Why are people obssessed by halo marketing and branding...

[TooNice]

I remember a guy with a Canon (not sure if it was 50d or 500d - it wasn't a very high end model) talking rubbish about Nikon, namely that "all professionals only use Canon". The guy likes the brag to impress girls around half his age, and I do suspect that.. it worked. He is a good speaker and very assertive, and given that Japanese culture does not lend towards questioning people who are more senior, and given that most people in the group have never touched a DSLR, I wouldn't be surprised at all if some people would believe his words to be true.

But the thing is that as tech enthusiasts we've spent more time reading about and playing with various electronics "toys" to form are own opinions. Spending so much time investigating puts us in a better position to know that brand A make great top end products but questionable lower end products. But with every company making so many products, and the absence of really it is unlikely that anyone is an "expert" on every products. I, for one, know hardly anything about cars. If you were to give me £30k and tell me that I have 10 minutes to spend it on a car or I lose it, I will most likely a German or Japanese brand I recognise, or ask a person I deem to know more than I do (just about anyone) even though said person may or may not be as knowledgeable / impartial as I'd like. Well, to be fair, I think that something like a car would value some research before splashing on. But sometime I wonder if it is worth spending time researching on almost everything I buy. I can't blame people who have better things to do than to worry about paying 30% more for 20% less on something that costs less than £XXX (depending on one's income).

But even if I was to spend days or weeks reading up, I suspect that unless a product is inherently flawed or indisputably inferior in most/every specification, it is pretty hard to measure certain things like reliability. All my 2.5" external HD (probably got 7 of them by now) are Western Digital Passport. When I bought the last one, I did contemplate a Toshiba which was more than 25% cheaper for the same capacity. But I had incomplete information: I couldn't find the reviews of both drive of the same capacity compared back to back. And when it comes to reliability, I know that WD is not perfect (one of those 2.5" drive died, and I've had at least one 3.5" die on me before). Objectively I'd argue that the WD (in other capacity) seems to outperform the Toshiba, and the warranty lasts longer, but I am pretty sure that the fact that I've been using WD Passports for so long that I am used to it. And I also think that despite being the most important element, reliability is not something reviews can ascertain unless it is epidemic.

[kalniel]

I also wonder how it's possible to get reliable stats on who only ever uses the kit lens .... and why.

Sites like DPreview state that the majority of users only ever use the kit lenses, hence why so much effort goes into a cheap 'first real lens' to try and get users into buying lenses.

Though as you mention, some kit lenses are quite good - I still use my Oly dual kit lenses (though not exclusively) - they're a step above some stand-alone lenses of other makes, and the DSLR+kit is MILES above the quality of a compact camera, even recent premium compacts.

[TheAnimus]

This is drifting off in to ripping on Canon users, that wasn't my intention by trying to draw the 'average' example to highlight the practiced business theories in human behaviour.

It is however worth mentioning the other side of the coin.

A friend of mine is looking to get a bicycle. It will be their first London town bicycle. I was thinking simple hybrid. One that includes mud guards, heck maybe even a basket. Now they were asking why this one at Halfords almost £100 cheaper wasn't as good, my initial comment "well the chain set and breaks are all no-name parts". As anyone who has ever serviced a few very low end bicycles knows the difference between some of the derailleurs is huge. This wasn't exactly a researched view point, just a standard well we've no idea bout X, best avoid it stance.

I would like to think I am smart when it comes to such brands, or rather meta aware of what they are conveying. But even thinking about it, I'll still get suckered in. I mean would you trust a non-durex condom?

[Saracen]

Sites like DPreview state that the majority of users only ever use the kit lenses, hence why so much effort goes into a cheap 'first real lens' to try and get users into buying lenses.

....

Easy for them to "state" that. Much less easy to come up with reliable statistics to confirm it. Which was my point. I can't think of anything much beyond a survey, and then you're going to have sample selection issues, such as how long your respondent has to have owned a kit before they can justifiably claim to only ever use the supplied lens? Make that too short, say a month, maybe a year, and you'll get a lot of people that haven't used other lenses yet .... perhaps because they can't yet afford it.

It just strikes me as one of those things that a photo website might state, but I'd want to know how they support that assertion before giving it credibility. Lies, damned lies and statistics, etc.

[Saracen]

This is drifting off in to ripping on Canon users, that wasn't my intention by trying to draw the 'average' example to highlight the practiced business theories in human behaviour.

....

Part of the problem is that the issue itself is subject to huge variation, and that individual examples, be it Canon, Rolex, fashion clothes, high end cars, etc, are all going to have unique issues, and wide ranging ones at that. It's hard to be too general without being so general as to make the issue meaningless.

[phil4]

And that's where I come at this from too... With many day to day things taking time to read a review isn't going to happen. Worse still, as you may have noticed, most reviews only test a new or lightly used product, so any idea of longer (months not even years) reliability is really unlikely.

So as a consumer how do you decide what to buy? Me I try and stick with brands that have produced good reliable products before.

I do realise that past performance is no guarantee of future performance, and indeed if I'm burned too many times, I'll learn and move on,

I don't think I'm wholly covered by brand cachet, I don't wear a Rolex either. But that doesn't mean I always buy the cheapest either. In that regard I'd consider myself abnormal. I don't wear a wristwatch that cost a 3 figure sum because of the brand (seiko), or even the looks.... But because of what it does and how it does it.

Other things have different appeal to me for different reasons, but its not usually because of celeb endorsement or wondering what my friends will think of it.

[Moby-Dick]

I'd rather wear an "elegant" £100 Skagen

I had the £100 one but upgraded - imo its still a very elegant watch.

[Kai]

...when it comes to many items??

Things like cameras,phones,computer and computer components brands,cars,hi-fi,etc??

Sure,if a specific model is good get it,but are people that naive that just because a company makes an expensive high end model which is decent,the whole range is great??

There are plenty of situations I have seen where people will buy a low end model of one company, even though it has poorer build quality and specs, when compared to a model of a company which does not make as expensive gear,but has probably much better lower budget models.

Then they tend to get more people to get that same brand,and pushing them away from other potentially better suited options too!

The worst thing is that are all probably made in similar factories anyway(or in a number of cases,the same ones).

Is it due to champagne tastes but beer money syndrome??

Or is due to some herd mentality??

Sense of superiority?? I see the latter especially with cameras and cars.

It seems all rather weird at times.

i think , " normal " is what they call it.

My only apprehension about less well known brands is their quality , if their still relatively new or unkown .

Plenty of decent brands at one time that just suck now , just like there are bands ( U2 any one ? )

[Dareos]

It does work in reverse too though. I saw a nice leather jacket ( i own an Armani collarless one that I got at cut price, still cost a fortune) and was considering it as a second jacket for kicking around college and so on, when I saw the Superdry label stamped into the back right shoulder, instant turn off, no longer wanted that jacket. I am a bit clueless fashion wise, wore black for about 15 years and still have a hard time adjusting, but my mother (yup, fashion advice from my mum) happens to list seamstress amongst her many talents and she is very good at pointing out cheap materials and shoddy stitching right off the bat. I wont be paying £60 for a t shirt because it says Superdry or Hollister on it, especially when the workmanship is so poor.

Sadly tho, the sheep in this world have to have it when its got a name on it.

[Kai]

It does work in reverse too though. I saw a nice leather jacket ( i own an Armani collarless one that I got at cut price, still cost a fortune) and was considering it as a second jacket for kicking around college and so on, when I saw the Superdry label stamped into the back right shoulder, instant turn off, no longer wanted that jacket. I am a bit clueless fashion wise, wore black for about 15 years and still have a hard time adjusting, but my mother (yup, fashion advice from my mum) happens to list seamstress amongst her many talents and she is very good at pointing out cheap materials and shoddy stitching right off the bat. I wont be paying £60 for a t shirt because it says Superdry or Hollister on it, especially when the workmanship is so poor.

Sadly tho, the sheep in this world have to have it when its got a name on it.

what I dont like is when fads dictate fashion to the point its passive aggressive brainwashing i.e. all jeans having to have those stupid skid marks , or horrible spandex like rubbish so they feel wrong , or flared or whatever..

I mean, if you cant get plain old pair of dark jeans and shirt without almost custom ordering something is far wrong ..

The ski mark thing in particular was vile , esp as they were always strategically , placed right on the buttocks or round the loins in an effort to make you look like some harlot looking to be serviced.

And lets not forget how tight they make the thighs these days too on those flared abominations , till you end up looking like a gay pirate.

Along with fauxhawks and upturned shirt collars ,they have to be the most vile trends Ive ever seen,

[TooNice]

I mean would you trust a non-durex condom?

Well, if you must know, I've not used Durex in years
But it is fair to say that brand does help peace of mind. I shifted to a Japanese leading brand, though I did it after trying a number of other recognisable brands. I go on the principle that every condom brand with *some* acclaim are probably equivalently safe, with none of them 100% (so far so good though). With that in mind, I picked the one I liked most amongst various brands.