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
