We see and hear it all the time. "I hate Samsung!" or "I hate Apple!" More than likely you can fill the manufacturer's name in as you see fit, because we've all heard it before, more times than we can all probably count. If you traverse the internet long enough, and find ways into deeper comment threads, you'll see a lot more of it. We all have an opinion on what's best, or what's worse, and some folks like to have active "discussions" about it.
Is it all just empty words, though? Can folks be swayed by a good product, no matter the company behind it? I think some can, maybe even most, but then there are those out there who just refuse to buy something simply because it's got a certain branding on it.
I can think of two distinct examples, and they fit the purpose of this article perfectly.
The first is a friend of mine who hates Apple. Hates the company, their logo, and probably apples in general. I've asked on multiple occasions why he hates Apple, and why he refuses to even try products like the iPad (he was looking for a tablet at the time of this particular discussion). When I brought up the iPad mini, he just shook his head and said, "Nope." I tried to dig a bit deeper, and he basically outlined all the "nefarious" things Apple has done in the past. Most recently pointing out all the lawsuits and patents and what not.
It actually had nothing to do with the iPhone, or the iPad, or even Mac computers. The products weren't even part of the equation. Because of the name *behind* the devices, they didn't need to be. They never would. As long as Apple was behind the iPhone and iOS, and whatever other iDevice they may create down the line, they wouldn't matter. Because Apple.
The other example is a bit different, but based entirely on an evolution of scenarios and products -- so eventually it turns out to be the same thing.
A friend of mine used to like Motorola. He used a few of their phones "back in the day," but he just refuses to do it anymore. He's spent time with all of the DROID devices from the company, and he doesn't necessarily dislike the Moto X as an idea. He jus refuses to use any, and he'd never consider buying one for his own use.
He's had too many experiences with devices messing up in one way or another, be it hardware related or software-based, but it's just got to him over the years. Because of that, he'll never buy another Motorola-branded product again, no matter how great it might be. He likes the Moto X's concept, but even if they made a high-end version with a cheap price tag, he'd just look it over. Because Motorola.
I feel like that's the standard reasoning here, something as simple as two words: Because [insert company name here]. But, I want to find out the reason behind it. Is it something, like in example one, that the company did that stops you from purchasing their products? Do you not agree with their business practices?
I'm asking because of the recent benchmark "rigging." My fellow editor Anna made a good point, that rigging these tests doesn't serve a real purpose. That "honesty is the best policy." I can't help but wonder if these situations, these moments of bad judgment, come back to haunt manufacturers where it actually matters: the consumer. Is anyone out there actively refusing to buy a Samsung-branded product because of their actions? Or any other company's, for that matter.
So tell me, do you refuse to use a certain product because of the company behind it? If so, tell me why. Or is it all about the product, when it comes to situations like that? Can you look passed a company name if the product itself is good enough? Let me know!
image via Ars Technica
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