Brand Rivalry
As you grow up, you realise that with most things there are nearly always two brands at the top of the market tempting you to purchase them. Most successful brands sell more than one product, brand familiarity and loyalty increase greatly after several satisfactory purchases. Here are my preferences when it comes to one-on-one rivalry.
Ford vs Holden
ford
A very active rivalry in Australia, most people can offer a preference here. I like Fords, grew up with them as my parents have owned various models. I do concede that Holden have made some impressive makes – Monaro and their luxury cars such as Statesmans in the early 90s come to mind. However, I think Ford have continually made well designed cars on a more consistent basis from the late 60’s GT Falcons to the big boxy Fairlanes of the 80s, sleek EF/EL of the mid 90s and the BA’s from 2002-04 (and onwards). Even the ugly AU is starting to grow on me, 11 years on.
Colgate vs Macleans
Macleans
I remember colgate as being the sweet and fun toothpaste from my primary school days. Well I have grown up and my preferences have changed. The extreme clean whitening product from Macleans is just to tempting to pass up.
Sony vs Panasonic – Indoor stereo system
Panasonic
I have both stereos at my house, I feel like the Panasonic layout and button configuration is less intimidating and carries a lot of features, that are easy to use.
Sony Playstation vs Xbox – psII and xbox original
X-box
Who am I kidding? I don’t play games at all these days but I have played a game or two on both of these consoles. While I am not much of an admirer of the Microsoft computer software empire, I do admit they know what they’re doing with video-game entertainment.
Nintendo vs Sega – super nintendo vs sega megadrive
Nintendo
I couldn’t do the above example without going back to 1990s mania, the two machines that taught kids how to waste their time indoors. While Sonic and Bubsy were addictive, you really can’t compete with Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros.
Canon vs Nikon
Nikon
Canon are known for many consumer electronic appliances from colour printers, video camcorders and Single Lens Reflex cameras. Nikon is only known for their cameras. They have had a good product since the 50s (earlier than that even) and their reputation has stuck with them till this day.
I have noticed that buying into the Canon system seems a bit cheaper than Nikon. Canon advertises a lot in Australia. They sponsor sports and appear more. Instead of persuading me, the over-representation of Canon puts me further away from buying into the system.
Unfortunately, the success of the two brands have caused them to be stingy with what features they offer entry-level buyers. While their competitors Olympus, Sony and Pentax offer in-body image stabilisation on nearly all their entry level cameras, Nikon and Canon deprive their user of having this technology causing them to buy more expensive Vibration Reduction lenses every time. My next purchase will probably be from a competitor. I still prefer Nikon although I do admit this has to do with the fact that I am the owner of a Nikon F65 film SLR.
Adidas vs Nike – Shoes
Adidas
I’ve got a pair of Adidas Samba that I bough back in 2004 and while a bit of stitching has come undone around the toe region, they still serve me well. Adidas has a sensible sense of design and style and don’t usually put out experimental or strange shoes. This is a plus for me. During my upbringing I have always been able to find a decent Adidas shoe on the market. The fact that they re-stock old shoes like gazelle’s leaves me at peace to always be able to purchase a shoe that I am fond of regardless of when they originally came out.
Coke vs Pepsi
Pepsi
I like coke for mixing with cheap or bad quality spirits. I like Pepsi to drink as a beverage because I feel it is less fizzy and less sweet. What I really enjoy is chinotto soft drinks when eating at Italian restaurants and cafes but that’s another case altogether.
Nokia vs Sony Ericsson – Mobile phones
Nokia
While I am always impressed with Sony Ericsson’s high end phones and their incredible features, Nokia provide customers on all levels adequate solutions. I was in need of a cheap phone last year and Nokia provided a simple, small and elegant phone for a very affordable price. For this reason I prefer Nokia as they have a phone for any and every user.
I can’t think of any other battles at the moment. I will add some more if needed. What are your preferred brands and did I miss any other close rivalries?
Old school vs new school part 2
After writing the first article, a new example came to mind.
Walkman
Remember back to year 8. Sony or Panasonic cassette walkmans were the brands sought after by high-school kids around the country. The price ranged from about $80 to $120 for a quality system – a difficult price for any 13 year old.
There were various ways to conceal the fact that you were listening to your walkman during class. The most effective was to have one ear piece run through the inside of your shirt, through your back and come out at your collar right behind your ear while the other wire would pass through your arm and come out of your cuff/sleeve. You would put your elbow on the desk and lean your head on your hand to plug in the ear piece to get stereo sound.
There was a ritual involved.
- Buy blank cassettes
- Borrow or purchase original music cd’s or cassettes (yeah that’s right, you could buy top 40 music on audio cassette back in the day)
- Tape the music onto your blank cassettes (reducing the volume during recording for better playback quality)
- Remember to have charged batteries, and have another pair for backup – my walkman only needed one. I used to pay around $9.00 for a lithium back then, would last weeks!
- Remember to pack it and take it with you to school in the morning with a selection of your best 4 tapes (all of them rewound to the start).
- And the game of cat and mouse between you, your walkman and the teacher began. It would be days of confiscation if you were caught with a walkman at school. Some students even prepared what they would say to the teacher to negotiate a way around the temporary loss of this treasured item.
CD walkmans then came onto the market but for me, they were too bulky and anti-skip technology wasn’t at its peak, meaning that the cd would skip as you walked around listening to the music.
Portable music is still relevant today however I think the importance of the process is less appreciated. The ritual and all the obstacles aren’t as present now. Music accessibility is much greater. Before, it was such a long journey from the recording session to the school yard, to be able to enjoy just one hour of personal music during a school day.
Long live the walkman!
More examples to continue soon…
Old school vs new school
When it comes to new consumer products and technology advancements I am always hesitant to buy in right away.
On a number of things I have noticed that I am behind the times. For instance, my video camcorder still runs mini dv tapes and my Single Lens Reflex camera is a film based Nikon from 2002. I shave my face using the traditional techniques of creating lather from shaving soap and using double edge razor blades to clean off my beard. I listen to cd’s in my bed room and can still record onto cassette if I wish.
The main reason for this is because I feel that the last models of an old or dying technology becomes so much more affordable and its good to have that good quality while newer technologies keep others busy.
Video Cameras
Full High Definition video cameras have come out this year and although they are packed with great features, I am sure that in one year’s time the current models will be irrelevant and the newer items will cost less. I’d rather wait around for the HD quality to improve while I continue to use old and dusty dv tapes.
Photo Cameras
One item that is convenient to have is a digital slr, even if it is a budget or entry level one. If I knew more about photography I would have no problem sticking with my film slr and shooting but to learn the techniques, it is faster and cheaper with a digital.
Shaving
I have tried the latest shaving methods and they don’t impress me. From five blade razor handles to smelly shaving oils. I spend an extra 5 minutes every morning with a traditional shave but I get a closer shave and am much more satisfied, no razor burn either. The soap lasts a lifetime and so too will the brush and handle. There is much more skill involved and it has become a sort of ritual in the mornings.
That’s all I have to say. Stick with the old way until the new way is better developed and cheaper. Not surprisingly, the cost has a lot to do with my decision making on these issues.
Growing up I couldn’t wait to be older
It couldn’t have happened sooner
I never imagined where’d I’d be today
and it’s hard to realise what I once was
and what I had to offer
These days things are simpler or harder to bear
depending on which way you look at it
So I think of tomorrow and wonder what it will bring
If the past is anything to go by then things will be okey
Pull your socks up and keep your gloves on,
live to fight another day
4 December, 2008
School’s out – Boo hoo
It wasn’t too long ago when I was dressed in my school uniform and walking out of my highschool/college for the last time as a student.
Other classmates had mixed feelings while signing each other’s yearbooks but I was just keen on getting in my mate’s car to be driven anywhere away from the district.
I am not willing to repeat the words I yelled out when sticking my head out of the car window but the sentiment behind the words expressed something like “farewell old school, I may not be saddened if our paths don’t cross again in the near or distant future”.
That’s how I felt about leaving school. I had waited for the moment for about 2 years. I knew that it was only after school that I would become somebody, an adult. A whole life awaited me, there were many people that I was yet to meet and many new experiences to face.
Not everyone I speak to feels the same way. Some people miss the school days when everyday felt like the end of the world. They wish they could go back to that time when responsibilities were less and age could get you off the hook for doing stupid things. Parties, drinking, picking up/dating, gossip, popularity.. these precious things that only matter inside the school gates.
I think that your feelings about school life depend on what you accomplish in the years following graduation. If you haven’t progressed very far in life and back at school you were somewhat of a celebrity, then ofcourse you just wish you were there again, 7 kilos lighter, much fitter and with a mini fan club of girls 3 years younger than you, stories and rumours about you larger than your ego. It was just like “grease lightning” wasn’t it?
If you were a bit of a loner (most bloggers were), then whatever you did after school would have been a lot more interesting.
Another thing. It’s after school that you realise that there are two types of people you meet there. There are those who remember you and are happy when they run into you whenever they see you on the street and then there are those who are too embarrassed to acknowledge you or too rude to say hello.
I don’t miss school. Unfortunately, the majority of interesting people I have met did not come from the same school I attended although there are a few special people I studied alongside that I wish I could see more of.
SCHOOL’S OUT, I’M STILL NOT FAZED
What are your opinions? Feel free to comment on this post (to do so, click on the comment link and fill out the form).
I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.
Martha Washington
1732-1802, First American First Lady
1732-1802, First American First Lady