I went shopping for a new phone the other day. I gravitated immediately to the iPhones and Blackberries. Then I moved down the line to the other phones with names I hadn’t heard of, but I had heard of the companies that built them. Finally I picked up a phone that seemed to represent the generic brand of phones. Immediately I began questioning the reliability of this product. Would I get the coverage I need? Would it break after only two months? It is cheaper, and I really don’t need all the features in the top-of-the-line model. But will I be replacing it much sooner?

Where did all of these questions come from? I’ve never read any studies comparing the quality of name-brand phones with generic phones. Nor have I seen any news reports regarding the quality of these phones. I haven’t even done any anecdotal studies with my friends comparing the two choices. All I know, and all I am basing my decision on is name recognition. I recognize the iPhone and the Blackberry, so I immediately assume they will perform better and last longer. 

Now the question naturally arises, what if the generic phones did publish a series of reports detailing their superior longevity and coverage, but they did nothing to increase awareness of their product brand? I think it is safe to assume they would see a small increase in sales as a result of the few who took the time to read through the reports. This is the power of branding. Through multiple impressions placed on a consumer’s mind, a well-executed branding strategy can trump a detailed scientific study and will ultimately drive more sales and revenue. 

Most consumers, myself included, do not have time to wade through scientific reports every time we make a purchase. We want to make the purchase quickly and move on to the next thing. How can we make good decisions and decisions we are happy with then? We pick a good brand and stick with it. Each additional impression further deepens our loyalty for that brand, a sort of salve for the buyer’s remorse syndrome. 

I didn’t end up buying any phones that day. But I did get a good idea for a blog entry.

<em>-Tommy Hummel</em>
