Are You A Brand Loyalist?
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?
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