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[CharlesRyan]

Originally Posted by justanobody

Some will always buy the brand name, and others will always buy the product they feel has better quality.

You know what's funny? You've just said the same thing twice.

If you "feel [that product X] has better quality," then you are reacting to its brand attributes. You have made a judgement about the product that will colour your buying decision. If you've used a widget and were happy with its performance or value, you're going to consider buying that widget again. Or a something from the same company, if you need a different widget. That's what brands are all about.

Unless you conduct blind, scientific lab studies of the widget's "quality," you'll decide that quality based on experience, recommendations, reviews, packaging text, ads, and so on. All of these things create an impression of the widget in your mind; a relationship between you and the widget. That's what the brand is!

The dark side of branding is when the mythical aspects of the relationship overshadow everything else--they slap a designer logo on some otherwise mediocre widget, and people willingly pay through the nose for it.

But light side is when the brand tells you something. You can make a widget decision because the widget's brand gives you information. When I drive my family across the US, and I see an Applebee's sign at the next exit, I know something. They serve food (not just booze). They have high chairs and kids are welcome. There will be bathrooms, and they'll probably be clean, and they'll have a changing station. I have some idea of what I'll see on the menu.

In contrast, when I drive my family around the UK, and I see a village pub, I know nothing. Do they serve food, and if so, when? Can my kids come in and can I change the nappy? Will I like what they have? Should I even bother stopping? In a random UK pub, the only way to know these things is to stop, go in, and ask.

So, the Applebee's brand--the brand alone--offers me value by helping me decide whether to stop. Setting aside anything you like or don't like about Applebee's, the brand alone offers you something.

Perhaps this conditions some people toward the dark side; perhaps a few too many people accept brand glamour over more substantive qualities. But we live in a frenetic, confusing world, and not everyone has time to conduct blind, scientific lab studies of every available widget option. (Or to stop at every random pub till you find one that's child-friendly.) Relying on your past experiences with a brand to guide your decisions isn't always as contemptible as it might seem.