular. If Apple had not become so popular over the last decade, I feel that more people would have the Samsung Galaxy or Droid phones as opposed to the Iphone. However, as Brandon stated in his comment there are very few unpopular brands that have a large following so it does seem that brand "popularity" and "loyalty" are often synonymous.
ReplyDeleteI would say brand loyalty is different across all platforms of consumerism. In regards to technology, yes, everyone loves Apple, but you also have your die-hard PC fans who will never switch. These brands definitely attract followers simply because they have various technologies to offer and they offer everything a consumer could need in regards to electronics. Cars are the same, as well. People buy a brand they like and they never stray away; others simply buy what appeals to their eye. There will always be a following for every brand no matter how large. However, you also have those people who merely buy what they think looks nice and fits them well. For example, I could tell you maybe one or two brands of clothing I have, but I could describe my clothes to you. It all depends on the person and what they like. I can be content with any brand where as others must have a certain brand or their world will end. However, I will say I am loyal to the Toyota brand because I have had three of their cars and they are spectacular. So, I guess we all have our secret brand crushes in a sense. Brands do make a lot of their money on their “groupies” so to speak, especially if a celebrity advertises for their product. For example, most hip-hop artists wear certain clothing items like A Bathing Ape, Diamond Supply, and Billionaire Boys Club. Having those artists use their brands in their songs is simply free advertising and allows their brand to spread to lengths you’d never believe. All you have to do is make quality items and people will buy your brand.
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