I read an interesting article in Fast Company titled, Just Say No. In the article, author Rob Walker suggests that, like brand loyalty, brand managers need to contemplate and understand brand bigotry. He states, "Marketers pay a lot of attention to brand loyalty and cultdom and devotion. But what about its opposite number -- the brands you simply refuse to consider consuming?"
I contend that brand bigotry is, in most cases, tied to good, old-fashioned Pavlovian Behavior Modification or -- by today's vernacular -- user experience. Although I don't have any empirical data at my fingertips to support my premise, I do have several life experiences that suggest conditioning as the key to my brand bigotry.
The couple of times that I have purchased Nike sneakers the heel did not fit right. Each time I ended up abandoning the shoe long before it wore out because of the ill-fitting heel. Contrast that with my experience with athletic footwear from Converse and Adidas. In both cases the footwear fit fine and was a quality product resulting in favorable brand association. So, when I go out to buy my next pair of sneakers, it's not worth the $100 or so to try Nike again. Yes, I'm a Nike brand bigot.
Contrast that with hockey skates. In the past ten years I have purchased three pairs of CCM hockey skates (one roller and two ice). I am getting ready to buy a new pair for ice hockey. I have no doubt that I will purchase CCM again, because, at $300 a pair, it's too risky to try Bauer/Nike, Mission, or any other skate manufacturer. Yes, I'm a brand bigot of any brand other than CCM.
For automobiles, I have owned GM cars and rented countless others. With those that I owned and rented, I was amazed at how poor the quality was and how it appeared to me that making the driver comfortable was an afterthought. To that end, I recall a WSJ article back in the late '80s that described in detail how Ford was making great strides on the quality front and Chrysler was taking the lead in innovative design. At the very end of this lengthy article, the author stated something like: "You all must be wondering about GM. Well, GM's motto is no more ugly cars." That about sums up my experience and impression of GM's brand. I've even gotten to the point where I will look for rental agencies that feature non-GM cars. Yes, I'm a GM brand bigot.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. My brand bigotry stems from direct experience (i.e., conditioning) with specific brands.
Like brand loyalty, brand managers need to understand what tools are available to help them measure and grapple with brand bigotry. This is where the community and interactive nature of Web 2.0 can have a huge impact. By employing contemporary mechanisms that reach out to consumers, bigots and loyalists alike, brand managers can formulate strategies that are able to sustain loyalty while converting bigots. For example, if I were to see compelling evidence in blogs from people I trust and have a lot in common with, I'm fairly certain that my bigotry could be swayed.
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