Brand loyalty?

[Pinoikoi]

I have been thinking about this for awhile... I am not very brand loyal.. Not really.. there are a *few* things I will only buy in CERTAIN brands, am I the only one? I think about advertising and think, gosh, they waste a LOT of money on advertising if more people are like me than not..

I am brand loyal for a few things, but not many..

I used to have a gold Parker pen.. I really loved it. If I were to buy an expensive pen again, it would be a Parker. I lost mine and regret it. I liked the idea of owning ONE pen instead of a bucket full, and it fit nicely, etc.. I had it for many years before I finally lost it..

I ONLY buy Annie's Mac and Cheese.. for a long time we ONLY bought Kraft, but then we tried Annie's organic and never looked back- it really TASTES better.

I buy Frontier Organic adobo seasoning.. Dp is Filipino, so we eat a lot of adobo.. when he makes it, it comes out with a sauce to it, and he uses a lot of garlic.. when I make it it is more of a rub, and I like that it is organic.. so I buy multiple sets of this.. (we CAN buy Frontier spices locally, but the store never seems to carry the adobo seasoning, so I special order it)..

If I had a girl, I would probably buy clothes from Hanna Anderson.. I like the cottons and prints, but the boys clothing line doesn't have as many options, so at this point I never have..

If I were to buy any new furniture I would go back to Scanhome.. I like the way the click clack couch we got from there still looks at one year of age.. seems to be sturdier than the other one we got elsewhere.. and their styles of furniture have really good use of space/storage ideas plus are pretty contemporary looking, but I am not buying any new furniture any time soon, so..

but most of the time, I buy things on clearance or second hand and that makes my brands really hodgepodge.. I like to TRY OUT gourmet pantry items when I find them on the clearance rack in the back of the store.. (this morning for example, we had gourmet chocolate waffles, they were pretty good, actually, but would I buy the same brand again at regular price- NO WAY).. I buy clothes that are natural fibers, fit well, good price, but brand? Not really part of my equation..

So is there anything out there that you only buy in a certain brand? Why? Habit or quality difference? Maybe it is a local brand (I could see for example brand loyalty if it is a company that you want to support because it is locally made or treats their employees really well or something...)?

So let's see your lists/ideas mommas!

[Abarat]

I'm not terribly brand loyal.

I buy made in the US whenever possible, and we're doing much better about buying local/US produce and what's in season.

As far as brands we're loyal to I'd have to say.....

Luzianne tea bags...because I heard they continued to pay their employees after Katrina hit, and it really is a superb tea blend compared to, say, Lipton

Annie's for Mac n' Cheese as a special treat

Orville Reddenbacher's popcorn for the stove top....DH won't eat any other brand, doesn't like them

Philly cream cheese....it's just the best in my opinion, I'm big on cream cheese!

[onlyzombiecat]

I'm not really.
I just want what works best for us and is the best value.

ETA-
We do buy the same brand cat food usually. I don't like to change their food if I can help it.

[elsie]

I like Kelloggs Raisin Bran???

I am really not loyal to any brand, never had Annie's Mac and Cheese (don't like those box mixes), but DH has some preferences that I respect to a point with food.

Clothes - if I can't make it myself, what is the cheapest for the kids because they out grow them too quickly. I do like a quality shoe, but not stuck to any brand.

I suppose DH is more of a label snob than me, but I'm ok with that.

[because why not?]

FuuuuuREAKY!

I was going to start this thread earlier today, in this forum, same title. I did a little stockpile shopping, today, and realized that as bargain-conscious I am when it comes to almost everything I buy for storage, I still reached for Hellman's mayo and Heinz ketchup. Those two things just taste completely WRONG to me unless they're those brands, so even though I'm not the one eating them, and I doubt the kids would even notice, I stuck to brand loyalty.

It's not a marketing thing. The ad companies for Target, Apple, and Volkswagon could all team up to advertise some new mayonaise with digitally animated supermodel silhouettes rocking out to next summer's appalachian trip-hop fusion music and I might get online and google the song, but it would never cross my mind to try the mayo.

There are other things I'm loyal to, like Cottonelle, but most people have a tp preference. It's just a preference. It's not like if I go to your house and you have Scott I'm just going to hold it for four hours. But I might not eat a burger at your barbeque if your catsup is weird.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by because why not?

I was going to start this thread earlier today, in this forum, same title. I did a little stockpile shopping, today, and realized that as bargain-conscious I am when it comes to almost everything I buy for storage, I still reached for Hellman's mayo and Heinz ketchup. Those two things just taste completely WRONG to me unless they're those brands, so even though I'm not the one eating them, and I doubt the kids would even notice, I stuck to brand loyalty.

It's not a marketing thing. The ad companies for Target, Apple, and Volkswagon could all team up to advertise some new mayonaise with digitally animated supermodel silhouettes rocking out to next summer's appalachian trip-hop fusion music and I might get online and google the song, but it would never cross my mind to try the mayo.

There are other things I'm loyal to, like Cottonelle, but most people have a tp preference. It's just a preference. It's not like if I go to your house and you have Scott I'm just going to hold it for four hours. But I might not eat a burger at your barbeque if your catsup is weird.

You are SO funny.. (by the way, it isn't called Hellman's here.. did you know they have an ALTERNATE name on one side of the rockies than the other... BEST FOODS.. how TWILIGHT ZONE is this thread, right?) and it's called ketchup here.. so mayo wrong name, ketchup/catsup wrong spelling.. yep, no barbeques for you on my deck!

[Tangled Hill]

Not very brand loyal here, at all. We shop thrift stores for all our non-consumables, and I look for quality. I'm not going to pay for brands I know are of poor quality - WalMart brands, etc. Other than that, though, I'm pretty open. Whatever fits, looks cool and is of (very) good quality.

Son does love Annie's Mac and Cheese, and I feel better about buying that for him rather than Kraft or a generic brand. The ingredients list is just so much more our style.

We have one brand of dog food and cat food we buy, but as long as it's at least a certain quality, I really base that decision on price. At the moment, the brand we buy is the best price I've found.

I love original Baked Lays. : I swear the things are addictive! Of course, if another brand came out with something similar, I'd happily try it out and wouldn't have a problem switching if it were better/cheaper.

I love Seagull and Martin guitars.

There's a local shop that roasts nuts, and I prefer theirs over any others. I'll go out of my way to buy their cashews, pistachios, etc. when I have a hankering.

If I'm going to watch the news on television, it'll be MSNBC (yay Keith and Rachel!). If I'm at my house without cable/satellite, it'll be NBC (yay Brian Williams!).

I'm totally into Le Creuset and Fiestaware. Both are lead-free. It's not so much brand loyalty as wanting to be sure my cookware and dinnerware are safe. Since I don't have to worry about those brands, I stick with them. Well, and I've never been so impressed with any cookware as I have been with Le Creuset's!

I only buy one brand of cloth pads - County Cloth Creations. I love her tie dye work, and her pads fit me perfectly. I've never had any problems with them, and her customer service is wonderful. I see no reason to buy from anyone else.

I think that's about it, though, as far as brand loyalty goes. I have several brand disloyalties, however. We boycott several brands because of this or that. I also have quite a few store loyalties. Certain stores can always count on my dollar while others can't for one reason or another (or several).

That's interesting about Luzianne tea....

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Tangled Hill

We have one brand of dog food and cat food we buy, but as long as it's at least a certain quality, I really base that decision on price. At the moment, the brand we buy is the best price I've found.

My mother's cat would ONLY eat one brand of cat food.. and it came in cans which sucked because she lived VERY rurally and it had to be flown in by the case.. and the stupid (cough, cough) lovable cat ate Friskies Buffet for 21 years... talk about brand loyalty

My cats thankfully could care less as long as it comes in some kind of pebble form that rattles a bit when it hits their bowl.. they do not like people food unless it comes from someone's plate..

[kirstenb]

I am on certain things:

Crest toothpaste
Aunt Jemima syrup
Land O Lakes butter

I can't think of others right now but I know that there is more. I notice they are all things that I grew up with. I can also be very loyal to certain stores and will avoid other stores at all cost.

[Purple Sage]

I guess I'm most brand loyal to the store brand at the grocery store I shop at the most. The price is so much better, and I haven't noticed a difference in quality. They even carry a store brand line of organics.

I only buy a certain brand of dog/cat food that we get at our local feed store. The price and quality are good, and I'm happy to support a locally owned business at the same time.

I'm fairly brand loyal when it comes to supplements. There are certain brands I won't buy and certain ones I will. Having worked in health food stores selling vitamins for a number of years, I have developed opinions on the different companies based on that experience.

As far as clothes go, not really brand loyal there except that I only buy Birkenstock shoes for myself. I can get them for a good price on eBay, and they last for years. I have several pairs in different styles - they fit my feet, feel good to wear, and are worth every penny.

[Da WIC Lady]

I used to be brand loyal to certain conventional convenience foods and condiments until I started really reading labels. Almost all of it was loaded with MSG and HFCS. So I've been switching over to my store brand organics and the products that advertise no HFCS and really scrutinize labels for hidden MSG.

I'm not terribly brand loyal with clothing except for my nursing wear. I prefer Motherwear, but Motherhood has an ok selection down the street. I still have yet to find a bra that fits locally, but Anita makes a great nursing bra that I can order online. I also need to find a new brand of shoe since I have developed foot problems. I (still) wear my Crocs all over the place and inherited my mom's many pairs when her foot doctor told her she had to wear better shoes. We both have bone spurs and plantar fasciaitis. They were the most comfortable thing I had while pregnant. For the kids we get Stride Rite shoes because DD1 has a wide foot and they carry wide widths for kids that look nice. There are other brands I like, and will get on sale or at the outlet mall, but rarely pay full price.

Toys for the kids, I make or buy wooden for the most part. The only plastic toy I've gotten for them was the Bilibo minis and they are ok on my conscience. The grandparents buy so much plastic crap when I ask them not to that I don't buy it myself and when it comes to downsizing, it's the first to go. We've gone to wooden and cloth toys and books. For books, I prefer Walden's/Borders over the other chains since I don't know of any independent bookstores around here.

I'm not even particularly brand loyal to diapers. We do both here and there are certain styles of cloth I prefer, but don't go out of my way. Sposies are usually the cheapest ones I can find since they aren't on them all the time.

[lightheart]

I will never buy cheap waxy crayons... Crayola crayons for me. I've always wondered if the natural wax crayons would lay down a nice color but I have never tried them...

Not because I'm 'brand loyal' but because if I don't my hubby gets itchy and rashy... arm and hammer laundry soap and dial soap.

[thixle]

*Arm & Hammer Essentials laundry soap (= Purex if not available), simply bc it's not full of scary crap and gets the clothes clean. And the smell doesn't choke me.
*Ajax Grapefruit dish soap. Not natural, but every other scent/brand makes me nauseous.
*Dean Foods has a sour cream/dip/cottage cheese/etc manufacturing place in town. It may not be organic, but it is local and fresh.
*There is a generic sposie diaper brand we use overnight cause they are cheap, absorbant, and fit.
*I used to be loyal to Sketchers shoes bc they were the best quality and best fit for my feet. Then they changed their lines completely and don't fit at all. Still looking for a good quality wide shoe (if anyone knows one...

So, I'm not brand loyal bc of advertising, at all

[Pinoikoi]

this is really interesting! keep em comin' mamas! no one has a comment about brand loyalty in the auto industry? I see lots of bumper stickers on the topic..

[Drummer's Wife]

we're pretty loyal to Viva for paper towels and Cottenelle for toilet paper.

the only boxed mac 'n cheese I'll buy is Annie's.

Things like shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, dish soap, deodorant, toothpaste, etc., I only buy the brands that I trust and that work well. (Kiss my face, California baby, 7th gen., Ecover, etc.,)

Bad Ass Coffee... usually. I have been drinking Target's organic/fair-trade coffee for the past month or so and it's pretty dang good, too.

I'm trying to think of what else... I'll have to come back later.

[Ironica]

I do have some brand loyalty... but always because I feel that the company offers me the best quality, no particular childhood attachments. I have store loyalty, too.

Toilet paper, we buy the cheapest, which is Marathon at Costco. Same with paper towels (which works out to Kirkland). Now, if I felt that either was seriously inferior quality, we'd probably switch to the next-cheapest, but they're both good. But we always buy Kleenex Ultra Plus or whatever it is, because anything cheaper gives my husband a permanently red, chapped nose.

Carseats... I love Britax. I really do. I feel so much more comfortable with them. This makes it agonizing for me that they've fallen behind the curve, and now the Compass True Fit is in many ways a better convertible than the Marathon or Boulevard, and the Graco Nautilus in many ways beats out the Frontier. I want them to be the best choice, because I like the way they do business.

Someone mentioned nursing bras... I love the Maternelle style from Elle MacPhereson. They're comfortable, attractive, and last for years. Worth every penny.

Probably my strongest brand/store loyalty is New Balance. All our family's shoes come from there (except the baby). They're careful about the fit (my 4-year-old has wide feet like his mom), and the Aravon line means I can get attractive, comfortable shoes for work, too. Granted, I have to special order them; they don't keep the 6 1/2 double-extra-wides in stock (seriously, are my feet square, or what?) but even that is easy with them.

Oh, and for the Hellman's/Best Foods folks... from what I hear (and I've never been a mayo person, but I know several) Hain Safflower Mayo comes the closest to replicating the experience without the preservatives. Just in case you had your fill of THBQ or BHT or whatever is in that stuff. We happen to use Hain Safflower because it's the only commercial mayo without soy or canola, but I couldn't tell you how much it's like Best Foods... I despised mayonnaise all the time I was growing up.

I do notice the difference between brands of apple juice. Langer's sucks. Tree Top is ok, but too sweet. Martinelli's is best, until you get into the *really* good ones like you get at Trader Joe's.

Booze! Bacardi FTW. Stoli beats the pants off Smirnoff. Potter's is teh suck for liqueurs; Hiriam-Walker is worth the price.

[Drummer's Wife]

oh that reminds me, we drink a good amount of rum and it has to be Bacardi. Nothing else will do, even if other brands are half the cost.

[Ironica]

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife

oh that reminds me, we drink a good amount of rum and it has to be Bacardi. Nothing else will do, even if other brands are half the cost.

Yep yep... well, for unflavored, anyway. Parrot Bay and Malibu are all right for flavored rum. But for on the rocks with a twist of lime, it better be Bacardi Ron Solera for me!

[Siennaflower]

Originally Posted by Ironica

Carseats... I love Britax. I really do. I feel so much more comfortable with them.

Same here.

Hmmm....there's a few more things:

Ocean Spray cranapple juice is our only sugary treat here. The store brand is ick!

Asics athletic shoes and Teva Mush flip flops are what I live in. Clarks for dressy shoes, they're super comfy, cute and come in wide widths.

Playtex cotton bras. I've tried many, many brands and always come back to these. Cotton is a must for TX summers, it amazes me how hard it is to find good cotton bras these days.

I think Claussen makes the best pickles

I love my Dyson vaccuum. If it died tomorrow I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

I like Ecover cleaning products. I get them in bulk from Amazon for a good deal.

I'm sure there's more, I'll update if I think of any...

ETA: Skippy smooth pb and Solid Gold pet food...

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by Ironica

Yep yep... well, for unflavored, anyway. Parrot Bay and Malibu are all right for flavored rum. But for on the rocks with a twist of lime, it better be Bacardi Ron Solera for me!

oh, yeah for regular rum...flavored is a different story. We buy Parrot Bay's coconut rum for pina colada's. If you haven't already, you should try Cruzan's Raspberry rum. It's really good.