This morning I woke up to several conversations on Twitter going back and forth regarding the best of this and that. Clearly the word best is almost always associated with opinion and with that comes the understanding that opinions are that of the author which doesn't mean that best will be best for you. With that said I have to express "my" opinion on brand influence and what role it plays on making purchasing decisions.

Each of us tends to stick with brands we know and trust for the important things in our lives. For instance if you are a audio/video enthusiast the chances of you buying a non name brand item is slim to none. Being an enthusiast almost guarantees that you will have a brand you think is better than all of the others. The chances are that when that brand releases a new product you will upgrade to it before looking at the competition because you trust them and you feel they are superior to all other like products, even in some cases if this is the farthest from the truth.  What is it about brands that keep us going back for more? For me it's the consistency of quality and service provided by the brand.

I have brands I trust in each category of my entirely too many hobbies. While I openly admit to always keeping my eye out for those brands latest toys I feel that I am open to new and innovative products from anybody. As the saying goes "if you build it, they will come". How influenced are you by your brands?