Does Branding Matter?

[psfred]

Branding means very little to me. Soap is soap, all I want is minimal scent and good slickness. Fancy labels and "cool" containers have no effect whatever on the contents.

But then I'll probably never buy soap again, at least until I'm too feeble to be trusted with lye. I make my own, and the very best part of that is that I can reduce the scent level down to where I can stand to use it. Even Haslinger is too strong for my nose.

 

[Aziraphale]

I discovered that branding really only matters to me when I find a product that I really like. I will definitely try pretty much all of said product from said brand.

For instance... I discovered that I really like Proraso "white" line up, so naturally I really wanted to try the other types and scents from that brand just to see if they are all as good for me as the others.

However, that being said, I really don't care that it says Proraso. It could say Taylor or Tabac. It's what works for me and that's all.

 

[kluber]

This statement makes sense if you only use the same soaps over and over and you already know what the performance is. How do you make a decision when trying something new? I think this is where branding and marketing really come into play.



I would say you are in the majority (at least when selecting a product you have not used before). I think when trying new products you have to at least somewhat base base your choice off branding and marketing. It's like having a first impression when you meet somebody new for the first time. It's something everybody does whether they realize it or not. Now that doesn't meant your opinion cant change once you get to know the person or soap more.

This seems the most reasonable response to the question to me.

 

[gsurko]

As long as it’s Williams, I don’t care what brand it is.

 

[htownmmm]

Scent and performance are what matters most to me. Positive reviews on the forums help also.

marty

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

I have seen soap reviews that highlight the soap packaging: container, labeling, etc. as if it were one of their most important criteria. I guess if I were purchasing thee soap off the shelf of a shaving vendor, that the packaging might help me find what I am looking for among the myriad of choices. However, since most of my soap purchases are made online, that is less important. I do like packages that have labels on the side of the containers as it is easier for me to find the soap I want among the 70+ soaps in my den. Unfortunately, not many soaps have side labels.

I have soaps and creams that have kept the same formula for decades and I have artisan soaps that were just released a couple of months ago. The two things that are important to me are how the soap smells and how the soap performs. I do not care how good the packaging is or how great the hype if the soap irritates my face, if I do not like the scent, or if the soap does not result in a wonderful shave.

I need to become more educated on ingredients and formulations. I have degrees that I should be able to figure them out. Just haven't done the background work. I should.

 

[Rhody]

I take reputation and reviews over branding especially for soap since i mostly buy online
otherwise i can be a sucker for packaging or lables.

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

Scent and performance are what matters most to me. Positive reviews on the forums help also.

marty

So for scent, do you try to find scents across all brands that you tend to like? Or do you find a Brand that you like how they do their scents and then trust only them moving forward. Scent/style is definitely a strong Branding technique.

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

As far as other "Branding" things, some donate part of the profits to certain charities. I'll admit I've supported some of those vendors. I have avoided mentioning brands, but with this one I don't know how else ... so I'll say I supported Soapy Science simply because I thought it was cool that a middle school student produced the soap as her science project and then stuck with it to turn it into a product and brand and was currently a sophomore in high school. She does donate some of the proceeds, but she isn't the only one. But choosing a charity to support is also a strong branding technique to resonate with your customers.

 

[htownmmm]

So for scent, do you try to find scents across all brands that you tend to like? Or do you find a Brand that you like how they do their scents and then trust only them moving forward. Scent/style is definitely a strong Branding technique.

That's exactly it-I look for appealing scents and then go that way. I may not even buy another of that brand once I have the scent I like.

marty

 

[Hammer'nHank]

It's the bomb, you can't go wrong, buy it, you'll like it, I don't know about you guys but I think it's great, for the price buy two, would I lie to you? A true up and coming artist, the greatest scent for your cents. I think it smells awesome, your / my wife just loves it, my girlfriend says I smell good, my dog licks my cheeks, and sometimes your girlfriend licks my cheeks, when you're not looking that is.

Marketing & Advertisement is what sells a quality and high performing product, after a while that is. Brand, package recognition, size, shape and color matters.

I won't buy any soap unless I like the color of the package, quality and price be damned..

 

[yellowgiallo]

I don't look to much into the actual soap makers themselves or what their brands represent. I am not interested in gossip, politics or scandals. Labeling has kind of always been important to me however. It's irrational but its my OCD kicking in. With that said a few of Uncle Jon's soaps are at the top of my list scent wise but I hate the artwork. It bugs me but not enough to discourage me from buying because the scents and performance are what matters. But dammit it still bugs me.

 

[StillShaving]

Does the Brand image or the person making the product highly influence your choice in shaving gear? I've found that I am more likely to be influenced by a company that's ethos resonates with me, has a connection to my life, or I have gotten to now a little about the artisan. I find that these influences have much more impact on how much I enjoy each shave. I have troubles spending money on those companies that I don't connect with even when there is a strong following and a host of positive reviews.

It is interesting that in this hobby branding and marketing are more nontraditional.

Yes and no. Broadly speaking if a brand represents quality or good economic value and good customer service that is most important. Secondarily if the company somehow participates in their local community in a positive way or treat their employees well then it can be a plus, though it should never make national news.

But if their ethos or brand is political in nature it is a turnoff, even if I agree with their politics. I dislike all the company protests and counter-protests.

 

[Enemygod]

That's exactly it-I look for appealing scents and then go that way. I may not even buy another of that brand once I have the scent I like.

marty

I do the same thing. I sometimes make purchases based on the label + scent description. I would argue however that scent description is marketing. Some soap makers really know how to word the scent description in ways that catch my eye, sound interesting and make me want to try them.

 

[DEdestroyer77]

Not sure where I stand. If it smells good and performs I dont care if it comes in a ziploc baggie.

On the other hand, there is an artisan I will absolutely not purchase from if it was the last soap on the planet due to lame excuses and I'm sorry's. Nice packaging and all that, but - just - nope

 

[Binx_Bolling]

Yeo, I was a big Palmolive hater because their hard soaps dried me out like Sahara, but then I tried the shaving cream and it was entirely acceptable.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[StillShaving]

One example of a branding and feel-good was buying Stirling's Baker Street Soap. Because Stirling gets generally good feedback and they are obviously trying to satisfy customer needs and whims by providing so many scents. I specifically bought Baker Street because I liked Strop Shoppe before they shutdown and I liked how they shared the scent with Stirling.

 

[RayClem]

Although I won't purchase a brand unless I know the quality and performance are good, sometimes there are things about a brand that turn me off, even if I know nothing about the quality of the soap. One such brand is "The Holy Black". Even if they made the best products available, I would not buy from them.

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

Although I won't purchase a brand unless I know the quality and performance are good, sometimes there are things about a brand that turn me off, even if I know nothing about the quality of the soap. One such brand is "The Holy Black". Even if they made the best products available, I would not buy from them.

My thought as well. I've seen rave reviews on their products. But I just can't connect with the brand. And that's okay because there are plenty of other customers who will.

 

[Anick]

@RayClem im with you on that.