BRAND LOYALTY

I’ve written about brand loyalty in the past because I’m a true believer in it.  And here I go again.  I believe when you sway from that which you know works you’re not only wasting your money but you’re wasting your time.  Of course, there’s something to be said for trying new things; I’m the first to try something new off of the advice of a friend…if I don’t already have a go-to.  The key words there being "if I don’t already have a go-to".  Because if a product has been good to me over the years, and has done its job solidly over and over again, I’ve learned my lesson (almost always the hard way) that it does not pay to sway.  Some examples?

I know that Swiffer dusters, though relatively pricey, are truly the best when it comes to trapping and picking up dust.  When I had a lapse of judgment one day and went for the cheaper cloths, I was reminded that you get what you pay for.  Now I’m stuck with these cheap things that only do a so-so job.  But of course I feel bad throwing them out because that would be a waste, so I use them, and each time I’m reminded of what could have been if only I had stayed true to my brand.  And as I’m pushing the dust around my apartment taking 2 times longer to clean, I’m reminded of the good old days.

The Roc Multi-Correction wrinkle cream I found and use each day and night is amazing.  I’m 30-something and have a few lines here and there so I do what I can, you know?  I came across an editorial in a magazine that swore by another product.  Ah, the editorials!  The special cream/serum duo was created by a famous dermatologist, cost a little more, came in a pretty bottle, and the Editor liked it so it must be good.  Right?  Wrong.  I noticed a huge difference right away but in the opposite direction.  I longed for my old cream but vowed to go through this new stuff because I had paid kind of a lot for it.  Damn my stubbornness.  So as I watched myself age in the mirror ever so slightly for a month or so I cursed my disloyal heart. 

There are traps that marketers and advertisers put out there every day to get us to buy new products.  And we do.  Because its their job and they're good and it.  And there's nothing wrong with buying new products or trying new things.  But I will argue the point until the day I die that if you have something you love: a product that does its job and does it well, stick by it like a good friend.  Because there's something to be said for loyalty.  Loyalty won't make you question your actions, stress you out, or make you kick yourself in the ass.  Loyalty will always give you comfort and dependability when you need it most.