Brand Loyalty vs. Brand Blindness

[rockyridgefarm]

You know how this goes...

"I am completely Color Blind when it comes to brand loyalty..."

or

"Never mind him, he bleeds Green (Orange, Blue, Yellow)..."

Is it a Virtue to be Brand Blind, and a Vice to be Brand Loyal?

To be honest, I tend to be pretty brand loyal. Not to the point where I will settle for what doesn't work when a far better solution exists. But I do try and give the first shot to what works already. And, long ago, I found that I was better off being a somebody to somebody rather than a nobody to everybody. Yet, for some reason, I tend to think those who are completely Brand Blind are an even higher level sort of person than I am.

Lately, I have noticed some problems with their line of reason...

As soon as they have trouble the only solution is to get another brand, never mind learning the quirks and advantages of what they have.

Plastic hoods can crack... Metal Hoods can rust...

One Hydro Pedal Has advantages... Two Hydro Pedals have advantages...

Green gets Lost in a field... Red fades in the sun...


A certain amount of Brand Disloyalty can be a Virtue. A certain amount of brand Loyalty is, too.

 

[rico304]

Nicely said Mike. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Hope some people read this your post. (at least twice) haha
We could all take something from it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Mike, I've often professed to being color blind with tractors. But I will admit to being pretty loyal to the dealerships. So when you wrote<font color="green"> I found that I was better off being a somebody to somebody rather than a nobody to everybody </font> I think you made a really good point. I want my dealers to give me good service and good pricing, but I also want them to understand that they have to remain competitive to RETAIN my loyalty.

I've documented my New Holland purchase several times here on TBN as going to the Kubota store and then to the Deere stores first and the NH store only after the Kubota guy shot me a HIGHER THAN THE STRATOSPHERE price, the local Deere guy wouldn't give me the time of day and the NH guy responded so quickly I thought I would get whiplash. The silly thing is the Kubota guy SHOULD have sold me the tractor, but my relationship at that store is with the owner, he was on vacation, the sales guy screwed around and lost the sale. The owner and I still do business, he's sold me 2 or 3 small tractors since then, but he & I both learned that I should only do business with HIM.

Now I love my NH and would consider a larger unit should the need arise in the future. They are very responsive to me, but "my guy" at the NH store is going to retire this year. Hmmm, what will happen then?

I'm very open to ANY brand, but I'm not going to push ANY brand until I hear what the task list is. And when I buy tractors I make up my own task list, which is subject to modification, and I search for the MOST SUITABLE machine for the tasks. Again, all that was well documented in my search for the BEST garden tractor on the planet. I was sure I knew what I wanted, but ended up with a brand I never knew existed and could not be more thrilled with the purchase.

What I won't do, and what I have seen played out time and time again here on TBN is the silly post that reads something like "buy my brand, it costs less and is just as good and you get more blah blah blah" Heck it MIGHT be the ideal tractor if it suits the tasks (apprpriate weight or lack of weight as required by the tasks, power at the engine & the PTO, features, physical size, proximity to the dealer, etc) Then again it could simply be a brand loyal post that is meaningless and actually adds nothing to the content of TBN.

 

[nasdaqsam]

Well said,

Just went through it myself. I was a tried and true Deere fan. No changing my mind.

Seeking advice, I came to TBN and now I have a Kubota. Not because anybody talked me into or told me it was the best but because I found that I needed to open my horizons and see what works for me and my intended use at the time.

What works for me, may or may not work for you or anybody else. It's a personal thing. I took some ribbing from some friends when I went orange but I could not be happier with the tractor and now that they have seen it in action I think their a little jealous now. I Loved my Deeres also, I beat the living snot out of them and used them far beyond their capabilities and they never let me down, I took good care of them also. I've had the Kubota for just a short time but have already logged 47 hours. 9 of which was this past Sunday non-stop full out and it never missed a beat. If and when I need another one I will not hesitate to look at ALL the tractors out there.

Bottom line, not many out there are just plain junk anymore. They all have raised the bar and we are all winners for it. Buy what you like, share your information, be polite and most of all enjoy your tractor no matter what anybody else says.

Just some random thoughts on a good subject.

 

[Donnyj]

Bottom line, not many out there are just plain junk anymore. They all have raised the bar and we are all winners for it. Buy what you like, share your information, be polite and most of all enjoy your tractor no matter what anybody else says.
Excellent advice. I think that pretty much hits the nail on the head in my opinion. Great job!!

 

[rockyridgefarm]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bottom line, not many out there are just plain junk anymore )</font>

No, but they ARE different! They aren't all the same, just different colors... What fits one, might not work at all for another.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="blue">( Bottom line, not many out there are just plain junk anymore )</font>
<font color="green">
No, but they ARE different! They aren't all the same... What fits one, might not work at all for another.
</font>
<font color="black">
Mike, that has been my point, and the point of many other people with far more experience than I have. They ARE DIFFERENT and those DIFFERENCES make them suited for different uses, different people and different properties. But unfortunately, some people get so hung up on the brand they own that they can't get past the fact that another machine or another brand will be better suited for a different set of conditions and tasks. Not one is perfect for all. You are pretty much a guy who bleeds green (and I say that as a compliment because you know and trust what works for you and are very well versed in the brand, not just in your particular model but in many sizes), but you were very eager to help your freind buy a Kubota recently because after looking at his needs you saw the "B" class tractors as the best fit for him.

It is no secret that I just about quit TBN, and that several other have in fact quit, and it is no secret that much of the grief has been caused by brand blind zealotry that has little-to-no basis in fact when people who just bought their first modern tractor, or worse yet their very first tractor, and have a couple months of seat time shout down people who grew up on farms and have more seat time by the time they are able to legally drive on a road than "hobby estate" owners like myself will ever accumulate in a lifetime. I still learn more every day and I still consider myself a newbie and I've owned my land for 15+ years.

</font>

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

I love tractors! If I had the money or won the lottery I'd have at least five of 'em, all different brands. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That would save time changing implements. What a concept /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif one tractor for each attachment /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Woohoo!

Now, seriously, I really like my 5205 because it suits me and what I want to do with it. It doesn't have every single feature I'd like but it fit my needs, wants and budget for now. I also like my smooth running little Kubota. I don't like to hear folks dogging someones elses tractor out at all. That's childish. It's OK to be brand loyal if you choose to be, just don't try to make others feel stupid because they bought the other color. That other color is cool too and probably has some features that out perform yours for what its owner bought it to do.

Like I said, I love tractors! I've got an orange one and a green one, now I need a blue one, a red one and a........ /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Gues I'm just a multi-tractor-cultured kinda guy!

Its a colorful tractoring world out there, have fun with it!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="green"> What a concept one tractor for each attachment Woohoo!
</font>


Why else would I have 4 different brands that I use? It makes task changes as easy as moving to a different seat!!!

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is it a Virtue to be Brand Blind, and a Vice to be Brand Loyal?

To be honest, I tend to be pretty brand loyal. Not to the point where I will settle for what doesn't )</font>

I agree. I tend to favor my existing tractors manufacturer / dealer when i look for new/more equipment... though i do look at all colors looking for best options at best price/dealer service.. etc.

soundguy