Comments on: Overcoming the Power of Branding and Brand Preferences

By: Izabelle

Izabelle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:10:13 +0000

Here is a little inside trick: on a retail shelf, look at the attributes and package shape of the store’s house brand, then locate the brand name one the same shelf that resembles it most. You have now identified the manufacturer of the house brand.

If you like the corresponding name brand product, buying the house brand will get you the same thing but slightly cheaper. The money will go to the same pockets. Win-win.

By: kimberly

kimberly — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:06:31 +0000

We tried two store brands, Tom Thumb aka Safeway and Up And Up by Target. The best by far was Tom Thumbs. The Up and Up was the worst I have ever used. Tom Thumb brand is priced at the same price point as if I go to Target and get Cascade.

I also love E Cover (dang auto correct) .

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:45:38 +0000

Quoting the January 2012 Consumer Reports magazine on page 46 in the “Hold the phosphates – and the complains” inset, “Cascade Complete All In 1 ActionPacs, 29 cents per load, cleaned very well and didn’t leave a white film on dishes or discolor aluminum.”

Trent and family are loading the dishwasher incorrectly, the incoming water isn’t hot enough and/or the dishwasher needs servicing.

By: deRuiter

deRuiter — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:05:56 +0000

This is why the Madison Advertising people are desperate to attract the 17-49 demographic. As a lot (but not all) of people get older, they are less likely to be easily swayed by advertising due to their past life experiences. Advertising is mostly lies, dressed up in the most attractive package which the advertising department can invent. This is true of a lot of so called “green” products too, because ad people know that attaching the word “green” to any product will sell more of it to the gullible. Advertising is intended to sell things they don’t need to people who can’t afford them and who would be better served by buying something different or not buying at all.

By: pollyanna

pollyanna — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:39:20 +0000

@#14 and @#15 i have exema also tide is ok but the oly thing my son can use is all free and clear i have broken the brand relaince by making my own laundry detergent. I just make sure the soap i use is one that my son and I can both use.

By: Telephus44

Telephus44 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:15:52 +0000

I just wanted to second @19 elyn’s comment. I’ve been through a lot of different dish washing detergents, and the absolute best is Ecover. It is more expensive, but to me the lower impact on the environment is worth the cost. The second best solution (since Ecover is hard to find, I order mine online) is a product called LemiShine – it’s a power additive you can mix with any dish washing detergent and works pretty well.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:39:19 +0000

I will often buy both and do a (not very scientific) blind taste test (assuming it’s a food item, we don’t taste test dishwasher detergent). Some things make a big difference, and others not so much. Peanut butter makes a huge difference so we only buy our favorite brand. Canned tomatoes is a small difference, so we will buy the name brand only when on sale and close to the generic price. Pudding cups we notice no difference so we always buy the cheapest. And with waffles I actually prefer the generic, so I buy those.

By: elyn

elyn — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:42:42 +0000

To answer Vicky’s question about a recommendation for a good dish detergent…
I tried a ton of different brands of phosphate free, eco-friendly dish detergents. There’s only one of them that I like, because it doesn’t leave the dishes all covered in residue- it actually makes them all shiny and clean: Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Tablets. I have no idea if they are expensive or not- they are worth whatever they cost because they do exactly what I want while being eco-friendly, and nothing else did. I get them by the case online.

As to brand-loyalty- if I do a lot of footwork, as in the dish detergent sample from above, and I land on a brand I like then I will very likely never stray from that brand. This is because it took work to find it, and I am not someone who enjoys trying out tons of different detergents just to save a few pennies. On the other hand, I’m all about generic when it comes to things like medicines, most hygiene products, and lots of groceries.

By: Troy

Troy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:40:54 +0000

You say “Don’t become attached to brands.” and they mean little.

Then you say you “read publications like Consumer Reports and The Consumerist pretty faithfully.”

Those publications are brands. Why are you loyal to them, but not to the brands they report on?

By: Angie

Angie — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:19:57 +0000

One of my weaknesses are paper towels. I know you should use dish towels, or rags, etc., but with two small children and two small dogs… well, it’s just so much more convenient. I use the Costco Kirkland brand.

By: Maria

Maria — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:26 +0000

This is off the dish detergent topic, but I found the same problem with paper towels. For a long time I bought Sparkle Towels. They weren’t as expensive as Bounty, and they did a great job. Well they must have changed the paper quality or something, but the last time I bought an 8 pack, they were terrible. You couldn’t get them wet, they would make little balls of paper that would stick to everything, just a mess. So I had to try some other brands and found that the Bounty Basic work just fine and are still reasonably priced. Sparkle lost a good customer, we go through way too many rolls of paper towels in our house

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:58:05 +0000

@Jill, #14 – Funny, I am allergic to Tide! I have to use Era. Dang eczema.

I am open to trying different brands but if I’ve been burned long enough by generic or other popular brands, I’m going to stick with what works, no matter the price. Just priorities I guess.

By: Jill

Jill — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:00:12 +0000

Sometimes brand names do still make a difference. I’ve had sensitive skin issues since childhood, and the only laundry detergent that doesn’t make me break out in a rash, no matter how many times I run the rinse cycle, is Tide.

By: retirebyforty

retirebyforty — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:48:43 +0000

Good advice. We usually buy generic too, but I do stick to some brands like Colgate and Nike. Well, Nike’s HQ is here so I’m a bit bias.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:18:01 +0000

Did you not try generics when you were first testing detergents?
Just wondering why if generic works well enough now, why you were using Cascade to begin with.

By: Jackowick

Jackowick — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:03:01 +0000

As per usual, people getting too emotionally involved or perceiving judgements about their own decisions while reading and advice column.

The point is that brand loyalty can be blinding at times, not whether Consumer Reports agrees or disagrees, or whether a Jaguar is a good car. Sheesh.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:50:57 +0000

@Johanna – I had the same thought!

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:48:05 +0000

“Having preferences means having weaknesses.” – Magnus Carlsen, currently the number one rated chess player in the world

The little voice in my head tells me this quote has absolutely nothing to do with Cascade, Jaguar or Le Creuset and everything to do with competitive chess tournaments. That is quite a stretch!

By: Adam

Adam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:42:51 +0000

@Gretchen… I believe that TSP no longer actually contains the P, but it is still called TSP.

I know this isn’t a post about dishwasher detergent, but oddly enough, we just started using cascade complete because it works so much better than the cheap stuff we were using (Up & Up brand).

I’d love to make my own though if it would save us money, Cascade Complete isn’t cheap.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:15:11 +0000

Sensory values are also important: feel, taste, smell, and especially appearance. An item may make perfect economic sense in the abstract, but if falls to please the senses it is not worth much at all.