Brand Loyalty

I imagine that there are people out there that only buy Apple products; a person who strictly owns a Mac book, an iPod, an iPhone, works on one of those huuuuge Mac desktops, and probably owns a Steve Jobs biography. This same concept of brand loyalty can be related to any other brand on the market. It could be because the company makes great products, it could be due to the fact that many friends referred one to use a certain brand, or one may have easily grown up with the brand.

For instance, I always saw my mom using Dove brand bar soap, or as it's known, the Dove Beauty Bar. Dove was always in my house, let alone in my bathroom. And I noticed that even when body washes became popular on the market, my mom still bought Dove beauty bars. It could've been because they were usually on sale at Costco or it could've been because she was always pleased with the 1/4 moisturizer packed into every bar. Maybe I should call her and ask...

*Fifteen minutes later*

She said she bought it because she enjoyed how "creamy" the soap was and she liked the "smell." She told me how it used to be expensive in the Philippines because it was from America. And "usually Filipinos always like da nice tings," she added. Since she was satisfied with the soap, she continued to use it when she moved here in 1985*  
*she was able to answer this question after this exchange - Her: "What? Huh?! Port of Entry? Uhhh San Francisco." Me: "NO, Mom! Whennnn. Like what year! Not where." Her: Oh! uhhh nineteen eighty-pibe...haha.

And I guess that's why I use Dove. It's in my bathroom in my apartment, it's still at my house when I come home for holidays and long weekends. And I'll most likely continue to use it when I have my own family. Don't get me wrong, I do use other soap products but I know I will always buy Dove beauty bars (even now that body washes exist) because not only am I satisfied with it but more importantly, it's a product that is sentimental to me. And also, I don't know many people who still use bar soap so I'd like to be original. I'm weird.

The point of this rant...

The term "brand loyalty" is not solely used for material products. I think of it in terms of relationships as well. One of my best friends and I had a conversation about brand loyalty a few weeks ago. Gianna told me about one her guy friends who said something along the lines of this:
"I could go out and fuck any girl if I could. That's how guys are. We can literally sleep with anyone if we wanted to. But you know what? I love [significant other's name]. And I would rather go home to her instead."

NOW IF EVERYONE COULD THINK LIKE THAT 

Essentially, there are always going to be opportunities put in front of us. New ones, great ones, as well as shitty ones and regretful ones. We can be placed in situations where we'd have to decide between two things; between two people. Shit, if you threw your cat at everyone, you could even decide among fifteen opportunities! But STDs aren't hot in this day and age and no one likes getting sick in the sweet, sweet summahtime.

Let me use my own situation that Gi and I discussed...

I really like Michael. But I also really like Marc. Michael makes great accessories and clothing as does Marc. They are both really amazing designers that Amuurica should be proud to have bred. They also are both very expensive, so splurging on their products makes me cry internally about my credit card debt but life goes on and I continue to be happy with my purchase! (Raise your hand, if you thought I was talking about two boys in real life! Go on...fucking raise it. Hahahah got ya!).

BUUUUUT...

If placed in a situation where I saw a really nice Michael bag, one that would solve all of my personal-item-holding problems, but then I saw a really nice, Marc wallet, which one would I purchase? Probably the Marc wallet. Why? Who fucking knows! It could be a gut instinct type thing. When you know what you want, you don't really have to justify it. You just know you want that one and not the other one. Simple as that. Michael is great and maybe he would've been the better deal between the two. But there's something about Marc that hooks me in. Maybe the style, the aesthetic appeal, whatever it is, going with my gut instinct is essentially what brand loyalty comes down to. To me at least. You just know what choice would make you happier in the long run no matter the cost.

So in terms of relationships, no matter how many other opportunities there are - whether they are convenient, fulfilling, or satiating - they may not add up to the one you really want; the one that might be hard to find or hard to obtain. The things that matter require work. So if you really want that Marc wallet, you're gonna work damn hard to get it and when you eventually do, it'll all be worth it. Keep saving.