I’ve found that there are many different kinds of consumers out there. There are the consumers like my dad: slow to make purchases, constantly researching and studying the safety issues and mulling over his purchases. Then there are consumers like me: quick purchases, few possessions, but once I find a company or brand I enjoy I stick to it with a jealous loyalty.

There are a few brands and companies that I live by and try to evangelize on a daily basis. One of them is Zappos which I would consider to be the absolute best online shoe/clothing retailer I’ve ever used. Their customer service is amazing and their selection is fantastic. I love interacting with any (and every) employee I’ve had the chance to speak with. The company really gets what makes customers enjoy the experience of online shopping (speed) and what makes customers enjoy the instore shopping experience (excellent/quick customer service). Because of my past with Zappos, I’ll promote them until they’ve really messed up. I’ll choose to buy shoes there even when they might be a little cheaper at a store (rare). That’s just the kind of consumer I am. I love Zappos and I want you to know it.

I’m a diehard brand loyalist. There aren’t many of us around these days. My mother wasn’t one. She would get the sales papers from ten different stores if it meant she got the best deal for whatever it was she needed, regardless of the sliding scale of quality that sometimes accompanied the cheaper price. My friends —mostly college students— buy what they can afford and do so on a whim. They are also easy to sway.

I regularly evangelize brands to my friends and they easily take heed of my advice. They are easily swayed because they have no definitive opinion on the subject…and I am convincing. I am the type of consumer that brands should target much more often. I have the benefit of trust that big companies and corporations don’t and I exercise that trust to push my brand loyalty agenda. Is this wrong? Am I straddling some invisible moral line or am I just helping others find value in the things I value?

CommentsFeature Article brand loyalist, brand loyalty, branding, customer service, online shopping, shopping, zappos

Maybe I’m just starting to show a bit of my age (I’m 21, so there’s not much age to show just yet), but I really miss a lot of the old branding of yesteryear. Like iPod? No thanks. I want my Walkman. I even prefer the name “walkman” to the Zune! I had two Walkmans in my life, one was a tapedeck, which I loved. I played my KoRn “Life is Peachy” and Third Eye Blind tapes on there ALL DAY LONG. Then middle school happened and I graduated to a cd player and I jammed out to CSNY and Stray Cats till I dropped. But now I have the iPod and the Zune. Neither of which really appeal to my ear. What gives, Sony?

I also miss my Gameboy. Nintendo DS? Fuck you. I want my damn Gameboy back! When I hear “Gameboy,” I know exactly what to expect: the best damn portable gaming experience EVAR. I raked leaves for three weeks just to make the cash to buy my Gameboy Color when I was in 8th grade. Then came the Gameboy Advance and suddenly my sister had this…DS Lite. WTF? No, Gameboy was so apropos! It told you exactly what you were getting into.

So Sony, Nintendo — especially you, Nintendo! — I miss my branding. I want my Walkman and my Gameboy. Give them back to me!

CommentsArticles branding, DS Lite, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, rebranding, sony, Walkman