Know your product, company and audience

I have found that it’s way more fun to be on the creative side of this industry, it is what I understand. The business side of this industry is a whole other world. It was not until recently that I had to deal with advertising/media sales people and vendors.

A few months ago I had a couple of sales guys in from a prominent radio station to pitch me on buying some radio time. I went in to the meeting confident that this would go quickly because I was sure this was a bad fit for our company. I sat there as the two explained what demographic they reached, how many advertisements we would get and how many people we would touch during the AM/PM rush hours. Then I heard, “we now to go (insert prominent anchor) at the Turner Construction News Desk…” and they just about had me. I’m a news junkie and I thought that was the coolest/greatest sounding idea ever and I could pay these two guys to hear it 75 times a week!

They wrapped up and to their disdain, I wasn’t in full agreement that radio was a fit for us. I explained to them our clients don’t call us because they see our logo or hear our name. I liked their ideas but it’s not often someone cold calls us looking to build an office tower. I explained to them the process of how our business operates and how we plan on reaching our clients. Finally they saw my side of things and agreed, then told me they also offer web advertising!

Long story is that by knowing my product, company and audience I saved not only the price of the radio package, but also the time and resources of the company. While creating our marketing plan, I calculated that the money we saved from the radio idea was able to cover other promotions in magazines, newspapers, web and strategic sponsorships that we know reach our desired audience.

Buying Print Advertising without a 3rd Party

I have purchased print from a prominent Seattle newspaper in the past. Print advertising is costly and not always a positive ROI for the company. My decision to work directly with a graphic artist and also negotiate with the advertiser was an attempt to learn more about the business and save some money at the same time.

My experience was pleasant although it was very time consuming. I had worked with the graphic artist in the past so all I needed to have done was a slight redesign of the ad and the message. Easy enough so I thought. Negotiating a rate with the advertiser takes time, persistence and follow up to ensure that the correct reduced rate I had negotiated was actually the rate we were being charged. Yes I did find some errors in our bill rate.

Every week I would receive a proof prior to the ad going to print. This is where you can find errors with your color scheme. I was surprised to find that it took a couple of revisions sometimes to get the colors exactly right. I also had a few ads run in black and white. Proof the black and white ads as well. I did find that they sometimes had a grey tone to them.

I appreciated the learning experience and would pursue this avenue again. Any revision I asked for was done promptly and was revised until it was perfect. Print is very expensive but can be very successful when done correctly.

Ad Experience: Boost Mobile

One of the most valuable lessons I learned working for Boost (prepaid carrier within Sprint) is how consistent they are with their advertising; color, logo and message (less is more). Instead of retailers creating their own ad for their store, Boost created an “Ad Builder” coop website for retailers and vendors to use. It is one of Boost Mobile retailer charter: “#3. Work faster, easier, better”. The site enables you to: 1.) create, customize and download Boost Mobile approved marketing materials 2.) Download phone images and logos 3.) Save and archive previous customized layouts for re-use. The site allows you to choose the type of media you are trying to purchase i.e. online assets, print general market, radio etc. This ad building experience is fun, simple to use and consistent throughout.

Advertising: Working with an agency

In my career, I’ve been both on the requesting (sourcing) side of advertising creation and on the creative side. If you’re considering creating an ad for your campaign, the best advice I can give you is to be clear with what you want, so as to avoid multiple revs and save time.

Before you assign the work to the agency, draw up some details. Give a concise, but accurate, summary of what your ad needs to convey, including:

• call to action
• key messaging to include
• branding guidelines
• (and, occasionally, provide creative concepts. Think general here though, as you don’t want to box in your agency’s creativity!)

Almost more importantly than the above to-do list is one final point: be sure to let the agency know what NOT to do. Are there key words/phrases that your competitors use, that you need to stay away from? How about color palettes or graphics/icons you definitely don’t want to use?

The more information you can provide to the agency up front (but succinctly, so as not to overwhelm), the less rounds of review/revamps you’ll have to undergo – which saves money (most creative houses bill hourly) and time.

When a Media Buy is Like Tomato Paste

My first experience buying media was a lot like the first time I tried to buy tomato paste in the Czech Republic. Tomato paste doesn't come in the usual small can there as it does here, so I stood in the aisle of the tiny grocery store, staring at a wide range of possibilities in lots of different packages, unable to speak the language or make sense of what I was looking at.

My first media buy felt very much the same: column inches? placement above or below the fold? 2-color, 4-color, b/w? magazines, newspapers, Google ads, queens or kings on the sides of buses (that one really baffled me...)? What about billboards? Should I just strap a sandwich board to someone on staff and send them out into traffic? There were lots of possible containers, but no way to know if I'd chosen the right one until I opened it up and found "tomato paste" or some unidentifiable bit of something that had once probably been an animal.

Ok, before this analogy gets too strained, let me say that I employed the same technique in both cases: in faltering, clearly non-native speech, I asked for help. I made my needs as clear as I could to people I knew knew more than I did, listened, then jumped and hoped for tomato paste.

As you might suspect, results were mixed. Some things did quite well (traditional print ads in community newspapers), some things didn't (Google ads), some things were just terribly hard to measure (bus panels--we went with Queens--and KUOW). But I learned a lot and have felt a bit less helpless since.

One caveat to media buyers: once you make contact, be prepared for a constant onslaught of increasingly desperate contact from the sellers of advertising space. Remember Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer? Yeah, he was desperate to keep his kid, but do you remember what he did for a living? He sold advertising space. I'm just sayin'. Desperation is clearly a way of life for many of these folks.

And yes, I finally stumbled on tomato paste. In a toothpaste-like tube on a side trip to England. Apparently the Czechs don't use tomato paste, or didn't then, anyway. I'm not sure how that works in my analogy, actually....maybe something about thinking outside the can?

Pepsi's Social Media Efforts

Hi all --
There is an interesting article about this in today's NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/business/media/31pepsi.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26

Monster ads. A recruitment aid?

I do not have much experience buying ads, but in my current role, I have been exposed to and participated in looking into buying ads for recruitment purposes. Revenue source for our medium sized company is largely based on word of mouth and referrals, but when it comes to recruitment, we try to make use of more generalistic tools, such as Monster.com.

Since pushing an ad via a service such as Monster.com for recruiting needs is practically like pushing the image of your company for any other purpose, I was asked to participate in this effort, as a marketer.

I was quickly astonished by their pricing structure and regarded the whole "let's put our ad on monster looking for candidates" as a rather worthless effort, particularly in light of the fact that I could not easily find supporting materials as to the expected results of having our ad on their site. While I acknowledge the magnitude of this recruitment company, I expect a lot more information, particularly because of their sheer size.

Take a look at the attached image and let me know what you think.

My limited experience buying ads...

While working as an Assistant Account Executive in Ogilvy & Mather Mexico, we handled the advertising campaign for Cottonelle, made by Kimberly Clark. The selection of media was critical to ensure that TV/Radio spots and print ads reached the target audience. I attended various meetings with the Media Buyer and remember feeling overwhelmed with the costs and complexity of the process. Fortunately, they were experts in the subject and as a result we achieved high ratings with Nielsen.

Years later, while working for an International Relocation/Immigration firm based in the US, I was asked to design and develop the content for two ads to be printed in the major newspaper in Madrid-Spain announcing the upcoming opening of a new office in that country as well as job posting for local attorneys, immigration consultants and an IT support technician. Initially, I tried to establish contact with the newspaper via email to avoid expensive long distance charges since Skype was not an option in those days. Soon I realized that I was not getting any responses so I picked up the phone and contacted the “classified” section. It took several attempts to transfer my call, waiting on hold, being disconnected before I could finally speak to the person responsible for ads. Then, we began the negotiations and signed the required paperwork. My request was to run the ads on Sunday for the following two weeks. I liaised with my contacts in Madrid and realized that the ads had not been ran that Sunday. On Monday morning I contacted the paper to complain and was told that it was a mistake on their end and that the ad was going to run the following weekends and we will get an additional weekend at no charge.

That ended up working to our advantage since the following weekend the International Relocation Conference was being held in Spain and our ads were visible to key players in the Industry. The response to the job postings was overwhelming and in just a few days, we found qualified candidates for all the positions! Overall, the ads were a success and I was glad for the opportunity to handle the process.

It's still a hard sell for soft media.

I help six industries with their annual media plans. This can be a challenge, because the bottom line is key, and quantifying advertising ROI in a largely commodity-based industry isn't always straightforward. I can offer plenty of soft data, but my directors live and die on hard numbers.

The media plans are still centered around traditional media, mostly insertions in trade horizontals and industry verticals. Right now, we don't work through an agency (I'm our agency!) so that the quoted prices in the media guides are always 10% more than we actually pay. Which is good.

I am well-treated by the publications -- they do a great job of developing personal relationships, which is crucial to maintaining their business. One pub will always place us opposite their table of contents, and many are willing to work within our budget, crafting custom deals at a better rate than what's advertised in the media guide.

There is just the slightest tint of anxiety (I wanted to say desperation, but that's much too strong a word) around our interactions lately, though. As electronic media begin to vie for our advertising dollar, the print media are feeling the heat of competition.

A curious note about electronic adverts: I sometimes place banners and skyscrapers on websites and electronic industry directories, and those have been an even harder sell to my internal customers. There's just something about holding a shiny magazine in your hands, a magazine that you know lands on the desks of all your customers, prospects and colleagues, and has been around for 50 years. There's a concreteness about your message and logo in print that makes it seem more valuable than a dynamic electronic ad, even if that e-ad will reach 1,000x the viewers, and be viewed repeatedly over a period of several months.

I’ll Spend More of My Green on Apple

Okay, so one of my favorite brands is Apple. I know it sounds cliche… but frankly Apple products are fun!

Obviously a huge amount of effort goes into making their products and services user oriented and innovative.

And when Mac OS X was first introduced with a Unix operating system, I knew they had made a big leap and commitment forward in terms of product reliability. (I still have a G4 which I purchased in 2001, I’ve upgraded periodically and it still runs great!)

I’ve also had great customer service from them. At one point my order was screwed up and they issued me a $100 credit without hesitation!

So ya, I’ll pay more for an Apple product because I’ll get more quality (and fun) out of it!

We Need a Pilot

I'm a fan of writing things down and quirky commercials so I consider myself the perfect market for Pilot Pens. As a brand they have always intrigued me with their amusing ads. The first I can remember implied reliability by playing on the double entendre with the captain of a passenger plane. The call goes out that a pilot is needed and everyone panics until someone hands over a Pilot pen. However I was not a reliable user of their product until the company introduced a pen of superior quality to other pens at the time. The Pilot G2 at its introduction was vastly superior to other gel pens on the market.

With that product introduction several things came into focus: their products' relability and performance, the history of the brand in my memory and my amusement at their ads. Since that time I rarely use another pen, even when signing sales receipts, and I would gladly pay double the cost of other pens for a Pilot. They are keeping their brand intergrity with more humorous and quirky commercials. The last one of note was one for their finepoint pens, showing a person putting tattoos Lego figures. Pilot's product quality remains constant and so I remain a constant supporter of their brand.

Kinders- Not just a BBQ sauce

My favorite brand would have to be Kinders. For those of your who have not heard of such a thing, let me explain. Kinders is a butcher shop/deli that has created the most magnificent, delicious BBQ sauce on the planet. This isn't just me saying it either, this place has won many awards to confirm that these statements that I make are true. They have created a sauce that you can put on just about anything having to do with meat and be truely satisfied.

Kinders originated in Concord, California and spread to a few other placed in the San Francisco Bay Area. From there, it even expanded to be in a few select college towns after angry high school graduates got to college and realized that their weekly (or in some cases DAILY) trips to Kinders were going to have to wait until Christmas break. They heard their audience loud and clear and now have stores in small towns where business might not have otherwise thrived.

Walking into Kinders is like walking into a friends home, immediately being greeted with a smile and served nearly immediately. After ordering your perfect sandwich combination and sititng down, you will find a large squeeze bottle is at each table filled with the special BBQ sauce that can never be matched. Unlimited amounts can be poured onto each delcious morsal and let me tell you it is the best experience you can imagine in the culinary world. Their products (including their meats that are available to take home) are fresh and cut in front of you, while their BBQ sauce bottles line the walls. Any student from the Bay Area that has moved away to college stocked up on their favorite flavor Kinders BBQ Sauce to take along with them for the semester.

The price is slightly higher for this BBQ sauce than you would pay in grocery stores, but the quality is well beyond what is their as well. Their customer service is fanatastic and their staff knows all their is to know about cuts of meat and the degree of spice in each type of sauce. All in all, the Kinders experience is one I highly recommend to anyone who might be taking a trip to the Bay Area. And who knows, maybe if enough people in Seattle demand it, we can have one placed up here one day!!

REI

There are many brands that I truly enjoy, some for quality, some for price, some for convenience. But there are not many that I will go directly out of my way to make sure I purchase accept one. And that one would be REI. I tend to be one of those “deal finders” and hate paying full retail price for things. But when it comes to any outdoor equipment, I go directly to REI.

For me, I like to understand what I am purchasing but I also don’t like being sold to. REI is one of those places I walk in to and I know that the people there know what they are talking about. You feel like they do not just work there to work there, but that they have experienced and embody the core values of what the company stands for.

Their customer service is amazing. From returning something without a receipt and getting full price back for it, to being able to return a 4 year old jacket for a brand new one because one of the seams tore. They treat their customers with loyalty, respect, and value.

I know that the selection they have their will be vast and they will not try and push one item over another too me but rather, ask what my needs are and then present several viable options, presenting the pros and cons to me.

The perceived quality of their products I think for me lies in their return policies. The comfort of knowing I can return an item for any reason, but at the same time trusting them because you think they must be pretty confident in their products if they will give you your money back if it doesn’t function the way it should.

There is also the obvious identity that comes with shopping at REI. Corporate responsibility, the northwest identity, adventure, excitement, and the ruggedness of the outdoors. It really is a place that offers their customers and identity to latch on to, especially with offering their customers a card that pays them dividends back and allows them to be apart of the REI ‘Community’. They have done a great job of being customer oriented and providing products people can trust and truly enjoy.

Branding my Childhood

My Family has a brand. A brand so exciting to me that it is a little embarrassing to share all the details. It must take a brand with very strong equity to join a family. But the Walt Disney Company joined mine and has been in my life as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are from a trip to Disney World when I was three. Since that trip, summer vacations mean “the time to experience the magic of Disney”.   Did I get tired of us driving down to California or flying off to Florida year after year? I thought so when I was a little older, until our family went someplace else and it just wasn’t the same. On the Disney property everything is different, even my mom and dad light up like a toddlers every time we hurry off to the park.

To me Disney means: family time, happy times, something my family knows and could experience together with joy.  Our family connected here in a way that we couldn’t anywhere else. When we were not on vacation, our family with two girls and two parents would sit around, watch, and sing along with The Little Mermaid, my little sister’s favorite.   Sunday’s were the Magical World of Disney at 7pm. We even had Disney trivia night (Not kidding… this was a very competitive time at our house). We slept in 101 Dalmatian sheets, I had a Beauty and the Beast lunch pail, and most of my mother’s wardrobe has a Disney character on the front. Family car trips use Disney movie songs to pass the time as they were songs we all liked and know the words too (That’s right my friends, present tense). My sister even took time off from college to go work in magical fast food at Walt Disney World. We are a Disney family to the core.

Can a brand be magical, yes, I believe that it can. Am I obsessed with Disney? well…probably…but not enough to venture out of the house dressed in  a princess costume like it did when I was 5, but close.

The Olympic Games

Go to work in a great restaurant, and you'll soon find its pleasures are forever lost in your complete and newfound awareness of all its moving pieces. Become a travel writer, and you’ll never again take a vacation, only search for leads in exotic places. Spend 50 - 60 hours a week working to create a brand-centric organization, and the ability to review a brand from a consumer perspective is, well, you get the picture. Welcome to my world.

I won’t be able to discuss a brand that makes me want to spend more or go out of my way to buy its product line. But I can talk about what I consider the most elegant and well-tended brand in the world, my favorite, The Olympic Games.

For each of us, those words evoke a series of pictures and sounds and emotions. How about you? What do you have filed under “The Olympic Games” in your subconscious? First, it’s probably a mental picture of the five rings whose colors are included in every flag in the world, and maybe the trumpet fanfare from the NBC telecasts.

But then, going deeper, what memories do those words spark in you? Is it being gripped by the heroic performance of an undertrained and overmatched athlete? Is it the button-popping pride when a fellow citizen—perhaps even someone you know—occupies the top of the podium and your country’s flag is raised? Is it the brutal humanity of the massacre in Munich? Is it the hopefulness of the closing ceremony and the proclamation that calls “the youth of the world to assemble four years from now to celebrate with us the Games of the next Olympiad”? Is it your own childhood dreams of future fame and success, the ability to conquer the world?

It’s something different to everyone, and curiously enough, at the same time a global, collective experience, one we share across geographies and genders and ethnicities. “The Olympic Games” spans the gamut of human condition and emotion, and touches people in powerful ways. I have a friend who calls the Olympics his church (and he only has to go for a few weeks alternating years!), and I find that is an apt metaphor, because there is something almost holy about the Games – there’s the ceremony, of course, but there’s also the baring of the human soul.

It’s a beautiful brand.

And I suppose, really, I do buy their product. I don’t miss a broadcast—multiply me times every household that owns a TV in the world, and the Olympic Committee has an irresistible proposition for its advertisers — unparalleled, penetrating access to the full spectrum of global demographics.

When I was younger, I thought that the Olympic Committee was run by a bunch of anal retentive control freaks. I mean, what kind of people would issue a Cease and Desist order to Hanna Barbera over their “Laff-a-Lympics” cartoon? And how many Olympic Peninsula businesses have been contacted by the Committee’s legal arm over having their geographic location, “Olympic” in their names? The Committee has been fierce in building a moat around their brand.

But now I appreciate the wisdom. The vigilance has been crucial to the development of the brand. Every unauthorized use of the name “Olympic” has the potential to significantly dilute the brand's strength, destroying the mystique the brand has attained. It would be impossible for "Olympic" to be a powerful representation of humanity at its best and at the same time be Yogi Bear throwing a javelin. At Boo Boo.

Brand - Apple

Apple is my favorite brand. Before iPhone 4 came to the market, I put my faith on this product by ordering it couple weeks ahead even without watching any review (this was base on the great track record Apple has in the past). I am also one of their early adaptors for the Mac book air 11". Apple product is reliable, user friendly and most importantly she has a fast response time (time saving is the most important feature to me) – and these are the reasons I pay my customer loyalty to Apple.

Nordstom!

I'm sure everyone is surprised by my pick! But I truly do love this store!
And I don't love them only cause they pay for my bills. I do love to shop here. This is one store that i know carries trendy, all different price levels merchandise and customer service that is top notch. Especially since I became an employee, I learned all kinds of cool new services that we offer and now I'm even more hooked. I am not only limited to the Seattle stores when I shop; if the product that I want is not available, other stores might have it and it will arrive at my door step in few days. I love this feature. I could go on for days, but I'll spare you all.

I trust their offering, I love the products they carry and know that I will get the best service available.

Starbucks

As a huge coffee fanatic, I'm a loyal customer of Starbucks. I didn't start drinking coffee until a trip to Starbucks during a late night of studying my junior year of college, but since then I've become addicted to lattes and caramel macchiatos! Throughout the last several years, Starbucks has provided me with a warm and cozy environment to meet up with friends, study, or just relax with a good book. Their drinks are consistently delicious, and I can always count on fast, friendly service when I'm in a hurry.

One of my favorite things about Starbucks is that it reminds me of home. While traveling abroad for several months after college, I told a friend that I was feeling homesick and she suggested that I go to Starbucks. As soon as I walked in the door, it brought me back home, because even halfway across the world in a different culture and surroundings, Starbucks was still the same. Since then, whenever I travel, I know that I can always count on Starbucks for a good latte and a slice of home.

Verizon

Verizon Wireless is a company that I have the most brand equity with. I have been a customer with them for over ten years. They were my first and only carrier. Throughout those years I have experienced few problems with my services and products. A couple times I had some issues with my phone but the problem was fixed and the company created a solution for me. It may not have been the answer I wanted to hear but I have always been taken care of in a timely manner with reasonable solutions. Not to mention the extra incentives I receive for my brand loyalty. The customer service representatives are always pleasant and efficient. Verizon Wireless works for me and I’ll probably be a lifetime customer.

Apple

As soon as anybody asks what my favorite brand is, Apple immeditely takes over my mind. It's an immediate reaction, it doesn't require my careful evaluation. Which makes me realize, what is it about Apple that poseses my loyalty so unconditionally? A few ideas come to mind:
- Innovation. Constant change, progress in progress. Being 10 steps ahead of everyone else. That's how the brand behaves, that's the way its positioned in my mind. But more importantly, it is the very core value to which I personally relate to it. That is how it makes me feel. I think that deep in my mind that is the aspirational meaning of it.
- Design. Simple, user friendly, easy and light.
- Customer service. It's not that they are perfect. It's not that they don't make mistakes. It's that they DELIVER their promise that behind every product, they are there for you. I've encountered various issues and troubleshooting problems along my experience with different apple products...but I'm more than proud to say that ALL of them have been solved and attended to.
- Price: its fair and valuable.
- And last but not least, they are a stand up example for an integrated communication strategy. They hold true to what they sell and believe in. I've known no disappointment, and they have my blindfolded loyalty.

Anthropologie

When I started thinking of the multitude of reasons I love Anthropologie I realized that they truly do provide me with an experience vs. just a place to buy clothes. It starts at the door. Every Anthropologie smells the same; it's the combination of the wood floors and their signature blue candle. When I travel for business, going to Anthro is a way to root myself, because the smell is consistent in each location.

The store's decor is inspiring. Their displays are artful and original, and make me want to stay and take it all in. Their sales associates dress in styles that are consistent with my interpretation of the Anthro brand: if you can rock it, anything combination of patterns works. They inspire me to take chances and challenge my matchy-match tendencies. I love that all of their clothes - down to their tees - have special detailing. Pleating at the neckline, placketing on the sleeve. When I wear Anthro I feel stylish. I feel like I'm a part of the Anthro lifestyle.

My Red Kitchen Aid

I started cooking when I got married and I don’t have any idea of what type of things I needed in my kitchen. So my hubby and I went shopping some kitchen items different brands and sizes the only thing in common was the color: black.

With a lot of time at home I decided that I like to make a delicious cake and cookies but for that I must have a mixer, I asked my uncle what type of mixer should I get, he told me “if you are serious about that you need to get a Kitchen Aid”. More than $200 only for one item that I’m going to use just for “fun”, so I asked some other friends about their mixers and all told me that the best option was Kitchen Aid. Quality, durability, customer service and colors were the reason I bought a Red Kitchen Aid.

Since then we are so happy with the brand and color that now we are changing our entire kitchen for only Kitchen Aid products and I’m getting better with pastries.

Ode to my Apple

It was love at first click when I began exploring the features of my new IMac one year ago. The whole thing felt right, delightful even. From the layout of the desktop to the logic of the programs. Ahh, I thought, relief engulfing me, a computer developed by creative people for creative people!

I had been working on a PC for many years from my home office and I have to admit my emotions toward it were lackluster. It was so damn practical, and dull-- unable to take the flights of fancy I needed to make my work day complete. But the mac was responsive, able to satisfy my create yearnings. And then I discovered Apple Care.

You purchase several years at a time. Laying down my money was the best office investment I made in the last year--even better than the Mac itself. I love those Apple Care guys with their patience, knowledge, hip kind of laid back style. They NEVER make me feel dumb and go out of their way to solve my problems, work with me, comfort me through the trials of building my Mac skill set. Yes, there have been set backs, but the Care I get is so personal, so professional in a world where phone support reeks of fatigue, frustration and incomprehensible foreign accents, that I will stick with them for life.

A fanatic is made. I have become another member of an Iconic Brand family. Apple really does function like a cultural activist for me. By being edgy, it helps me keep my edge. It helps me embrace my inner artist. Most of all, it successfully addresses the acute contradiction of tying me to a computing machine while allowing me to feel like a vital, connected human. Now if only they could get a better Email system. Oh well, no love is perfect...just perfect for me.

Coach

I'll be the first to admit, I haven't bought a purse or wallet from anywhere but Coach in over 12 years. And for a girl who buys a new purse every season (plus a few extras here and there!), that would be a lot of money that I've spent with them. Not only do I buy exclusively from the Coach leather lines, but I only buy from the actual Coach retail stores - not Nordstrom or Macy's or the Coach Outlets. So why would I even bother to spend that type of money on something as ridiculous as a purse? Simply enough, I love their leather. They use some of the highest quality leather with the highest quality stitching that I've ever seen - and I've inspected a lot of leather purses. My first Coach purse is still in style - they are classic bags that I can continue to bring out when I need to. And if anything ever happens to an item that I have bought from Coach, I just take it right back to the store and they will send it out to be fixed for me and it will be back in my hands within 2 weeks! I'm willing to spend the money it takes to have a good-quality purse that I can use season after season, that comes with the customer experience that Coach offers.

Quality and Customer Service at Nordstrom

I grew up shopping with my older sister. She's always had a great sense of fashion and she shared her love of clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics with me. As Seattle natives, we've always shopped at Nordstrom. We also shopped at other local department stores over the years, including The Bon Marche and Frederick & Nelson, but Nordstrom has remained strong because of its quality customer service, products, and brand.

When I need a new dress for a special occasion, I can count on a Nordstrom salesperson to help me find not only the right dress, but accessories and shoes to go with it. If I'm having issues with my cosmetics or my daughter doesn't like sweater I picked out for her, returns or exchanges are never a problem at Nordstrom. If I have no idea what to buy my husband for Christmas, I rely on a Nordstrom salesperson to give me a few recommendations. Even when I've had a long day of shopping with my sister, we end up at the Nordstrom cafe for lunch or dinner.

Nordstrom to me stands for quality, service and fashion. I always enjoy my shopping experiences at the store. Nordstrom has never let me down and everything I buy from that store has all been worth it!

Go STORM!!!

My favorite brand is the SEATTLE STORM.

I love basketball. I used to live, play and breathe basketball when I was

still in school back in the Philippines.

I moved to Seattle July 2009, just in the middle of the WNBA season. I watched 2 regular season and 2 playoff games. After the season, a Storm representative contacted me and it was a beginning of a great relationship. I signed up to be a season ticket holder for the 2010 season, the same year they won the championship, without even losing a home game. Aside from being the best team there is, they go out of their way to make sure everyone enjoys their experience by making their programs entertaining to people of different ages. They are consistently asking for suggestions on how they can improve the overall experience and you'll really see the effort they put in trying to make these suggestions come to life. They also have season ticket holder events even when the season is over, to stay in touch and keep everyone 'in the know' of what's happening with the team. They make you feel as though you belong to 1 big family. Overall, a truly great experience with this brand. It's like being home, away from home.

By the way, this year, I not only renewed my season ticket, I've convinced my sister to be a season ticket holder as well.

Brand: Canon

I never really thought that I was loyal to any brands until I realize that there is a pattern to my brand buying. By far out of anything I owned Canon brand has been the most consistent in my household electronic gadgets/items. Perhaps it started at an early age when my dad took up photography as a hobby using an SLR Canon camera and all kinds of Canon peripherals. In high school, I took up photography and used the school’s Canon SLR camera. In college, Nikon digital camera’s where the only choice to rent at school. Suffice it to say I went and purchased a digital Canon camera as a graduation present to myself. Now I own 2 digital SLR Canon professional cameras (one was a bday gift which I rarely use because I can’t fit it in my pocket or purse and the other an older, smaller but still bulky.) I have a pocket size powershot Canon digital camera which I love because it’s compact enough that I can fit in my pocket. Unlike other brands I’ve tried, Canon has always given me the results I want. It’s simple to use, quick when you point and shoot, camera stabilization is great, and I like the style. Oh and yes I would pay a little more because Canon has not let me down. Also, it has provided me with some sentimental values; my childhood memories.

My little tube of Chapstick

I'm not talking about any kind of chapstick, I'm talking Chapstick. The little tube with a design that really hasn't changed since I bought my first one in high school. For awhile I tried other cheaper options (you know when you are college when you trying to save money on a $2 product), but no one had the perfect taste or texture of Chapstick. The black Chapstick to be specific. The blue kind doesn't cut it for me. I love their commercial of a Hawaiian-skirt-wearing tube of Chapstick. They have never changed their recipe or their logo in my time as a customer, and I am just fine with that. And a random fact for you: A tube of Chapstick was used to hide a microphone during the Watergate break-in.

Hyland's - Natural/Homeopathic Remedies for Kids!!!

Those of you with little ones at home may be pleased to hear of a wonderful brand of homeopathic remedies for kids called Hyland's.

Hyland's products are high quality, easy to find, easy to use, made with natural ingredients and are approved by doctors. Their slogan is to provide quality and integrity in every homeopathic product and in my opinion they deliver their promise every time!

The first time I purchased a Hyland's product was 2 ½ years ago when my daughter started teething. She was uncomfortable and probably in pain and a friend recommended Hyland's teething tablets. I checked with the pediatrician and he agreed that those tablets were a good choice. I went shopping to Fred Meyer and while walking on the “healthy/natural” section I found them. My daughter liked them and they seemed to alleviate the pain.

A few months later, my daughter learned to walk. We were at Ballard Market when she felt on her forehead. I immediately remembered my mom advice to put arnica immediately to prevent bruising. I walked to the medicine section and was pleased to see Hyland's arnica. As I was approaching the register to pay, a mom with a baby in her arms said “oh… great choice, that cream works as a charm”. I confidently rubbed arnica on my daughter’s forehead and was happy to see that the next day the bruise was almost gone.

Recently she came back from school with a cough that was waking her up at night. I went to Walgreens and saw that Hyland's offers a “cough ‘n cold syrup” and since it has a teddy bear in the front we called it the “teddy medicine”. That thing works and since it is recommended for the whole family, both my husband and I have used it as well and believe it or not, it tastes yummy!

So far, my experience using Hyland's products has been great. I am a loyal customer and will be happy to recommend this brand to anyone.

Helly Hansen

I love Helly Hansen! I like how it looks and most of the the quality. The Helly Hansen gear I have has lasted forever and gone through a lot of wear and tear. They have a lifetime warranty with all of their items. If anything is wrong or broken they take it back and will repair it at no cost. If it can't be fixed they will issue you store credit. I buy my ski gear there even if it isn't the cheapest price or best deal because I know what their products offer and how they last. I have never been disappointed by any of my purchases or their customer service. They truly believe the customer is right and supporting those who work or love to play in the outdoors.

Inadvertently, an Apple person

I've had a hard time finding a brand to which I am unquestionably loyal. After analyzing my spending habits I've found that rather than loyally purchasing specific brands, more commonly I loyally avoid specific brands. There are few brands that I faithfully purchase, but there are several that I refuse to deal with at all.

That being said, I did recently purchase a new iMac. Not only did I choose to go with a Mac, but I didn't even look at a PC. For me, its not the cultish community surrounding Apple that draws me in. Instead, its a relationship built on owning mac products that "just work" that causes me to be a repeat customer. When I was in college, my university recommended we buy Macs. In honor student fashion I followed their advice which lead me to owning a Powerbook. That Powerbook has lasted all the way to this recent purchase - 9 full years. How many people can say they have a 9 year old laptop that's still even somewhat relevant? For my recent purchase, I chose to go with a desktop because my laptop, truthfully still isn't quite dead. So despite that Apples unquestionably cost more, its dependability and longevity make it worth the extra money in my mind.

Also, I like that when I plug in new hardware it recognizes it, usually without any additional software installation. When I plug in my camera, it automatically organizes the photos along side the rest of my photos in iphoto. When I plug in my old external hard drive, it knows what it is. When I plug in my ipod, it connects with my music automatically. I find Apple has removed the unnecessary instruction which adds time to routine tasks. I appreciate the effort their products save me.

REDKEN

Not all hair products are the same. Redken is a premium line of haircare products only sold in salons. I suppose for women with "normal" hair - not dry or oily - the haircare products commonly sold at the dollar store would be ok. But that's not me. I have super-thin, wavy blond hair that has a tendency to be oily if I don't wash it EVERYDAY. Also, "moving up in my years" has me at the salon every 6 weeks for a touch up... if you know what I mean. Dollar store shampoo, mousse, and hairspray will not make me look as fabulous as I do today. I know this for a fact. I was the biggest dork as a young person in middle school. This was the age when young girls just started figuring out how to do their own hair. It's about the age when they got their first curling iron, flat iron or their own hairdryer. FRIZZY, dirty-blond hair combined with the humidity of the Northeast United States really DID ME IN!




Here you can see the transformation. From 6th grade dork - to a high school senior who has pretty much mastered her own head... in 1988, anyway! ;)

I have used Redken shampoo and conditioner "Color Extend" for yearrrrrs! I religiously buy the Redken pre-treatment "Extreme Anti-Snap", Redken mousse "Full Frame #07", and Redken hairspray "Forceful #23".

EXPENSIVE!!!! But JcPenney usually has great sales on Redken products. I'll tell ya... beauty is not cheap! Maybe for "Ivory Girls"... but not for me.

The shampoo doesn't STRIP my haircolor - like other brands. The Anti-Snap pretreatment helps keep my ends thick without split ends. The mousse is light enough as to not weigh down my feather-light hair. The hairspray is able to hold my style without a starchy feeling.

I used to "ESCAPE THE GREASIES WITH AGREE" shampoo back in the 80's and 90's. But the product was discontinued in the 2000's and I had to find a replacement. I've been hooked on Redken EVER SINCE!!!

Starbucks: The Siren's Song

Starbucks holds a special place in my heart. It's where, going on 15 years ago, I fell in love. At the time, I didn't drink coffee. But my boyfriend was a new barista and wooed me with hazelnut steamed milks and sweet pastries. He encouraged me to move onto the "not too coffee-intense" Caramel Macchiatos. And then, whirling with caffeine and crushes, I was hooked.

I loved it so much, I wound up employed by the company for a couple of years as a barista. (I've since graduated away from sticky-sweet drinks and into the standard Americano - tall, half-full, with a splash of cream.)

Sure, the company has let me down. They've made poor business (and non-business - ahem, Sonics) decisions. They've gone in odd directions, been blasted innumerable times for their snootiness, and messed up my drink a few dozen times. But even when my (now) husband was laid off after 12 years of employment, I didn't quit.

Much of my experience centers around nostalgia: We spent many dates there in our early courtship (at a 30% discount, why not)? Many trips - domestic and international - also involve Starbucks memories (how fun to be hopped up on java while tooling around Seville or San Francisco).

But it's also about the product: No matter where I am in the world, I know that a Starbucks will provide me a consistent drink, sometimes a to-go meal, and a smile.

That siren has rooted her way into my heart.

REI rocks!

Hands down my favorite brand is REI (the store not their private label merchandise). I love love love their generous return policy. I will buy higher priced items at their store just for the peace of mind that should I not like the item for any reason (2, 10, even 20 years from now!) I can easily take it back. I also love that their employees are outdoorsy themselves, generally knowledgeable and don’t work on commission --- they’re not trying to sell upgrades, warrantees, etc., etc.

The products I’ve purchased there over the years have varied in quality – some great, some terrible. But the way REI treats their customers has me coming back again and again to try their products, regardless of my most recent product experience.

Babbling (about) Brooks

I don't have a lot of brand loyalty. I have brand convenience. Most often I use a brand not because I'm so devoted to it, but more because it's convenient to use something until it decides not to work any longer. I use the laundry detergent, eat the bread, perfume my armpits, whatever, with the product I use simply because I'm of the effective-until-proven-ineffective school of consumption. I hate shopping and will take the path of least resistance, using the same thing over and over, in the grip of apathy-inertia, until someone or something gives me a reason to stop.

For years, I wore Nike running shoes. I wasn't a dedicated runner and the shoes served me well enough, and they still had some residual cool factor leftover from childhood, perhaps. Then I got into running a little more and my first race at a longer distance promptly resulted in shin splints. I hobbled to the doctor who prescribed orthotics (ugh) and gave me a list of shoes that are better for pronators, of which I apparently am one.

Not really knowing anything about anything, I chose one off the list pretty much at random: Brooks Addictions. I was fitted for a pair (a bit like a horse being shod, but that's a story for another time) and ran in them, and eventually the shin splints went away. In the 10 years since, I have had only occasional pinches despite running a lot more now than I did then.

I have discovered since that I have a LOT of Brooks stuff: shirts, tights, cap, etc. I love their stuff. They last forever, do exactly what they're meant to do (they are the wizards of wick, the sultans of sweat-nullification, their tights don't turn into sags, etc.), and aren't exceptionally girly (no teddy bears or pastel wads of flowers, please, I am a grown up). But it started with the shoes and the fact that the shoes really did help me recover from an injury and stay uninjured.

Now let's talk loyalty. Brooks has got me nailed. I am well into their target market: a mature woman who wants to be fit, is environmentally conscious and reasonably socially aware. Brooks understands all of that and respects it and is right there with me (and well ahead of me, truth be told).

But what Brooks really gets is what running means to me: it's a part of my identity that I'm not willing to let just anyone mess with. I was in grade school when the ink was still fresh on Title 9, and we actually had "men's basketball" and "girls' volleyball." Gah! Needless to say, female athletes weren't particularly encouraged. Brooks gets that, and is very good at saying, "Yes. Yes, you can. Yes, you too" to women like me. I put on their tights and shirt and hat and I feel strong and fleet and fast, despite my mid-pack pace.

Their products may be no better than the cheaper stuff I could buy at Big5 (though I doubt it), but I will seek out Brooks products, and I feel better buying that new shirt knowing it's from Brooks. I take better care of the stuff I buy from them and recommend their products to others.

Yeah. They got me.