Brands you feel you have an attachment to

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

That there's no alternative to getting a job.

I thought that was more of a hippie thing, not a millenial.

Right. Hippies don't want to get a job, millenials want to get a job but can't because all of the entry-level jobs require three degrees and 35 years of experience.

Get this man a cookie! I 5000% back this statement!

[kphoger]

What jobs are you applying for that require that?  I work in a business that in takes young, inexperienced workers all the time.

[Max Rockatansky]

What jobs are you applying for that require that?  I work in a business that in takes young, inexperienced workers all the time.

Because a good portion of Millennials want to work for tech companies that have a entrenched work force.   All those once called "nerds"  from the 80s and 90s who had a computer are now senior in their career field.  Meanwhile other less popular job fields that require manual labor or a mechanical skill are going on unstaffed because they aren't popular. 

[TheArkansasRoadgeek]

I have always found Kirkland-brand products (from Costco) to be very superb in quality. Hell, even my glasses (which I got at Costco a few months ago) are Kirkland-brand, and they were way, way, way cheaper than getting glasses at other places (they were maybe around $50)–albeit the quality is just as good. I am a fan of the Kirkland flavored sparkling waters, and I can't tell a difference in taste and quality between that and the other brand (that's identical save the brand name)–except for one flavor (the Strawberry Kiwi), which taste different and have different colors (one green, one pink)–both flavors are equally good in taste and quality, they simply differ in that one flavor.

But anyways, on the other hand, I have typically had mediocre experiences with Kroger-brand products compared to the main brands. For example, Kroger-brand potato chips are not anywhere remotely close to as good as those from the actual chip brands (such as Lays). Also, Kroger-brand Mylanta (over-the-counter medication for acid reflux) was absolutely horrible. I have no idea how effective it was in relieving the symptoms because I just couldn't drink the stuff. It tasted absolutely nasty, and I just could not choke it down. We had picked it up that one time because regular-brand Mylanta was out of stock at the moment, but I will just forego Mylanta entirely before I would drink that stuff again. I think brands (i.e. Kroger) should stick to producing what they're good at, instead of trying to cash in on extra industries they don't specialize in. Although as mentioned earlier, I have always had incredible quality with most or all Kirkland-brand products I have gotten, so some brands can pull it off.

The thing about the store brand names is that they are rebrandings of the brands that have brand recognition from an outside distributor; so you are paying more for a label; just like BIG Food: all the packaging labels with a farm theme, they likely come from a place like Tyson Foods -- a very big name in the industry.

[J N Winkler]

As regards brands (the original topic of this thread):  I thought Scott5411 had an excellent post on the first page of this thread about how economic actors (not just companies, but entities in general that have some of the key characteristics of a firm, such as state DOTs) build and then exploit brand equity.  As I have grown older, I have become less and less attached to brands and more aware of the reasons for the brand attachments I do have.  I like Toyota cars not because they bat a thousand on every single model, but rather because Toyota does very specific marketing things (such as publishing New Car Features books that run to over 200 pages per model at the debut of a new generation) that light up my brain.  I like Pennzoil Platinum not because they have the absolute best synthetic oil on the market, but rather because their marketing stresses cleanliness (minimum deposits on internal engine parts) and I don't like to be looking up specs more often than once every five or ten years.  I like MoDOT for their signing plans:  not because their signs look good in the field, and not because any other part of a MoDOT plans set looks especially good, but rather because their signs have a very clean and consistent appearance on D-31 sign panel detail sheets.

As for the ins and outs of making your nut in modern America, for an economist the fundamental reality is that a level of pay that supports a comfortable lifestyle--whatever "comfortable" means to you personally--is, like profit itself, connected to the ability to draw monopoly rents.  That in turn is often tied to entry barriers such as credentialing requirements, such as a college degree (which carried a proven premium in the immediate run-up to the 2008 recession) or a trade certification based on multiple years of apprenticeship.  And no matter what career field you choose or the extent to which it is protected by entry barriers, you are still vulnerable to demand/supply mismatches of the kind that resulted in, e.g., taxi-driving PhDs in the 1970's.  It takes an entrepreneurial approach--including the willingness to endure some disappointment and tolerate some risk--to land on something you do well, that you like to spend your time doing, and that pays well.

[hbelkins]

In terms of food, some people prefer the taste of certain brands over others. To me, peanut butter is peanut butter, whether it's Peter Pan, Skippy, Jif, or the store brands for Kroger, Save-A-Lot, Walmart, or Dollar General I've tried the Family Dollar store brand, though, and don't like it. I have a cousin, though, who won't eat anything but one brand. While I prefer the taste of Diet Coke over Diet Pepsi, I can't tell a lot of difference in most other brands.

Which leads me to this...

The thing about the store brand names is that they are rebrandings of the brands that have brand recognition from an outside distributor; so you are paying more for a label; just like BIG Food: all the packaging labels with a farm theme, they likely come from a place like Tyson Foods -- a very big name in the industry.

While that's true in many cases, I remember seeing a company once upon a time promoting the fact that it only produces it own brand of products, and its plants/factories don't produce store brands or generics. Can't remember what company that was now, though.

It may come as a surprise to some that many baked goods (Mrs. Freshley's, TastyKakes, and others) are produced in the same bakery. There's a Flowers bakery in London, Ky., that produces many different brands of snack cakes.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

What jobs are you applying for that require that?  I work in a business that in takes young, inexperienced workers all the time.

Because a good portion of Millennials want to work for tech companies that have a entrenched work force.   All those once called "nerds"  from the 80s and 90s who had a computer are now senior in their career field.  Meanwhile other less popular job fields that require manual labor or a mechanical skill are going on unstaffed because they aren't popular. 

It's really any industry, though. When I was first hunting for radio jobs I had at least two employers immediately lose interest during interviews upon hearing my lack of experience, and these were tiny markets with high turnover of young people right out of school.

[Brandon]

What jobs are you applying for that require that?  I work in a business that in takes young, inexperienced workers all the time.

Because a good portion of Millennials want to work for tech companies that have a entrenched work force.   All those once called "nerds"  from the 80s and 90s who had a computer are now senior in their career field.  Meanwhile other less popular job fields that require manual labor or a mechanical skill are going on unstaffed because they aren't popular. 

It's really any industry, though. When I was first hunting for radio jobs I had at least two employers immediately lose interest during interviews upon hearing my lack of experience, and these were tiny markets with high turnover of young people right out of school.

It's been that way for a long time.  They want experience when you're trying to get experience.  I ran into that in the early 2000s.

[mgk920]

My generation (remember, I'm a millennial) was constantly told by our elders that we should get a college degree if we ever wanted to get a decent-paying job.  At my first college class, the teacher asked us all to share why we were in college.  One of the students said "I'm in college because, well, that's what you do after high school, right?"  And that pretty much summed up how my generation thought of college.  To boot, that was a private university, and a lot us were racking up serious debt in the process.  (I was fortunate enough to have zero student loans, and also to flunk out my first year because not going to class isn't a good path to success.)

Fast forward a decade or two, and–surprise!–there's a glut of people with college degrees expecting to fill career positions that are much fewer in number than the people seeking them.  By and large, this glut of people are carrying a huge financial debt and no foreseeable way to pay it off.

I'm not saying it's the fault of millennials that they had that mindset going in.  It's probably the fault of our parents.  But it's a millennial thing nonetheless.

It's almost better to just attempting to find something entry level in your career field of choice these days and attempting to get a degree part time or if at all. 

Skilled trades are arguably a better career path these days.

IMHO, a LOT of that is elitist high school counselors who are essentially committing educational malpractice in herding students into the universities who have no business being there.  These are the people who enjoy working with their hands to build things, fix things, do things, deliver things, make things, etc - the people who enjoy the day to day mission of making the world work smoothly for everyone.

There are young skilled trades people who are already (and very satisfyingly I might add!) pulling in six-figure annual incomes while their 'university' track classmates are still busy racking up unforgivable six-figure student loan debts with no assurances that they'll ever be able to find a way to benefit from them and pay them back.

(This subject really, REALLY frosts my cookies!     )

And the blue-collar trades are *CRYING* for people to fill the roles of the older guys who are reaching retirement age.

Mike

[wxfree]

I suspect that brand loyalty is a form of self-affirmation.  If it was a good idea to buy a certain brand yesterday, then it is today.  If you change brands, that's like admitting that you were wrong for buying it before.  But I've seen brands change, especially after being bought or undergoing corporate leadership changes.  I've seen good products, the ones I'd always buy, turn into bad products.  I promptly dropped those brands, because it isn't a marriage, it's a decision to make each day.

For a while, I would change car insurance companies every three years, because after that long they'd raise my rates for no reason and hope my brand loyalty would hold.  It didn't; I changed and saved the money.  Now I've been with the same company for a long time, because they realized that I won't put up with that and they stopped trying.  I have a perfect record, no accidents or claims and no moving violations ever, my insurance should be cheap.

My loyalty is to quality and price.  Sometimes the label on the packaging tells me that this is the one I like to buy, but if anything changes it can as easily become one I don't want.

[hbelkins]

Once upon a time, I bought whatever brand of pop was on sale. Didn't matter if it was Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Then, for some reason, my tastebuds decided that Diet Pepsi is swill, and I will buy it only if I'm in a captive-type situation.

I guess one area where I am brand-loyal taste-wise is lunch meats and hot dogs. Fischer's is the best, especially hot dogs, bologna, and ham & cheese loaf. I'll definitely pay more for something I like. But, peanut butter is peanut butter, and corn flakes are corn flakes.

[wanderer2575]

But anyways, on the other hand, I have typically had mediocre experiences with Kroger-brand products compared to the main brands. For example, Kroger-brand potato chips are not anywhere remotely close to as good as those from the actual chip brands (such as Lays). Also, Kroger-brand Mylanta (over-the-counter medication for acid reflux) was absolutely horrible. I have no idea how effective it was in relieving the symptoms because I just couldn't drink the stuff. It tasted absolutely nasty, and I just could not choke it down. We had picked it up that one time because regular-brand Mylanta was out of stock at the moment, but I will just forego Mylanta entirely before I would drink that stuff again. I think brands (i.e. Kroger) should stick to producing what they're good at, instead of trying to cash in on extra industries they don't specialize in. Although as mentioned earlier, I have always had incredible quality with most or all Kirkland-brand products I have gotten, so some brands can pull it off.

The thing about the store brand names is that they are rebrandings of the brands that have brand recognition from an outside distributor; so you are paying more for a label; just like BIG Food: all the packaging labels with a farm theme, they likely come from a place like Tyson Foods -- a very big name in the industry.

The store brands may come from the same big manufacturers, but they often are NOT the same product.  Other than its cheeses and canned/frozen vegetables, I too generally avoid Kroger-brand foods because they have a taste, texture, or whatever other characteristic that I have tried and don't like.  They are not the same recipes as the brand names.

[wxfree]

Once upon a time, I bought whatever brand of pop was on sale. Didn't matter if it was Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Then, for some reason, my tastebuds decided that Diet Pepsi is swill, and I will buy it only if I'm in a captive-type situation.

I guess one area where I am brand-loyal taste-wise is lunch meats and hot dogs. Fischer's is the best, especially hot dogs, bologna, and ham & cheese loaf. I'll definitely pay more for something I like. But, peanut butter is peanut butter, and corn flakes are corn flakes.

And sugar is sugar.  At least it was in the 90s, when the Imperial Sugar factory tour showed they used the same product to fill bags for their brand and for every store brand and discount brand you've ever or never heard of.  I don't know if that's still true, but I still buy whatever pure cane sugar has the lowest price, and I've never noticed a difference.

[Max Rockatansky]

Once upon a time, I bought whatever brand of pop was on sale. Didn't matter if it was Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Then, for some reason, my tastebuds decided that Diet Pepsi is swill, and I will buy it only if I'm in a captive-type situation.

I guess one area where I am brand-loyal taste-wise is lunch meats and hot dogs. Fischer's is the best, especially hot dogs, bologna, and ham & cheese loaf. I'll definitely pay more for something I like. But, peanut butter is peanut butter, and corn flakes are corn flakes.

And sugar is sugar.  At least it was in the 90s, when the Imperial Sugar factory tour showed they used the same product to fill bags for their brand and for every store brand and discount brand you've ever or never heard of.  I don't know if that's still true, but I still buy whatever pure cane sugar has the lowest price, and I've never noticed a difference.

Sugar cane tastes way different in soda versus corn syrup, especially in anything that has a citrus taste.  I can't even drink Fanta without it having sugar cane in it, with corn syrup it tastes wrong.

[DaBigE]

Once upon a time, I bought whatever brand of pop was on sale. Didn't matter if it was Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. Then, for some reason, my tastebuds decided that Diet Pepsi is swill, and I will buy it only if I'm in a captive-type situation.

I guess one area where I am brand-loyal taste-wise is lunch meats and hot dogs. Fischer's is the best, especially hot dogs, bologna, and ham & cheese loaf. I'll definitely pay more for something I like. But, peanut butter is peanut butter, and corn flakes are corn flakes.

And sugar is sugar.  At least it was in the 90s, when the Imperial Sugar factory tour showed they used the same product to fill bags for their brand and for every store brand and discount brand you've ever or never heard of.  I don't know if that's still true, but I still buy whatever pure cane sugar has the lowest price, and I've never noticed a difference.

Sugar cane tastes way different in soda versus corn syrup, especially in anything that has a citrus taste.  I can't even drink Fanta without it having sugar cane in it, with corn syrup it tastes wrong.

Cane sugar was the only way I'd drink Sierra Mist and was why I went back to Sprite, when Pepsi switched to corn syrup in 2016.

[kphoger]

I like Coca-Cola with cane sugar, à la Mexican Coke.  I also like Pepsi Throwback.  Mountain Dew Throwback, however, just tasted wrong to me.

[Max Rockatansky]

I like Coca-Cola with cane sugar, à la Mexican Coke.  I also like Pepsi Throwback.  Mountain Dew Throwback, however, just tasted wrong to me.

Funny enough I don't mind the taste of Mountain Dew with corn syrup or in diet form, I did appreciate that every 711 I went to in Florida had twist cap sugar cane variants.  Moving back west made finding sugar cane colas pretty straight forward again.  Vons/Safeway stocks Coke and Pepsi products on the shelves whereas some of the majority the taco trucks around Fresno offer others like Fanta.  Weirdly I can't find sugar cane Mountain Dew anywhere around Fresno.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I like Coca-Cola with cane sugar, à la Mexican Coke.  I also like Pepsi Throwback.  Mountain Dew Throwback, however, just tasted wrong to me.

I like Mountain Dew Throwback, but the regular version is nasty piss to me. Although recently I picked a Throwback out of a gas station cooler, looked at the 147% daily sugar content, and was disgusted enough to put it back.

[jakeroot]

^^
Good point.

I try not to attach myself to brands. Mostly because I feel like doing so will get me conned into more expensive (and therefore more emotional) purchases later.

That said, I have a couple:

Samsung:
* I'm on my fourth Samsung phone;
* I have an eight-year-old Samsung laptop that I use for school (and which continues to work very well with its SSD);
* a three-year-old Gear S3 Frontier watch which has massively improved with updates;
* their CRG9 32:9 monitor; and
* I also have a Samsung tablet that I use sparingly.

I wouldn't say that I have an emotional attachment to Samsung, but I feel their products are worth the price (except for some things like appliances). Some of their stuff (like the CRG9 monitor and my Note9 phone) were fairly expensive, but again, I feel that the price was justified, and I'm extremely happy with both. My watch is faster than the day I bought it, even though it's over three years old. They've done me no wrong.

Volkswagen:
* I've only owned one Volkswagen vehicle. Even though it's one of their diesels, and I was technically gypped, I absolutely love my car. One day I will buy an electric car (difficult as it currently is, given my street-parking situation), but until such time, I get such a kick out of the diesel/manual combo. I would buy another in a heartbeat. I had a Golf Wagon 4Motion as a loaner last year. While it was the gas/dual-clutch combo, that too was just a blast to drive. Plus it was just stupidly practical. VW, for as terrible of a choice as they made, still build a fantastic car. The interiors, at least in my opinion, are above the rest of the class; fit and finish is remarkable. Reliability is certainly not their strong suit, but sticking to the tried-and-true models, especially those that have been out in Europe for a year or two, pretty dramatically reduces the chance of long-term issues. My Golf is approaching 85k miles after almost 4.5 years, and my only issue was a faulty fuel injector (which did leave me stranded) -- of course, my post-scandal warranty now extends to about 128k miles, so I really don't care. At any rate, it's a non issue when I consider how much joy the car has brought me over the years. I would say, for the first car purchase that I made entirely on my own, I did well. Looking to the Mk8 GTI as my next purchase, maybe in three or four years. Hopefully they're still selling the 6MT by then!