Perceived value (Originally published on April 6, 2007)

I noticed something today. I was looking through one of those silly catch penny circulars that fill mailboxes. I'm not sure why I didn't throw it out in the mail room. I'm not overly concerned with the price of meat at Acme since I have no plans to either walk to an Acme or eat meat.

Something did strike me though as I looked at ads for "Wal-Iprofen". I had refused to buy into the brand recognition silliness. I don't care who's name is on my ketchup, my jeans, my underwear, or my laundry detergent. But, I'm quite particular about my electronics. It's not really brand recognition... more like stat recognition... or dependability recognition. Take a picture with a 2 MP camera and you'll know why people pay for 6 MP (I won't get into 10 MP vs. 6 MP because there are other issues besides resolution). A webcam will take crummy stills. Everyone I know who has owned a Gateway laptop had to get it repaired at least once. Does that mean that Gateway makes subpar laptops? Probably not. Will I buy a Gateway laptop anytime soon? Probably not.

What got me thinking about this was a little ad for a $50 digital camera. I still haven't purchased a digital camera. I just never seem to get around to it. But there was something in me that said "Buyer Beware". I have no opinions on the manufacturer. I've never read any reviews of this camera. In short, all that this "decision" is based on is intuition and preconceived notions. Yet, I dismissed the possibility. Would I have done the same if it was a Canon or a Nikon? I cannot say for certain.

A brand name does become an endorsement in the practical world. In the world of electronics, a bad reputation can have a serious impact on sales. Between the DRM silliness, flaming laptop batteries, proprietary formats, and overcharging for everything, I will probably never buy another Sony product. In my mind the brand name "Sony" is synonymous with "exploding batteries". Just like "Nike" is synonymous with "sweat shops" and "DeBeers" is synonymous with "slave traders".

So, I guess brand recognition has seeped into my subconscious. But as I haven't owned a television in over 10 years, I don't know what brands are popular at the moment. It works out in a way. If a brand is still going strong after a decade, their product probably doesn't suck.