At what point does brand loyalty become an illness?

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gstrand said:
...or being enhanced by examples that broaden the view of how brand loyalty affects nearly everything we purchase, which was my point. One quick digression about details and we're back. Apologies for apparently trolling. (FWIW, I don't troll. It's boring. I fly fish only. ;) s-toy, FM2's ROCK.)

So...

If I have $350 to spend on a knife, I can easily get any of the brands mentioned from various sources, MSRP notwithstanding. The question is, why do I pick the one that I do? If I pick the same company or maker with my next $350, I have become, to a degree, loyal to that brand.

Enter this for evaluation: I need money. I have an SnG, an Umnumzaan, and a '98 Commander. All are of basically equal value, and similar size, weight, and usability.

Which one will I sell? Will brand loyalty come in to play? I know that is not a sickness level of loyalty, but I believe to say "I have no brand loyalty" is kidding ourselves.
Click to expand...

...well the OP's title for this post is a bit inflamatory and alludes to other posts in which people profess strong alliances to a specific brand. Its just not a constructive way to present it.

People like to choose a team. They have preferences and they make decisions based on baser reflexes and very little info..take the most recent presidential election (and example of inflamatory :)). People like what they like, if it is in conflict with what you like...live and let live and dont sweat it. Its also about cache or prestige. Many prestigious products are no more functional or valuable than another yet command a higher price. People like brand names. Doesnt make them mentally ill...well maybe the last elect....nevermind ;)
 
Once all common since is gone then it becomes an illness. ;)
 
I think in general brand loyalty is lame and stops the evolution/progress/development etc of the quality products. If one would buy inferior product just because of it's brand name, then he will end up with crappy overpriced piece and company will be rewarded for nothing and soon will die anyways (Or become a bad case of monopoly, that won't serve your interests as a consumer either). I'm just happy that because of the bare principals of capitalism and open market, most companies, products and services must stay very competitive both in quality and price for the sake of survival. In most cases, one way or another, you get what you pay for.

There are some gray areas and exceptions that affect many people. For example, if one gets a great product/service from a company, he is very satisfied with it, he will pay to get more, he is a loyal customer. There is nothing wrong with it. But failure to recognize a value of a product/service from another company, or to even try it before making the conclusion, that is illness. It is like creating and living in a your own bubble and trying to make other people to do the same.

One thing to consider is that knives have more than just utilitarian value to many people, and individual preferences and uses should be considered. There is also art/collector's value that is close to impossible to measure objectively.

If you're living in a bubble, you can ask other people to live with you, or join some other bubble, but constantly poking somebody who doesn't share your choices and opinions usually leads no where.
 
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Hi Keith -

Everything except brand tats is almost understandable.

But, to permanently deface your own body with a brand name is a little over the top for me.

What if that brand was bought out by a (name your favorite vile foreign country here) company, and you were now sporting that brand name forever.

I take forever decisions much more seriously than that, but to each their own - no big deal, just not something you will see me do.

best regards-

mqqn
 
I don't see it as an illness so much although the habit can appear to be a disease I guess if someone hurt themselves buying knives when they owed credit card debt or the water bill. I had a relative once that let his electric get turned off so he could buy another bag of pot and everyone did one of those intervention things to straighten that problem out. I would think if that happened because he bought knives to let his electric or water get turned off that it would be different unless it was done repeatedly in which case its really no different than gambling or drinking or any other addiction. I've never heard of it happening with knives though so I think we are relatively safe.

Perhaps when fans become so devout for a particular maker or manufacturer its something else. I consider it to be selective blindness a lot of the time when some strongly like/love a particular brand or maker and refuse to recognize obvious flaws in their favorite brand or maker but readily see the same flaws in other competitor brands. This to me shows that blind bias that tells you right then and there that their opinion is not as objective at all and that you are better off getting opinions from someone else without a vested interest or emotional attachment to the brand or maker.
STR
 
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