A couple weeks ago I was having a conversation with my dad, because he will soon be in the market for a new TV. His last few TV’s were Sony, and that seems to be his go-to brand when looking at new electronics (cameras, video cameras, gaming systems, etc.). I’ve owned a few Sony products myself, and haven’t been disappointed, but I definitely do some shopping around before I settle.

My dad doesn’t take that approach, and doesn’t plan to when getting a new TV. I told him that he should check out other brands like Vizio, LG, and Samsung because he might be able to get more bang for his buck; Sony can be over priced sometimes. While trying to explain why he should shop around, he seemed very skeptical about the idea, so I simply posed the question “why are you so stuck on Sony?”. His response was not only eye-opening, but made me [again] realize the important thing about a good brand is.

My dad, in just a couple sentences, explained just what a brand should be, based on how his experience has been with Sony products. Many words came out of his response along the lines of: reliable, comfortable, long lasting, makes me happy, and so on. I immediately stopped trying to convince him on other brands, because isn’t this what we look for in a brand? We want something that has a great track record, and makes us feel comfortable.

There are advantages and disadvantages of sticking with just one brand, however, if that brand has been reliable for you, then you’re not exactly seeing the disadvantages of not trying something new. As a business owner, this is what you strive to be for your customers. It’s a package deal. It’s not just about your logo, or how your brochure looks. It’s about how good your products are, and how you connect with your customer base. You always want to know that your brand has been reliable and comfortable to your customers.

So my advice for shopping brands…. it doesn’t hurt to do some research, however, go with what you’re comfortable with. Be selfish. Don’t always worry what others think of a brand that you feel comfortable with. In the long run, nothing beats a reliable brand.