Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Brand value

It is very intriguing to know that we become slaves of a particular brand and do not even give a second thought to try something new.  In the 60's and 70's there was the 'Det' and 'Sway' brand of washing detergents and have seen only these in almost everyone's house.   Sometimes, just to rejuvenate the customers, they used to give something free alongwith the purchase of the product . I still have a teaspoon with 'Sway' on it, duly passed on to me by my mother :):)Again, there was 'Horlicks', and 'Ovaltine' etc etc.

The advantage of sticking to a product is that we can blindly pick it up  without having to go through the details and the reviews it is attached with.  Sometimes, even a slight change in the packing would bring in a small quantum of doubt, we normally would prefer to stick to the original one.  We can hardly see these products being advertised often,  as they have a dedicated fleet of followers who, no matter what, would not ditch them.  Colgate, Lux and Nescafe are a few popular brands which have very loyal followings and they too live up to our expectations.  When customers are satisfied with a brand, it is very difficult to erase the loyalty and bring in a new item.  Nowadays, the trend is to give small satchet samples alongwith leading magazines to lure the customers and introduce their product.  This is very effective advertising.

Here, in the UAE, I have a set of products which appears in my 'To do' list every month.  I do not have the patience or preference to even look at any new ones which may arrive in the market.  Only when any relatives or friends drop in, we pick up any recommended items which they had used and thus enters one or two new ones to my household.

The following apply only to those people who settle down in a place without the hassle of transfers and newfound jobs.  I can still recall the faces of vegetable vendors who used to come home and supply them and according to seasons this would vary.   We had the luxury of having farm fresh vegetables daily and never stored any as now.  No questions asked, no bargains, just the supply and a final tip of some coriander, curry leaves, adrak and green chillies free !!!!  Even the vendors are confident that they would be able to sell  whatever they get from the main market.   During the mango season, she used to come with a big knife to chop the mangoes for pickles, free service for the purchase of her mangoes.  Everyone had a name to be referred to with a suffix like 'akka (big sister) or 'amma' (referring madam in that situation).  It was not just selling vegetables, she would enquire about each and everyone in the family and would genuinely participate in the 'sukh-dukh' of our family, these people can also be called as their own brand ambassadors, if I may say so.

I would love to know if you stick to a brand or free to try new ones, unlike me :):):):)

" Brand value is very much like an onion.  It has layers and a core.  The core is the user who will stick with you until the very end" - Edwin Artzt

17 comments:

  1. Interesting! I sometimes stick to a brand, just to wake up a while later and find out that there was something out there more worth the money (or the value). But yes, certain brands win your heart forever- loyalty is an interesting thing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do participate in the event:
    http://recipesfortheverydaywoman.blogspot.com/2011/01/delicious-desserts-annoucement-and.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well written as usual .I always stick to a particular brand and never try new ones unless someone has used it and says that the product is good

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love to try new ones..i never stick to a brand..

    ReplyDelete
  5. I try new brands, chitchat. I loved the last but one para.It has the chitchat touch.I enjoyed buying from those who came home to sell vegetables, sarees, dresses and enquire about the well being of the family which is mutual. So similar to the kabuliwallah of rabindranath tagore. But these people are not allowed in highrise apartments and so I miss them a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice read,I too stick to a brand for a while and it will take some time for me to try on new things,that too if only I get a good review from a person I like/trust...And even for buying vegetables,I stick to the same shop,and find my MIL,mom also do the same :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. good read Ms Chitchat....
    I go both ways...For some preferrable item I do stick to brands...then with others...try the other brands....but then with few tries u always know which is better

    ReplyDelete
  8. very well written Madam ...I stick to same brands only ...very rarely I try the other brands ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice one.. well written.. I can never stick to a brand.. I love 'SALES' tag and whatever is in sales i get those.. be it branded or non brandedn :D

    ammaandbaby.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice post.......I do stick to same brands..but always willing to try out new products...who knows may be new product becomes yr fav:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nice thought provoking post .. thinking about what you had asked I think I stick on to the same brands for everyday use but when it comes to buying electronic stuffs and other pricey stuff I evaluate across brands before making the buy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. interesting post.. most of us stick to some or other brands everyday.. thanks for dropping by my blog and giving ur kind comment..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for dropping by my blog...Nice write-up..I usually stick to a particular brand most of the times..I would try new ones only if I get a very strong positive review from people who have used them..

    G
    http://ensamayalarangam.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Lovely post. I stick with the same brand most of the time. Would try new ones after umpteen number of recommendations from friends. Right now, I am stuck with Armani code perfume. I have been using it for quite few yrs. Guess, its time to look for other ones!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am like you; I have several brands that I use all the time and usually just grab the same brand over and over. The only time I may try a new brand is when there is a sale, only usually to end up not liking the item as much and ending up buying my favorite brand again next time:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a lovely post.I was reminiscing my days at Kolar Gold Fields.We used to have a vendor lady supply vegetables to us.We used to call her Jhagadamma.She used to have unique names for the veggies.The brinjals were called disco brinjals etc...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting the site. Hope you enjoyed the blogs. Your comments are most welcome.

Related Posts with Thumbnails