Saturday, August 13, 2011

Brand Loyalty

Let's talk about this idea of loyalty to brands. I will always prefer certain products over others even though they cost me more and it kills me to pay for it. How about you?

For starters...I will always use a certain brand of deodorant. I tried switching to a different brand, even a generic and it just wasn't the same. When it comes to deodorant, it's all about the smell and the effect. And guess what, I learned about this product from a fellow blogger, La Yen. Booyah! to the power of the internets.

It's the same with shampoo. End results and smell count for everything. I'm a Matrix Sleek Looks girl, and I love the way it makes my hair feel.

I used to be a Satin Care shave gel girl, and I never thought I'd change. But! Now I use Barbasol. I may smell like a man, but it's cheaper and it does a far better job of leaving my legs feeling soft and smooth while sparing my sensitive skin. And I never get the post-shave itchies (you know, the thing where you'd like to scratch your legs off the night after you've shaved). And really, I don't smell like a man for long because it rinses right off.

Now, lest you get the wrong idea, I'm not a generics snob. I don't mind allergy meds that are house brands--I find they do the job just as well--however, don't even try to take away my Advil. The coating on those pills is awesome and something about them doesn't seem to bother my stomach like generics do. I won't even buy generic Children's Advil. Maybe it's a placebo effect, but I swear it works better and faster. I'm like the unofficial Advil Ambassador.

And don't get me started about the difference in my lab results when I'm taking Levoxyl versus a generic thyroid. Did you know that the makers of generics aren't required to retest their products even though they use different fillers and binders? They only have to have the same active ingredients. Sometimes it makes for a difference you can feel, sometimes not.

So, tell me are there any brands you're fiercely loyal to? Come back tomorrow and we'll talk about food brands.

Disclosure: none of these companies has any idea who I am, but I did receive 5 bottles of Children's Advil at Blogher '11 because I was such a rabid fan. I must admit, it's one of my favorite swag items.