Why Are We Loyal to a Brand

Recently, I've been writing a lot lately on here about different brand and package redesigns. And just this last week, I received news from Netflix that they were raising their prices for Blu-Ray subscribers. It wasn't just a $1 a month, it was $4 a month. That's almost a 20% increase in cost! So, as a loyal customer over the last seven years, I had to ask myself "why am I so loyal to Netflix?" I used to recommend them to all my friends and really did love the service, but everything has a value. So do I downgrade my service or cancel it all together? That I can't say yet. Regardless, they've lost any positive word of mouth marketing that they were getting from me and I guess actually I'm negatively campaigning against them. That said, how important is it that customers love a service or a company? Does it really increase business? I'm sure you would all agree it does. How many times have you been referred to a company or business and loved the outcome? If so who were they?

I want to say, I did communicate with Netflix and let them know my dissatisfaction with their decision. On their blog alone, there are 1100 posts and many groups have popped up on Facebook and Myspace expressing distaste in their decision. Here's the bad sign, Netflix has chosen to not respond. They've offered no further justification or breakdown of costs, only silence. I personally feel their action or inaction will have a long term effect on their business. These days, customers expect to be appreciated and not looked at as "just customers." Don't you agree?

So, I'm curious, why are we so loyal to certain brands? I know studies show customer service, product innovation, etc. But I want to know what brands you are loyal to and why. Click on post a comment at the bottom this post to join the discussion.

Is the End of Good Design Near?

First let me say I never thought I would be saying this - "there's a downfall to producing good design". Go ahead read it again. It appears that by producing really well designed work for the same amount of money or less then what a company was previously spending to produce crap is a bad thing.

This is a fight that has slowly been developing over the last couple of years. By working with my clients and knowing what our overall budgets are upfront I am able to produce much better work then their previous firm. It's not that my design services are necessarily cheap, but I truly am concerned about my clients getting a useful end product. I would rather make sure we are spending some money on photography or illustration instead of using stock and keeping the rest for myself. I would rather see the project be printed on a paper that makes the project pop, then have to go to cheap coated stock. I'm willing to sacrifice a little on my end to make a project great.

So many people these days want the perception to be that it was cheap to produce, regardless of if it really is. If it's perceived as cheap then there will be no questions from the board, or their bosses or their stock holders. Too many times recently I've heard it looks too expensive. How do you fight that philosophy? I understand where my client is coming from - I understand that they have to answer to a higher power, but how does this make their company better? How does it help them to advance their initiative? Since when did being mediocre become something to aspire to? It's a sad day, not just for design, for all businesses. It's sad when as an individual you are looked down upon for being successful. It's even more sad when as a business you are shunned for wanting to lead the pack. My sweet America mediocrity appears to be our destiny.

I remember when looking at the bottom line meant something. When doing the best you could was expected. I remember when I wanted to get out of bed in the morning, because I was dying to do something great. I wish, I hope that as we walk down this road more people will appreciate what used to be. Don't get me wrong, I love my clients and I'll still fight for good ideas, but I hate this new social conscience that a select few in this country has chosen to project on all of us. Damn it, I want to be successful, I want to want to get out of bed in the morning, I want to lead the pack and most of all I want to produce good design.