Brand Loyalty, Why Or Why Not?

[Ingomike]

A point was made recently that brand loyalty was something a poster did not understand. Thought it was an interesting point to ponder.

Did you ever have brand loyalty? What brands?

Do you have brand loyalty today for any brand? What brands?

Did you once have brand loyalty?

If you no longer have brand loyalty for a brand you once did why did that change?

 

[phylodog]

Used to buy Dewalt tools then started noticing a decline in quality. Switched over to Milwaukee 6 years ago and have been mostly happy with the tools I've acquired thus far. So long as Milwaukee makes the tool I need and their offering gets decent review I'll stick with them. At some point they'll drop off I"m sure and if that day comes and I need a tool I may buy elsewhere. It appears Dewalt has picked up the slack since and are making good stuff again.

Been buying Ram trucks since around 2007. If I had to buy another truck it would probably be another Ram. The family collectively has over 500k miles across five Ram trucks and they've been solid.

I do some research but I've yet to come across any major brand without both fanboys and haters. I buy what I like providing my research doesn't steer me elsewhere. If it's time to buy again and I've been happy with the brand to that point I'll likely stick with them. For things like battery powered tools there are obvious advantages to this and, if one does their own maintenance vehicles as well.

Wore Levi jeans most of my life until they decided they wanted to expand from selling jeans into politics. I wear Wranglers now. Used to buy Carhartt, politics drove me away. Same with Netflix (the first time around).

It's my money and I buy what I want for a variety of reasons. I don't argue against brands I don't have experience with nor do I argue for them.

 

[schmart]

A point was made recently that brand loyalty was something a poster did not understand. Thought it was an interesting point to ponder.

Did you ever have brand loyalty? What brands?

Do you have brand loyalty today for any brand? What brands?

Did you once have brand loyalty?

If you no longer have brand loyalty for a brand you once did why did that change?

I do have loyalty to Whirlpool for any appliance with water running through it. I had the mistaken idea that Kenmore was made by whirlpool and bought a black Friday sale special, only to find out was made by daiwoo! Never again!
Tires I'm stuck with Michelin but recently have considered others such as Continental. (Never Good(for a) year.
Rick

 

[KLB]

Hmm expanding it to a general question. Interesting.

The original was for vehicles, I have only bought the same brand twice. I had two VW Golf Rs, and I had a Pontiac Grand Am and a Pontiac Bonneville.
The brands I purchased.
Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Pontiac, Volvo, Dodge, Infiniti, Ford, VW, VW, KIA

I come up with my requirements and then research vehicles that fit those requirements most closely in a price range I can afford.

For things like battery powered tools there are obvious advantages to this

Yep. They make it financially advantageous to stick with one brand, ssing the same batteries on different tools.

I have DeWalt because they were the only one to make a battery powered framing nailer and a battery powered 9ga staple gun.

I have eGo yards tools for the same reason I have one brand of power tools. Batteries. They have been rock solid and do everything I need them to do.

 

[ljk]

Used to buy Snap On tools, but now I buy whatever works. At least I bought mine on student discount at that time.

 

[OneBadV8]

I like to research and buy what is going to work the best and last the longest. That being said, I tend to buy those brands more often. I still buy other brands though, I don't stick to one per se.

Like with Knives, I'm a big fan of Pro Tech and Spyderco, however I have WE, Civivi, a few Customs, ZT, Benchmade, etc.

And like Phylodog, I switched to milwaukee because when I need to replace things, they were the best at the time. And they still get the job done pretty well.

 

[jwamplerusa]

Not really. Brands change. Organizations that are the underpinnings of the brand, which is the face of the organization, change. If you're buying Jeep because it's a Jeep, and you think the brand underpinnings have a lineage to Willy's, understand that the linkage is so tenuous as to be meaningless.

I really focus more on value. For any major purchase I'm looking at not only historic but more recent quality, value, and customer service trends. What is important to me however; is often not important to others. That is part of what makes a vibrant capitalistic market.

I was barely out of high school, and I was getting a chuckle out of my peers having Ford Chevy battles. Often over cars which were years out of production, and had no relationship to the POSs both were building in the early eighties. I could certainly appreciate the vehicles, but I had no illusions regarding their relationship to anything being built at that time.

 

[loudgroove]

Can't say I have brand loyalty. There are brands I look at first or at least favor as with brands I will usually stay away from.

 

[Old Dog]

Not much brand loyalty here as most brands are now just marketing names. Almost everything we use is made, at least in part, in a foreign land by a company that has nothing in common with the original product. Example: I just bought some Safeguard bar soap (brand name, from a brand name company). It was made in Columbia for P&G. If I get high washing with this I'm going to sue P&G.

 

[HoughMade]

Otis.

You think I would trust my life to a Schindler or Montgomery? Pfft.

 

[bobzilla]

I’ve bought Kia’s now for the last decade. Mostly because the early ones were half the price for a lightly used model that was as good as a more popular brand but half the price. We bought the newest ones because they are the only manufacturer that offered what we wanted at a price I was willing to spend. Find me a sporty, manual trans 4 door with turbo 4 for $25k new with a 10/100 powertrain and 5/60 b2b.

Dewalt power tools mostly because it’s efficient and cost effective. I can share batteries across a wide range of things and they’ve been good quality for me to date.

 

[bwframe]

I stick with brand loyalty as long as the company stays on path.

Before brand loyalty comes sales leaders. Whether it be Ford or Kawasaki or Glock or Ruger or Holosun or Vortex or Magpul or Milwaukee, the company with the top sales models typically has the best buying experience.

Be it availability, OEM parts, aftermarket parts/assessories or customer service, the top seller will have the top end of it all.

The best sellers will also have the most online support, from reviews to strengths/weaknesses to repairs to modifications.

 

[Brian Ski]

Been buying Ram trucks since around 2007. If I had to buy another truck it would probably be another Ram. The family collectively has over 500k miles across five Ram trucks and they've been solid.

I do some research but I've yet to come across any major brand without both fanboys and haters.

Ugh a Mopar guy. Haha. I have had really good luck with Fords, so I lean that way. I think there are good and bad in all brands. A bunch of guys go for the Toyota's and they have their problems too.

One brand specific I stick with it Milwaukee tools. Decades ago when I was using Milwaukee drills I would chuck in a tap and just tap holes. Get the drill hot and cool it down in a freezer. I guess I stuck with it.

My screwdrivers and domestic wrenches are Craftsman.

 

[Hoosierdood]

I only buy my boxer shorts from Old Navy, and have been loyal to them for 15+ years. You won't find any other brand in my dresser.

The key is the flap in the front. All other brands that I've tried don't overlap the opening enough. This results in the flap opening while you walk/move, and Mr. Winky falling right out. Old Navy boxers have the perfect proportion of overlap to keep your frank and beans right where they need to be, but still being able to access the goods when hitting the head.

 

[Brian Ski]

FoTL.... LOL Probably like most brand loyalty, what I always had/used.

I only buy my boxer shorts from Old Navy

 

[littletommy]

I’m not really loyal to any one brand of anything, there are numerous brands of groceries that I prefer, but another will suffice in most cases, same for beer.

The one thing I will only buy one brand of is Makita corded circular saws. I have a fairly new one, but if it were stolen (I say stolen, because I know it ain’t gonna break), I’d run right out and buy another one just like it.

 

[SmokingTrigger]

I'm trying not be as brand loyal anymore.

Finally switched jeans to ariat from wrangler. Seems like the quality declined quite a bit.

Made the switch a few years ago from old spice to Duke Cannon for a few reasons.

Was pretty samsung loyal til they burned me on a TV. I'll still buy there stuff but my last TV was an LG instead.

I don't venture outside my comfort zone with gun stuff too much. Untested, etc

 

[Super Bee]

I am a Mopar guy, many Chargers, Challengers, Super Bees, ect. I own a couple Ram 1500's and love them. My daily is an Excursion, basically because Dodge never made anything like these ever.

Would probably own a Pontiac or two if GM still had the line.

Cars/trucks would probably be about it.

 

[foszoe]

For me, Brand loyalty means Brand Preferred as in I usually buy if they offer an option. I will still comparison shop, esp for anything over $200 which is my cutoff for a major purchaase, but I usually use the brand as the measuring stick and if the price differential is within reason I will buy my preferred brand.

Makita, Wrangler/Riggs, Beretta, Duluth Trading, KitchenAid, Breville, Moto Guzzi, Darn Tough, Carhardt, Acana/Origen, Crest, Mennen, Coke, Double Cola, Noxema, Bosch, Icom, Yaesu, Escort, Uniden, Miller Lite, Guinness, Crocs, Adidas, Sketchers, Herm Sprenger, SpotOn, Garmin, LG, WaterDrop, Aquasana, Hornady, Federal, Verbum/Logos, Melitta, Eight O'Clock Coffee, Vasoline, Listerine, Oral-B, Pellegrino, Gold Bond, Irish Spring, INGO.

 

[tv1217]

The only one that comes to mind that I'd call true brand loyalty is Merrell shoes and boots. Maaaaaybe Cottonelle s**t tickets but my butt has been happy with generic equivalents lately.

I grew up in a Ford family and I've gone Chevy>Ford>Dodge>Jeep>Buick>Nissan>GMC. When the last one was having problems, I was borrowing my mom's Pontiactuallyatoyota Vibe which was running great around 185k miles(and she's still got it 4 years later)which convinced me to check out the Toyota dealership where I got my current Tacoma. I might be a Toyota guy now.

Most of my tools are Milwaukee because of the whole battery thing but I have a hedge trimmer, a power washer, and a chemical sprayer from Ryobi.

No real brand loyalty on guns but CZ does hold the slightest of edges in my handgun collection.