With the recent return of the friendly faced Tetley Tea characters, I find myself returning to my youth, reminded of my Grandma collecting tokens and buying bumper packs just to redeem the branded frisbee and tea towels! Brands can certainly evoke feelings just like music and tastes can. They take you back to a moment in time, a place, a scenario. I certainly have fond memories of standing in my Grandmas kitchen drinking my cup of tea with my Tetley freebies tucked firmly under my arm!
And even now my brand loyalty shines through when I reach for my choice of teabags in the supermarket – even if I now prefer decaf! I feel loyal to my youth, my memories and to the brand. You avoid changing your preference because you feel loyal – you may feel a sense of betrayal to the brand, and anyway, it wouldn’t taste or be the same!
The return of retro characters on t-shirts and traditional toys on the shelves highlight the fact that we are almost guaranteed to buy them second time around, because we remember how much fun we had with them in the first place.
The recognition of a brand can be so important – with recognition comes trust which then leads to loyalty. The saying ‘stick with what you know’ comes to mind.
However, the economic downturn and times of austerity challenge our commitment to our favourite brands. The increase in sales and the availability of ‘own brands’ speaks volumes. But do we push the boat out for our most beloved brands? Do we sacrifice certain products so that we can continue to afford others? Our buying patterns change but we sieve out the brands that don’t add enough value to our lives and our businesses.
What brand can you not live without?
