I’m a Sucker for the Brand

Trisha makes fun of me because I’m drawn to brand-name stuff.

Like I think all of my cases for my Apple devices are stupidly overpriced Apple cases. And lately I’ve been considering which add-on to use for a client’s website, and I have a choice between the free one and the slightly better paid one that’s made by the team that makes the framework.

There’s tangible arguments to be made, too: mostly that a package that’s paid will likely be better-supported and have more longevity than something that’s free and built in people’s free time. When you’re building a large part of someone’s website on a tool, you want it to stick around for a while.

But mostly, there’s just this nice and fuzzy feeling that comes from using the real thing.

Like it feels like the real thing will be better made. And that it’s worthy of more trust. And most of all, I somehow feel cooler using it.

Somehow, the branding thing really works on me for purchasing decisions. My brain sees the brand and uses it as a shortcut for deciding that this is the most high-quality option.

That’s dangerous. Someone else needs to hold on to my wallet for me.